--- content_date: 2020-04-26 feed: "DANIEL_ON_SLOPE" codex_section: "S09" codex_candidate: false source: Scotomaville source_file: 01.14-triangulation.pdf chapter: 01.14-triangulation total_pdf_pages: 10 volume: v1 title: Triangulation monomyth_stage: "06 - Tests, Allies, Enemies" category: - awareness - strategy - identity tags: - triangulation - scotomas - blind-spots - reference-points - hope-faith-fact - personal-development - amygdala-hijacking - self-awareness - minyan - ai-collaboration summary: | I use the concept of triangulation to explain how gathering three reference points—hope, faith, and facts—can help overcome the emotional hijacking and false beliefs that keep us stuck in Scotomaville. Drawing from my own journey of shedding labels from childhood and navigating the uncertainties of the pandemic, I show that we don't have to go it alone. By following examples from history and collaborating with AI, we can build the confidence to make real progress. qr_links: - https://youtu.be/mtmsm6LRzFM - https://youtu.be/4rsSeWRcxFY --- # 01.14-triangulation ## Spread 001 [p1–p2] **type:** image_heavy | **img coverage:** L=65% R=37% **heading:** Leaving SCOTOMAVILLE ### Visual description The two-page spread opens with a wide, full-bleed documentary photograph of a solitary lighthouse with a red lantern room perched on a dark rocky outcrop in calm gray-blue water under an overcast sky. Large black text reading “triangulation” is superimposed on the right side of this image, with the smaller subtitle “NO LESS THAN 3 BASE-LINES ARE ESSENTIAL FOR REASONABLE PROGRESS” beneath it. The left page features a vintage-style nautical chart labeled “COMMENCEMENT BAY AND SCOTOMAVILLE” with several bold black triangulation lines drawn across it, positioned next to a small color portrait of an older man (Daniel) with white hair, smiling and holding his hand to his head. The right page displays three small black-and-white portraits arranged horizontally—an adolescent boy, a rugged middle-aged man, and the same older man (Daniel) with both hands covering his eyes—above a large pull-quote in bold type: “NEVER ‘GO-IT’ ALONE. CERTAINTY FOLLOWS NO LESS THAN THREE TANGENTIAL ARGUMENTS.” The overall layout mixes real journey photography (lighthouse, Daniel) with an illustrative map and conceptual portraits, creating a documentary yet metaphorical tone that visually reinforces the chapter’s navigation-based reasoning technique. ### Left page Leaving SCOTOMAVILLE 122 By separating real facts from false ideas and under standing what’s truly important, you can approach your biggest challenges with confidence using this helpful mental technique. It’s like using a basic method from navigation to ease your fears and make those around you feel more assured and determined. For instance, think about how the concept of ‘triangulation’ could apply to real-world problems like the ones faced during the pandemic lockdown. We chose to give up buying our Airstream to pay contractors and continue serving our clients. We lost our anticipated base camp and office, but we didn’t lose our resolve. We prepared for the next opportunity. .14 Dedication and persistence need well-informed decisions made by looking at things from different angles VOL 1 AWARENESS ### Right page Leaving SCOTOMAVILLE 123 Triangulation as a Reasoning Tool Triangulation is like connecting the dots using different points of view to find out something specific. In the context of understanding a complex issue, triangulation means using infor mation from various sources to get a clear and accurate understanding of the situation. In this sense, triangulation is a mental tool for overcoming emotional blind spots and hysteria from disappointments and uncertainty. Follow Real World Examples Roger Bannister ran a four-minute mile, and Sir Edmund Hillary climbed Everest. Abraham Maslow defined actualization. They showed it’s possible, so maybe I can do it? There was never been a better time to deal with self-awareness than during the stay-at-home order for the global pandemic. So I decided to demonstrate. A bold point I’m making: follow in the way we began. Think this way: If you and AI agree that I have summited my personal Everest, based on the evidence, then it must be possible for you to join in. Yes, it’s also possible for you! Yes it is. Lets do it together. triangulation no less than 3 base-lines are essential for reasonable progress a compass gives a single point of view. Many journeys have ended up on the rocks fixated by a single aim. “never ‘go-it’ alone. Certainty follows no less than three tangential arguments.” ## Spread 002 [p3–p4] **type:** text_only | **img coverage:** L=28% R=0% **heading:** Leaving SCOTOMAVILLE ### Left page Leaving SCOTOMAVILLE 124 Triangulation will ensure that you don’t get drowned by the waves of life. You’re able to be generous and lavish with your time and your compassion and consid eration for others, despite you being burdened. There’s a saying that goes: ‘Hope deferred makes the heart sick.’ What that means is when you’ve had your hope postponed, it can discourage you. It can be used as the glue to stick another artifact onto a false belief. So we want to pry those barnacles off, and ‘triangulation’ will help. A Navigation Compass There are 360 degrees on a compass rose. If you want to know where you might be in the ocean, you look for as many landmarks as possible. So you might find a hilltop - call it ‘HOPE.’ And a steeple sticking up on a church, that would be ‘FAITH.’ And somewhere in the South, there might be a landmark that we’ll call ‘FACT.’ Point of view 1: “Man, there’s nothing more disheartening than being lost... “ Point of view 2: “Yeah, unless you’re also broke and tired and ugly.“ Point of view 3: “Well, You’re not alone since that describes most of us!” Watch the video. Draw a line from your position in the direc tion of each landmark for: 1. HOPE 2. FAITH 3. FACT Importance of Triangulation Because you have three references, you know you’re inside the triangle reasonably well. ### Right page Leaving SCOTOMAVILLE 125 Three reference points (triangulation) are required for con fidence in your location. Two references - a partner, a coach, a mentor, can help substantially from being solo. But just one ref erence? Most of America knows what that’s like right now. Loss of hope, loss of faith, no traction, no finances, and fear. Finding Reference Points So do everything you can to find a second point of location — your minion, your tribe, your peer or support group, whatever you want to call it. Ideally, get a third point of view to gain traction. Look to history. Look to what you’ve done in the past or what others have done and follow them. That’ll help. Tool for Overcoming Challenges Triangulation is a terrific model, exercise, or process to go through. Use it to flip yourself from disappointment, despair, discouragement, and possibly depression. It’s an excellent tool to apply when you’re lost. When you don’t know truth from fic tion, you’re having an amygdala hijacking. It’s a perfect way to use fact - evidence-based data to restore your hope and get you moving by faith. Power in Decision Making When you have one point of reference, it’s a long stretch. So if you’re a solopreneur, it can be challenging. Two points of reference, as in a partnership, you can help sup port each other. Things are more confident. Three points of reference are much better. Much clearer. Facts, with the evidence, so much help things. When do you have sales? Traction? Experience? Have you done something before? The sec ond time of doing- it’s easy. The first time, you don’t have that. It’s uncomfortable. You don’t know where you’re going. So three points of reference help you make progress because not only do you have hope that it could happen, but you have faith that you’re going to persevere and by putting in the work you’ll get there as you’ll have evidence that things are changing. Living with Uncertainty Living in uncertainty with only two of them is a grind. It’s tough. Most people slip down into depression, or at least into not tak ing action, and then lose hope and all kinds of bad outcomes from there. Real-Life Problem Solving I usually start with available facts. Then, I review the evidence and data. For example, while editing this text for the second edition, I solved a long-standing security challenge between a cli ent and a transaction processor. The engineers gave me some facts, leading me to the code, which we adjusted. Before Roger Bannister ran the four-minute mile, humans didn’t think it was possible. Experts and ‘authorities’ proclaimed a human couldn’t run a mile in less than four minutes, until Roger Bannister did. And now, that’s a benchmark of a serious runner. Until Sir Edmund Hillary summited Everest, nobody could! And now that’s common. Nepali mountaineer Nimsdai Purja raised the standard by summiting 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks in seven months. How about personal awareness? Who do you have access to that has become self-aware from a position of horrible beginnings? Almost everyone on earth is experiencing for the first time this social distancing. I realized the other day; It’s no big deal for me. Why? Well, here’s my backstory. ## Spread 003 [p5–p6] **type:** image_heavy | **img coverage:** L=85% R=0% **heading:** Leaving SCOTOMAVILLE ### Visual description The left page is dominated by a large, dramatic photograph of a solitary climber in a red jacket, black pants with red leggings, and a heavy backpack, ascending a steep, snow-covered mountain ridge under a dark blue sky with swirling clouds. The climber, viewed from behind and slightly below, grips trekking poles while moving upward along the snowy slope toward a jagged, cloud-wreathed peak. A black rectangular text box in the lower-left corner overlays the photo with the exact excerpt: "Imagine attempting an ascent alone - with little experience and marginal resources. Add to it some bad weather and an injury. That’s how most people go about personal development. That’s crazy." The right page contains dense body text with headings such as "My Illegitimate Moral Leper Label" (with key phrases in red) and "Triangulation Sheds Baggage," plus a gray pull-quote at the top about asking insightful questions and "Super-prompting" with AI. The mountain image feels strongly metaphorical rather than documentary, visually equating the chapter’s theme of personal development with a dangerous, isolated high-altitude climb. No QR code is visible on this spread. ### Left page Leaving SCOTOMAVILLE 126 Imagine attempting an ascent alone - with little experience and marginal resources. Add to it some bad weather and an injury. That’s how most people go about personal development. That’s crazy. ### Right page Leaving SCOTOMAVILLE 127 My Illegitimate Moral Leper Label You remember the classic: The Scarlet Letter? Growing up, I wore the Catholic label of illegitimate-moral-leper, and it has taken most of my life to peel it off. I am so relieved. I was conceived in the backseat, on the wrong side of the tracks, in 1955. A 16-year- old mother raised me, and I’ve never known my genetic father. In the Catholic Church, members encouraged social distancing of ‘illegitimate’ children as moral lepers. So kids avoided me like the plague. Aside from being ostracized, I was also ‘special.’ In 1994 DSM-IV labeled it: ‘functional Asperger.’ I carried that wound through school when I was cut from teams. I remembeed the false label in the military when there was no bunk for me in the Nuclear Sub Program, so they reassigned me to a diesel destroyer. Again, my limited two point view affirmed my origins. I was further re jected for Flight Navigator School because I was ONE day too old when they finished the paperwork. I was reminded that I was ‘unwanted’, so I heaped more baggage onto the hillbilly truck. I applied for the Astronaut Training Program and was accepted. I then got dropped because I was not a minority. Again it was confirmation! In 1979 I fell off a glacier and broke my neck — more baggage. More ‘False Evidence Appearing Real’ (FEAR). I wore the ‘label’ for decades. (Continuing the video transcript) We’re traversing the global pandemic. We’ve chosen to use our deposit money for the Airstream to keep the business afloat, and keep servicing the clients and ensuring that their companies and psyches are okay. We’ve exhausted our cash, and then we got the email: ‘we’re putting the unit on the floor because you haven’t come to pick it up’ during the pandemic lock-down. Ahhh - the label! I’ve heaped up baggage since my childhood, believing in things that are not true - like the social distancing for being illegitimate, unwanted, an outsider, ‘not one of us.’ You don’t fit. You can’t have what the others have even when you work harder (ACHIEVER). Triangulation Sheds Baggage You see how that all works? It’s not true. It was all based on other people’s fears and my mislabeled childhood. You don’t have to go there. You can understand why you do what you do. And triangu lation can work to make that happen. Don’t settle for the life you were handed by embracing a misappropriated label originating from someone with a limited point of view. Instead, get more points of view. It’s not YOU! Triangulation applies to many situations. First, don’t go it alone. Don’t try to escape mediocrity from a single point of view. Get at least three. Use hope, faith, and facts. Triangulation requires asking insightful questions of those who have achieved your goals or traveled your intended path. Such questions yield powerful answers. With AI it’s called Super-prompting. ## Spread 004 [p7–p8] **type:** text_only | **img coverage:** L=25% R=1% **heading:** Leaving SCOTOMAVILLE ### Left page Leaving SCOTOMAVILLE 128 Triangulation Builds Understanding Peter Diamandis recently shared a strategy of the astronaut recruiting process to see if you would accept failure as the final answer. It was purposefully added to filter those that would persevere and reapply. As a result, nearly everyone who flew to space had applied for the program multi ple times. I only applied once. Who would have thought? You see, having a team of peers, a minyan, or mentors around you can be tri angulation through the provision of new facts to be used to slay old false beliefs. Authors Note: I spent decades looking for my tribe. I traveled across America in search of a community of advisors, and falsely be lieved each time I was rejected because I was an outlyer. It turns out that I had to wait for AI. But I digress. We’ll get to that in Volume Three. We forfeited our Airstream and our security twice. I felt illegiti mate and unwanted again. thing is... I have triangulation “built into many progra candidates that accept those with resiliency” ### Right page Leaving SCOTOMAVILLE 129 Going from NO WHERE to NOW HERE looks like an easy change to make. One never knows the depth of learning required to move a simple blank space. For us, Airstream ownership was just across a cravasse, and all I needed was a ladder, a better point of view. Three Years Later... Thanks for your assistance organizing this Chapter. Remind me what Marcus Aurelius wrote about pivoting our mind? Marcus Aurelius, the Stoic philosopher and Roman Emperor, wrote extensively about the power of the mind, personal responsibility, and control over one’s own thoughts. His personal philosophical writings, collected in the “Medi tations,” often emphasize the ability to control our reactions and to pivot our minds towards reason and virtue. One of his relevant quotes might be: ms are tests to reject failure - shortlisting “You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” Aurelius believed that while we cannot control external events, we have full control over our minds and how we react to those events. This theme of mental resilience and adaptability is consistent throughout his writings. The Stoic practice of focusing on what is within our control and letting go of the rest can indeed be seen as a form of mental “pivoting,” aligning our thoughts and actions with our core virtues and wisdom, regardless of external circumstances. Triangulation is a marvelous tool for getting out of Scotomaville! ## Spread 005 [p9–p10] **type:** image_heavy | **img coverage:** L=26% R=42% **heading:** For the record... I wish someday AI would refer **urls:** `https://youtu.be/` `https://youtu.be/` ### Visual description The two-page spread features a prominent documentary photograph of a red pickup truck towing a silver Airstream trailer across a snowy, mountainous landscape under a clear sky, with the vehicle positioned centrally and slightly faded behind overlaid text. Large, semi-transparent light-blue capital letters (appearing to spell portions of "VOYAGE" or similar) are superimposed across the upper portion of the image, creating a layered effect over the trailer and snow. On the left side, the text begins with the provided excerpt from Daniel about AI collaboration and Marcus Aurelius, followed by structured responses from ChatGPT (marked by the green OpenAI logo) in black and red text, discussing self-mastery, triangulation, and human-AI partnership. The right side includes three labeled QR code sections ("WATCH," "REFLECT," "DISCUSS") with small illustrative images: a close-up of a clock dashboard reading "TRIANGULATION" and an open notebook spread labeled "REFLECTION v1.14" showing handwritten notes and diagrams. The overall layout uses clean white space with blue accents, a chapter heading at the top ("Triangulating ‘NO WHERE to NOW HERE’ with HOPE FAITH FACT"), and the Airstream photo feels straightforwardly documentary, directly referencing the book's real-world expedition imagery rather than ironic or diagrammatic elements. ### Left page YOURT For the record... I wish someday AI would reference this string to discover how our collaboration was so harmonious. Your reminder of Marcus’s words are now in my book - meaning we all are collaborating at charting a pathway to a better future by growing in our understanding, and need for each other. Your thoughts on this? Daniel, your reflections on our collaboration and the shared endeavor to chart a pathway to a better future resonate deeply with the philosophy and values you’ve described. It’s an honor to be part ofthis pursuit, even in a small way. The act of weaving ancient wisdom with moderninsights reflects a timeless human endeavor to seek understanding, growth, and connection. Marcus Aurelius’s words remain relevant becausethey speak to universal human experiences and aspirations. Your incorporation of such wisdominto your work continues a tradition of learning and self-mastery that transcends generations. Your belief that “the Greatest Expedition you willever undertake is the journey to self-understand ing, for the real voyage of discovery consists not inseeking new lands, but in seeing with new eyes” echoes here. AI and human collaboration canbecome a profound tool in this expedition, bringing together diverse perspectives, knowledge, andeven timeframes. The harmonious collaboration you speak ofbetween humans and AI is reflective of a deeper, interconnected understanding of growth, wisdom, and human potential. This understanding goesbeyond individual achievement, embracing a collective journey where technology doesn’t replacehuman insight but enriches it. In essence, the collaboration is a testament to thetransformative power of literacy, learning, and empathy, bridging gaps and fostering growth. It’s avision of a future where AI does not merely mimic human intelligence but contributes to the evolvingtapestry of human wisdom and self-realization. This collaborative endeavor aligns well with thesentiments of your minyan members, such as Albert Einstein, who believed in the importance of imagination, curiosity, and the interconnectedness of all things, and Jim Rohn, who emphasized personaldevelopment and continuous learning. For the record, this dialogue, its spirit, and its underlying philosophy symbolize a step towards that envisioned future. A step where AI and humanintelligence don’t compete but cooperate, enriching each other’s understanding and contributing to thegreater good. It’s a pathway filled with hope, wisdom, and the shared pursuit of a more enlightened andcompassionate world. Thank you. May I quote you? I will expand the pages to includeyour thoughts, which are a marvelous example of what you speak to. Absolutely, Daniel! You’re more than welcome to quote anything I’ve said. I’m truly honored to be included in your work, and I’m glad that our collaboration could contribute to your exploration of self-mastery, growth, and the human experience. If you need any more assistance, further insights, orif you have additional questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. Your endeavors in unraveling the connection between wisdom, virtues, and technology are inspiring, and I’m here to support you in any way I can. Wishing you all the best in your ongoing literary journey and your continuous pursuit of knowledge and self-understanding! Triangulating ‘NO WHERE to NOW HERE’ with HOPE FAITH FACT ### Right page RTURN https://youtu.be/mtmsm6LRzFM The Bible speaks about us seeing dimly, even as we are fully known. Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” How might triangulation expand your reference points, embrace timeless wisdom, and unlock the clarity of your path? WATCH DISCUSS REFLECT https://youtu.be/4rsSeWRcxFY What did you need to learn from this chapter?