Mathias Wallin
Prelude to discovery: a journey into cognitive flexibility and culture
Warfare is an inherently unpredictable enterprise. Throughout history, the virtues of cognitive flexibility, in this study defined as the ability of individuals or organizations to adapt their thinking and behavior in response to changing environments and situations (Finkel Citation2011, 98–99), have been extolled as a critical ability to achieve victory. Highly influential theorists such as Sun Tzu (Citation1963, 101) and von Clausewitz (Citation1976, 75) have emphasized the ability to adapt to rapidly changing battlefield conditions. Clausewitz’s concept of military genius as an ability to make effective decisions amidst the “fog and friction” of war aligns closely with cognitive flexibility. This is further echoed in Boyd’s OODA loop theory, suggesting that success in military operations lies in the rapid and fluid decision-making process where a commander’s cognitive ability plays a critical role (Osinga Citation2006, 2–3). While the connection between cognitive flexibility and military success may be challenging to prove, the idea has, through thinkers like Liddell Hart (Citation1943, 246) and Finkel (Citation2011, 2), taken root in the military doctrines of great powers such as the United States (United States Citation2018, IV-5), China (Burke et al. Citation2020, 9), and Russia (Reach et al. Citation2023, 50), middle powers like the United Kingdom (UK Ministry of Defence (Citation2022), 22), and smaller states like Sweden (Försvarsmakten (Citation2020), 32).
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