Nikolaas Tinbergen was an expert at "watching and wondering". It was a process fundamental to his becoming a leading pioneer in the field of Ethology (animal behavior). It eventually led him to be given a Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1973. It may surprise you to know that he devoted a significant portion of his Nobel Lecture acceptance speech to talking about F.M. Alexander and his technique. Why?

Here's a clue - in his Nobel speech, Tinbergen describes Alexander's work as being an exceptional example of:

"how the old method of watching and wondering about behavior can indeed contribute to the relief of human suffering, in particular of suffering caused by stress."

It turns out that Alexander was a fellow "watcher and wonderer", a man after Tinbergen's own heart!  Alexander's discoveries had emerged out of the same process that Tinbergen's had.

Tinbergen goes on to admit being skeptical at first about Alexander and his technique. However, he was also intrigued. So he, his wife, and their daughter all decided to try some Alexander lessons, each one putting into action their own personal process of watching and wondering. To provide some "experimental control", they each went to a different teacher. He describes their experiences:

"We already notice, with growing amazement, very striking improvements in such diverse things as high blood pressure, breathing, depth of sleep, overall cheerfulness and mental alertness, resilience against outside pressures, and also in such a refined skill as playing a stringed instrument."

By taking a series of lessons, Tinbergen was able to experience the practicality of the technique. He saw that it worked, and he began to understand why it made sense. His view of Alexander and his technique had progressed:

Tinbergen in the field

• from skepticism mixed with curiosity,
• to willingness to give it the benefit of the doubt,
• to taking the time to learn and understand the process,
• to careful critical observation of its effects,
• to a growing sense of wonder,
• to his ultimate conclusion, stated below:

 "[Alexander's] story, of perceptiveness, of intelligence, and of persistence, shown by a man without medical training, is one of the true epics of medical research and practice."

 AND IT ALL BEGAN WITH WATCHING AND WONDERING.  

View a video of the Alexander portion of Tinbergen's speech here.

Read the transcript of Tinbergen's speech here, starting on page 10 for the Alexander portion.  

If you are a person who likes to ask, "I wonder what would happen

if . . ."  then you are a person with an inquiring mind. People with inquiring minds consider possibilities. They look at potential consequences of different actions. They make new discoveries, find constructive solutions to problems, and choose options that result in positive outcomes. They follow paths that can lead to surprisingly rewarding conclusions.