When I first moved to Israel, I remember saying to myself: "I have 100 questions, I need answers to". I left Israel, with 10000 different answers to my 100 questions. And, 10 times more new questions.
One conflict.
So many “realities” to it.
After a decade in Israel and covering the israeli-palestinian conflict, I can tell you one thing: the one that will help us solve this extremely complex equation is not born yet.
The Israeli society itself is very fragmented, complex. With hundreds of layers mixing: politics, economics, levels of religiosity, innovation, tradition, territoriality, sociology, history, beliefs, traumas, fears etc.
And the same is going on the other side of the fence.
Living there, and getting to know so many different profiles on both sides, I realized, there is not "one truth", there are only frames of reference.
Mental architectures that shape perception, dictate narratives, and define reality itself.
And that is where true power lies:
Not in choosing a "side".
Not in defending an ideology/ one frame.
But in seeing the entire game board while others only see their tiny corner of it.
And that’s extremely unconfortable.
Frames of reference are the unseen structures that shape everything
What I call a "frame of reference" is the invisible architecture behind every belief, ideology, culture, and worldview.
It’s the lens through which people interpret reality, often without realizing it.
Religions, “hard” science, economic theories, political doctrines, corporate cultures, even personal philosophies or expertises: all of them are FRAMES.
You analyze and see the world through this lens.
Most people live inside one frame their entire lives.
They absorb it passively, defend it aggressively, and never question its edges.
But the moment you learn to step outside of frames, to see them from above, to compare them, to layer them upon each other, you develop a rare and dangerous skill:
the ability to perceive reality from an infinite number of angles.
This is not just intelligence.
This is meta-intelligence.
If I had to create an "image" from this, it would be this a retro projector projecting an image onto a white wall. On the projector lies a few transparent sheets. Each sheet labeled: culture, religion, economics, politics, personal philosophy and so on.
With each added layer, the original simple image transforms into a sophisticated, intricate network of lines, symbols, and meanings.
Each transparent layer represents a frame of reference. The final "product" is a complex and complete representation of reality. The "big picture".
Most people spend their lives seeing the world through just one or two layers, never realizing that their perspective is filtered and constrained.
But imagine stepping back, viewing all these layers from above. You see each frame clearly, independently. You recognize their interactions, contradictions, and complements.
You can move the sheets, reorder them, remove some, or add new ones at will.
This skill - this meta-intelligence - allows you to see reality not through one fixed lens but through infinite angles. It empowers you to understand others deeply, navigate complexities, and make decisions informed by multiple realities.
How to absorb frames without becoming their prisoner
Mastering this skill requires one essential rule: you must immerse yourself in MANY systems of thoughts, of values, without ever becoming its disciple.
That means:
- Studying deeply, but never blindly believing.
- Reading sacred texts, political manifestos, economic doctrines... Not to adopt them, but to understand their logic.
- Observing ideologies like an engineer examines a machine. You break them down, identify their mechanics, their biases, their leverage points.
Most people fear this kind of mental fluidity.
They need certainty, they need to belong to a single framework.
They find comfort in choosing sides because ambiguity terrifies them.
But those who seek inner power see things differently.
And they live in deep incomfort, yes.
The advantages of mastering frames
Mastering frames is a cognitive tool. Absorbing without adhering requires lots of resilience and mental flexibility.
Beliefs and ideologies structure collective thought, therefore, understanding their mechanisms helps anticipating group dynamics.
The more layers you add, the more complexity and refinement you add to your own perception of various situations.
I strongly believe that being able to view the world through multiple filters is the sharpest and most pragmatic form of intelligence.
But let’s be real, we humanly can’t master all frames.
Even though the advancement of AI and neurochips might soon prove me wrong… but that might be the topic of a future article.
What we can do, is surround ourselves.
Surround ourselves with people that share a same common ground of fundamental values BUT see the world through different frames.
Different religions, different expertises, different regions of the world.
For those who have taken my course “Network Like a Spy” I refer to it as “my tribe”.
We’re all so different yet complementary in our expertises, the way we see the world. Building your tribe is like assembling the pieces of a complex puzzle. And it feels great.
Most will NEVER develop this skill
The ability to accumulate and layer frames of reference is, in my opinion, the key to perceive the world with a richness and depth that few ever reach.
This is NOT a quest for adherence nor a matter of taking sides.
It’s an EXERCISE. No, sorry, it’s a game.
A game of pure observation, a cartography of human, ideological, and cultural dynamics, allowing one to see a situation from dozens, even hundreds of angles.
It’s the antithesis of binary thinking.
Instead of choosing a "side", we examine the internal mechanics of each system - religions, belief structures, philosophies, geopolitical narratives, collective myths - to understand how they shape perceptions and influence reality.
This kind of thinking is rare.
It is not taught in schools.
It is not available in books.
It is acquired through immersion, experience, and strategic exposure to the right minds.
How does it translate into real-like skill and advantage?
In business, you can understand how markets, organizations, and competitors will react if you understand the mental models they operate under.
In negotiations, you can step into the reality of the other party! And use their own frame to guide the outcome in your favor.
I work with those who seek this level of perception,
Those who refuse to be limited by a single frame,
Those who want to see the world as it truly is,
If that is you, you know what to do.