Theory vs. Practice: The Paradox of Professional Knowledge

Negotiation

Many outstanding negotiators in business, diplomacy, and politics have never read negotiation books or attended training sessions. Yet they excel at what they do.

Their effectiveness comes from completely different sources: deep understanding of human psychology, the ability to read situations and instantly adapt, an intuitive sense of timing and context, and years of accumulated experience, including mistakes.

Meanwhile, theorists try to break down this living art into schemes, models, and step-by-step algorithms. It’s like trying to teach someone to dance by studying an anatomy textbook.

International Relations

The gap between theory and practice is even more noticeable in the field of international relations. A large portion of academic literature in IR has little to offer to actual practitioners, even those who would like to learn from it.

A diplomat who has spent decades working in real-world diplomacy knows more about decision-making mechanisms than any theoretical model can describe. They understand that decisions are made by people – with their ambitions, fears, and personal relationships – not by merely abstract entities called “states” pursuing more or less stable national interests. True masters of practice create their own “theories” on the fly, adapting to the uniqueness of each situation.

But Theory Still Matters

Even so, theories and theorists play an important role. They help structure the thinking of beginners and provide basic frameworks for understanding complex processes. They create a shared language that allows practitioners from different fields to exchange experiences. They systematize knowledge and make it transferable to future generations. They raise new questions and push practitioners to reflect on their actions. They also provide academic legitimacy for training and education.

As some physicists have said, “There is nothing more practical than a good theory.”

Hopefully, someday we’ll be able to say the same about negotiation and international relations.