1st level - retrospective abstraction
Abstraction is the interpretation of what we know vs what we experience
->From concrete (this is what happened) to concepts (this is what it means)
- I fell off my bike → I conclude I need better balance.
- This is how we build knowledge and theory from lived experience.
2nd level - prospective abstraction
Abstraction is the interpretation of what we want to do and what we do (2nd level)
From concepts (This is our intention) to concrete (this is what I'll do)
- Example: I want to be healthier → I’ll ride my bike to work.
- This is how we operationalize ideas into actions (design, planning).
3rd level - meta abstraction
Abstractions on the very abstraction itself (systems of interpretation and translation)
- “How do we decide what counts as meaning or intention?”
- Example: Not just “bike → balance” or “health → biking,” but how do I interpret experiences and intentions in general?
- This is philosophy, systems thinking, or epistemology: examining the frameworks we use to abstract.
It is abstractions that make us relate to a story