# Pensare in cerchio | Mattia Cabrini | TEDxCremona

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-wSdQmoWlk
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/j-wSdQmoWlk
Generated: 2026-01-08T17:14:37.698+00:00

---
## Quick Overview

Mattia Cabrini argues that while humans instinctively seek the perfection and reassurance of the circle, true human growth and evolution occur when moving beyond this closed form into the open-ended, questioning nature of the spiral, often facilitated through the vulnerability and connection found in theater.

**Key Points:**
- The circle, despite being an artificial human invention not common in nature, symbolizes perfection, fidelity, and completeness, organizing life cycles, religious iconography (mandala, aureola), and even modern commercial logos.
- The Greeks avoided strictly circular or linear arrangements on stage (skenè) because 'le righe appiattiscono e i cerchi escludono,' always leaving an opening to the outside world.
- Research by Yassin Amami and Marie Almaric shows that people, including brilliant minds, frequently make mistakes when solving problems involving circles because the brain shuts down reasoning, preferring the intuition associated with the complete circle.
- Cabrini posits that we think in circles because it is an economical thought process, but this tendency keeps us stagnant; 'Pensare in cerchio è il modo più elegante per restare fermi.'
- Knowledge is not a circle but a spiral, which incorporates variation and novelty; 'l'errore diventa la forma dell'evoluzione e l'evoluzione è qualcosa di originale.'
- To break the circle, Cabrini conducts an exercise asking the audience to find their reflection first in their dark phone screen and then in the person opposite them, emphasizing the need to 'reggete lo specchio alla natura' for self-recognition and potential.
- The ultimate goal is moving from 'io' toward 'tu' to construct a 'noi' through a process of trial and error, as 'solo sbagliando si crea qualcosa di nuovo.'

**Context:** Mattia Cabrini delivers a TEDx talk titled 'Pensare in cerchio' (Thinking in a Circle) where he explores the symbolic and psychological power of the circle versus the necessity of embracing the imperfect, open structure of the spiral for genuine human development and creativity. He grounds his philosophical discussion in common human experiences, ancient theatre practices, and recent psychological research regarding geometric perception.

## Detailed Analysis

Cabrini opens by highlighting the ubiquitous yet elusive nature of the perfect circle, noting its deep symbolism across life, spirituality, and commerce, while pointing out that mathematicians consider it an artificial human construct. He immediately introduces a tension by referencing ancient Greek theatre, where actors avoided strict circles or lines because circles exclude, necessitating an opening to the outside world. He then demonstrates this cognitive bias through a series of five audience participation questions related to belonging, distance, and preference (e.g., 'Io sono dentro il cerchio, quindi appartengo al cerchio'), revealing that our intuition often overrides precise logic when dealing with circular concepts, citing research from Amami and Almaric confirming widespread errors in circular geometry problems. Cabrini explains that thinking in circles is cognitively economical but leads to stagnation, where 'tutto torna e ma niente va avanti.' He advocates for the spiral as the model for true knowledge and evolution, where variation and error are essential components. The speech culminates in an interactive exercise requiring the audience to look at themselves in their phone screens and then into the eyes of a neighbor, urging them to lower defenses and embrace vulnerability, thereby moving from self-absorption (like Narcissus) to connection ('Io che vado verso un tu per costruire un noi'). He concludes by quoting Hamlet's instruction to actors to 'reggete lo specchio alla natura,' asserting that embracing error is the path to originality and evolution.

### The Symbolism of the Circle

- The circle represents ancestral feelings of completeness, fidelity, and perfection, seen in biological cycles, mandalas, and modern logos
- Mathematicians define the perfect circle as artificial, 'made in human,' rarely appearing in nature.

### The Pitfalls of Circularity in Staging and Thought

- Greek theatre avoided strict circles because 'i cerchi escludono,' always leaving an opening to the world
- The brain defaults to circular thinking as an economical shortcut, causing reasoning to shut down ('la ragione si arrotola').

### The Cognitive Test

- Audience participation revealed cognitive dissonance regarding circular properties, supporting research showing even experts err on circle problems because the brain assumes completeness ('Vabbè, è chiaro, no?').

### The Spiral as Evolution

- Knowledge is a spiral, not a circle, because it incorporates variation and novelty; 'l'errore diventa la forma dell'evoluzione.'
- Thinking in circles is the 'elegante modo per restare fermi.'

### Breaking the Circle Through Connection

- To escape stagnation, one must risk asymmetry and embrace the unknown
- The path forward involves moving from 'io' to 'tu' to build a collective 'noi' through trial and error.

### The Act of Mirroring and Vulnerability

- Cabrini leads an exercise mirroring self-reflection in a phone screen followed by reflection in another person's gaze
- This act breaks defense mechanisms, showing that perfection lies not in the static form but in the dynamic movement that creates it, echoing the open stage of Greek theatre.