There's the right way to do something - and then there is the way that I do it. At least, that is how I often feel, where what I try, never quit works. The best laid plans or something to that effect I guess. I know some people who no matter how bad their results are, they act as if it is awesome, like they planned it. And I wonder, is it better to be that naïve?
Is ignorance really bliss?
Perhaps it is, but I think that it might only work in a narrow bad, where for instance, ignorance is bliss in a specific condition, but if that condition changes, the only way to maintain bliss, is to get more ignorant. It is a process of getting stupider by knowing less, isn't it? It requires ignoring new information which would otherwise break the sense of bliss.
Some people also say that they make the most out of a situation, regardless of the conditions. But, is it really possible under any conditions, or is there a limit, or some kind of situation where even the most staunch supporter of "make the most" says, nope - this sucks. I think a lot of people who start out quite positive in life, end up quite negative, as time and time again, their experience doesn't meet their world view, and at some point, one has to give and it is the world view.
Things aren't always rosy.
I was talking with my pseudo-coach at work today about building a reference group, which is something that I believe is important. However, I also mentioned that one of the traits I am looking for in members of the group is life experience, not just work experience. People who have "lived a little" tend to have a better understanding of the world outside of a narrow skillset and as such, also tend to be able to value-add to any direction they provide.
As I said to my coach (who is a highly technically proficient person), people without much experience think that no matter how complicated, there is always a solution to a problem. But someone with experience understands that there are complexities that mean that there is a best solution right now, but it might not be the best tomorrow, as things can change very rapidly.
Experience comes in many forms, but I feel that a lot of the younger generation these days are limiting theirs to more of what they can buy, to what they can consume, rather than any deep learning. I think that this leads to them not having broad enough experience to understand the complexities of the world, because what they consume is largely engineered and therefore, built for complication.
For example, whilst at breakfast in the hotel, I saw numerous parents giving their children screens to watch, which kept most of the kids quiet. The youngest I saw staring unmoving at a screen couldn't have been more than ten months old. This is a technological solution to the complex problem of children being curious and exploratory in nature, and I believe that what they are doing is conditioning their children to be robotic. They are programming them, engineering their behaviors into submission, even though they will lead complex lives in the future - all to make the lives of the parent a little easier, a little quieter.
Parenting isn't complicated. It is complex.
The problem is that without the experience of the future, people will of course feel that they are doing the right thing now. But, when that future arrives, if what they were doing wasn't actually the right thing, then it is too late for most to course correct. It is similar to when in the 50s and 60s women took Thalidomide to ease the nausea from morning sickness, without knowing it was going to cause severe birth defects in their yet to be born children. Medications are very complicated, but the human body is very complex. Just because it is easy to solve one problem with a medication, it doesn't mean that the same medication isn't going to create other problems in the complex system.
We are too smart for our own good at times.
And, perhaps this is why I am looking to build a reference group with wide experience, because it is kind of like decentralizing the intelligence a little, with key people with diverse specialties, but a common understanding of life's complexities. I know a lot of smart and intelligent people, but that doesn't mean that they have all the skills in all areas. Too often we think that because someone is good at something, they must be good at many things. And perhaps, this is also something we do when we reflect on ourselves, where we overestimate our own skills, like when 80% of people believe they are above average drivers.
Are we comparing ourselves to the worst, or the best?
As said, there is the right way to do something, and then there is the way that I do it. And while I don't usually get it completely wrong, I am often far from right. I guess I should be glad that so far, I haven't messed up massively to the point there is no recovery, but I often question if it is because I have enough experience, or I have just not taken large enough risks.
More of my ignorance shining through..
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
I have this one on my whiteboard: 'Be consistently not stupid, instead on trying to be clever.' Consistency is the key word. Same with the kids, keeping them without a screen requires more work from the parent, as you need to entertain the kid, and give him your time and your attention, cutting from some stuff you like to do, but overall, that kid will be better prepared for life because of this consistent approach.
That being said, my kid will probably be lucky, as I work a lot with autistic people, so my patience is literally infinite.
Seems to go with the territory. My mother-in-law is patient too, as she did similar in her career. Not just autistic, but with a range of other issues, including deaf. As a result, when my daughter would stay with them as a baby, she would be doing tasks meant for older people with learning difficulties - which gave her a great foundation to start with.
Parents seem to spend so little time with their kids these days, yet expect the kids to respect and listen to them.
Yes, I cannot wait to test a theory, that said that deaf people sign from 6-7 month old, soat that age they can learn few signs, like food, toilet and drink. How much will this make the parenting easier, as instead of crying is signing the signs for food, toilet or drink, 6 months before starting to talk. The horror!
Well, I think it might be. Sometimes I wish I was some ignorant so that I would have a more comfortable life :)
It must have a diminishing return though, right? It gets comfortable up to a point, then gets uncomfortable again at an increasing rate.
I am not sure about whether they would ever feel uncomfortable, that's the point.
Good
Good
I think it drives people crazy sometimes, but I have kind of become a master at the "yes, but" answer to pretty much every question. Can we do this? Yes, but it's going to cost you and you need to plan for x, y, and z... Sorry, I'm not going to lie and say it will be easy when it really isn't going to be.
I think some people are not naive. They don’t just want the sad event that happened to weigh them down. If something bad happens, I always try to yank it off so my mood won’t get affected
I have many years of experience, but I don't know everything, Mr. Taraz as much as possible I am always researching, studying, learning to listen to those who have experience and most importantly; learning to read and having enough ability to listen to the other, because if I don't have the necessary knowledge I look for them and focus on that task, project, or meeting that I have ahead.
I believe in ignorance is bliss when it comes to the food I eat, especially those that I usually have. I don't know why, but when I taste something really good, my brain takes a special note of it. So if I eat the same dish but is of lesser quality, I don't appreciate is as much, even if it is still good. So if there is a type of dish that I frequently eat, I try to avoid trying them in places where I can't easily go.
Hello, when you refer to what parents do these days with their children, you are right, maybe for convenience or to say that it entertains them...even though there is a lot of information regarding the screens and children seem to ignore them for their convenience as I said at the beginning. It is true, children should explore, ask questions, work with their hands, fall, get up..., and run around...not just be static in a chair looking at a screen with messages that who knows how they will be interpreted.
Greetings
It's interesting to ponder the dichotomy between the "right way" to do things and the way I tend to approach them. I often find myself in situations where what I attempt just doesn't seem to work out as planned. It's like the best laid plans always seem to go awry, doesn't it? I've encountered individuals who, regardless of their results, seem to exude confidence as if everything went exactly as they intended. It makes me wonder, is ignorance truly bliss?
Could it be that ignorance is indeed bliss, but only within a narrow context? It seems that in certain situations, ignorance may provide temporary comfort. However, to maintain that bliss, one must remain oblivious to new information that might disrupt it. It's almost like intentionally becoming less knowledgeable to preserve a sense of bliss.
Some people claim to make the most out of every situation, irrespective of the circumstances. But is that truly feasible under any conditions, or are there limitations? Are there situations where even the staunchest advocates of making the most out of things would simply say, "Nope, this sucks"? It's worth considering how many individuals who start off with a positive outlook on life eventually become disillusioned when their experiences consistently fail to align with their worldview.
Recently, I discussed with my pseudo-coach at work the importance of building a reference group, comprised of individuals with not only work experience but also life experience. Those who have "lived a little" tend to possess a broader understanding of the world beyond their narrow skill set, thereby adding more value to any guidance they provide.
I mentioned to my coach, who is highly technically proficient, that people with limited experience often believe that every problem has a solution. However, those with more experience understand that complexities can sometimes dictate that the best solution today may not be the best tomorrow, given how rapidly circumstances can change.
Experience comes in various forms, yet it seems that many in the younger generation today limit theirs to superficial pursuits, focusing more on consumption rather than genuine learning. This narrow approach may hinder their ability to comprehend the complexities of the world, as much of what they consume is engineered and designed to obfuscate.
Take, for example, the sight of parents giving screens to their children at breakfast in the hotel. While it may keep the kids quiet in the short term, it's essentially a technological solution to the complex issue of children's natural curiosity. By conditioning their children to be passive consumers of content, these parents are inadvertently shaping their behavior in ways that may not align with the complexities they'll face in the future.
Parenting, as it turns out, is not just complicated—it's complex. The challenge lies in the fact that without a glimpse into the future, many individuals may believe they're doing the right thing in the present. However, when that future arrives and their actions prove to be misguided, it's often too late to course correct.
Perhaps this is why I'm keen on assembling a reference group with diverse experiences—a sort of decentralization of intelligence, if you will. By gathering individuals with diverse specialties yet a shared understanding of life's intricacies, I hope to foster a more holistic approach to problem-solving.
After all, just because someone excels in one area doesn't necessarily mean they possess expertise in all domains. It's a common misconception—one that we're often guilty of applying to ourselves as well. We tend to overestimate our own abilities, much like the majority of people who believe they're above-average drivers.
So yes, there's the "right way" to do something, and then there's my way. While I may not always get it completely wrong, I'm often far from right. And while I haven't yet made a catastrophic mistake, I often wonder if that's because of my accumulated experience or simply because I haven't taken big enough risks.
Perhaps it's a bit of both, with my ignorance occasionally shining through...