I like to think.
I don't pretend to be a great thinker, nor do I assume correctness in how or what I think. To me, it is just thinking. One beauty of the human mind is our power to question, simulate, predict, create, develop and change without ever having to make a physical move. The power of imagination is a resource that leads to a new world. Not just an imaginary world, but the physical material world in which we live and operate. Every invention, every product, every organisation and war has been brought about through a combination of thoughts, concepts and theories that have materialised in our reality. I don't think this is too difficult to understand yet at the same time, how come so many are unwilling to think differently and feel powerless in their ability to do differently?
The world is complex. So complex that we as humans are unable to understand all the linkages between components and how changing one node will create a shift in every other node in the system as well as have structural effects on the links. Some of these changes are large, some small, but all have an effect on everything else. As humans we tend to think that we know a lot and it is true that each day our collective knowledge increases. However, we also seem to limit the amount of what we don't know which is perhaps a dangerous position to take as, every time in history we position ourselves as knowing, within some period of time, what we know grows to make what we knew obsolete. Now, we know better. Again, it is perhaps easy to see that knowing is always limited. It can grow, but can never be complete.
What we know and do can have impacts we may see as insignificant today, but create massive ramifications on our lives in the future. I think, a few examples will quickly come to mind but the history of smoking or fossil fuel usage should provide a bit of evidence. Inversely, what we think as an enormous breakthrough at the time, may wither into little more than a passing fad. So, the world is too complex to fully comprehend yet we keep trying to fix it by knowing more of something we can never have complete knowledge in and then make our actions based on this limited information, complicating it further and increasing the chances of unexpected events. It seems this will be an endless journey and perhaps busy work as one correction leads on to new errors. This process may leave us feeling ineffective as we continue to chase a goal that is impossible to reach.
I think part of the reason we often feel helpless is that the system we have built is enormous, interconnected and constantly shifting. The knot we have created as a global society is in itself a massively complex system to understand and to fully understand something, objectivity is needed. Yet, we are part of this society in which we operate and invested in certain actions and outcomes, even though those outcomes may conflict with other desires we hold. As they say: 'You can't have your cake and eat it too'. I want to be an individual and belong to a group, Be nationalistic and support peace. Have more than the neighbour whilst encouraging equality. Perhaps our desires are incompatible or at the very least, we could entertain this possibility by using that amazingly capable skill of the human brain: simulation.
Thinking differently is a challenge. Humans generally want to be part of a group and being part of any particular group relies on thinking, rituals, traditions, actions and beliefs that are aligned with that of the group; group culture. Breaking ranks sets off cultural alarm bells and the culture police shift into top gear to bring order to their domain by expelling the divergent. And, based on their judgement, the outcast can be ostracised, ridiculed and targeted with various forms of prejudice. Essentially, being or thinking differently is risky as it can effectively be performing social suicide. When everything one holds dear depends on conformity to a certain culture and their acceptance, being different is difficult.
Even when we aren't bound by group think, thinking differently is still challenging as it means going into an unknown and the unknown is scary. Fear stops us from a lot, even when we know it shouldn't. You can tell a child not to be scared of the dark and that monsters aren't real but, that massive simulation computer in the head will get to work, even without express permission. Imagined beasts hiding under the bed waiting to hear a parent's footstep retreat down the hall before they make an appearance may be amusing to an adult, but is very real to the child. Remember, our thinking creates our world? A child's thoughts made a real heart beat faster, created real sweat on tiny palms and very real tears on cheeks. Even if there is no monster to see it, fear has an effect.
You see, the simulator is always running, day and night and if we don't give it something to do, it will do what it does based on what it knows. And because it would rather think itself right than wrong, it will avoid any areas that it is uncomfortable with (often the unknown) by creating fear when those areas are approached. Fear is natural. It keeps us alive in many practical ways. However, not being able to mentally simulate a process due to fear, how does that help us? Fear to think alternatively seems silly, doesn't it?
If we are presented with a problem and we know how to fix it, is it really a problem at all? Let's 'pretend' I am overweight. This is my problem. What do I know about it? Pretty soon (based on what I know) I would come to the conclusion that I should change my eating habits and exercise a bit more. Problem solved. Well no it isn't, as I am yet to actually perform any action based on my thinking. If I think (assuming my solution is correct) and act in line with my solution, the process will lead to weight loss. However, another problem arises. Knowing what to do and doing what is known are separate mechanisms. I 'may' love cake, or perhaps I hate exercise, or both. This means that the solution to my problem may be located in a region I am unwilling to walk. I think this is why TV shopping makes so much money. They offer 'solutions' to people so that they can avoid the aspects where they experience pain or fear. In my case, giving up cake or going for a jog. When the piece of promise equipment doesn't work, we can blame it for not being good enough and look to purchase a 'better' one. But to actually solve the problem, we have to get to the root of the problem itself, not avoid it.
Taraz
As this is such a long post, I have split it into sections and will post one per day and link backwards to the rest. I am not sure if this is the best way to do this and I am open to other suggestions.
This post is very personal for me and as the title says, will never actually be complete. I really hope that you will stay through until the end and there is something in here that helps you or someone you care about.Part 2 >>>
would you go willingly to a new thought process? remember since you will be waking up thinking different you will have to relearn basic task, starting from scratch like a child.
If the current process is not working well, absolutely. Having the curiosity of a child has its up side and it is a shame it is beaten out of us. To wake up from scratch, before the social programming has taken hold, that'd be perfect. No need to correct what was learned incorrectly.
what would you envision this new process of thinking to be like? would you be able to slow it down.... see it step by step or would you br able to have photographic thinking or auditory thought processes? how do you think now? do thoughts just pop into your head or do you self direct them to a certain extent. you are what you think as a thought leads to an action and action leads to behavior.
Just unconflicted thinking if possible. Thinking differently need not require new. Thoughts come and go and change contantly as do the cells in our body, but even though every cell changes many times over a lifetime, we remain us. We are not our thoughts or our actions although society may judge us in that way.
to make a decision amd stand behind it or to know the decision was correct? what if we were somple judged on how much we built up others as people like bringing out the good characteristics of others rather than portraying our judgement based on our own characteristics. does that make sense say you make people become better or keep them from falling and you are judged by how you interact with others. like almost a karma judgement of sorts
I thinknthat is on the right track. I actually have an article about this that has been waiting for about 3 years to get finished.
Personally, I avoid the external judgement though. Full self-awareness is enough.
:) yay! self awareness, learning coping skills, etc seems like we should gear classroom settings to be more adaptive and interactive. think like nursing school... the knowledge has to be apllied to get the question right. application versus memorization.
I could try to seek where your thoughts are backing mine and vise versa, but I think it would be more effective if I just linked you my article so you can meaasure it on your own :). Off topic... I´m still seeking a partner for this game, and since you didn´t react, I have no clue whether my call has reached your ears.
I missed the game thing. I would be a terrible partner for this. In the real world, much better.
I take it as no... shame:P
Don't feel shame... it is not your fault :D