We Don't Know What We Don't Know
It is a law of human nature, that the more men you concentrate in one happy pack, the more each of them will come to resemble the dominant successful personality of that group. Donald Trump. They possess a sort of masculine photosynthesis to start with — the ability to turn sunlight into self-admiration. By the law of compound egotism, they create this self-reinforcing vortex of smugness, which brings out the most-pleased-with-themselves aspects of their own personalities.
The vast majority of us have very little understanding of why we make the choices we do, and that we're influenced instead by peer pressure; impulsive and reactive emotions; a deep and bottomless need for admiration and status; overconfidence in the present; excessive worry about the future; the evolutionary instinct to avoid pain and move towards pleasure; and precious little capacity to delay gratification.
A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest.
In short, we have an infinite capacity for self-deception. Or, people overestimate their ability to understand why they are making certain decisions. They make up stories to explain their own actions even when they have no clue about what is happening inside.
Worse yet, the most powerful among us have a tendency to speak at length in a pompous self-aggrandizing way swatting away doubt and choosing up sides precisely because not having answers feels so uncomfortable and potentially threatening. Opinions, in turn, become polarized and rigid. Just consider the typical HYIP opinions, marked as they are by a blatant disregard for logic (replaced by the worship of financial gain) and a perilous potential cost to the greater good.
You would be well advised to understand that very view practice epistemological modesty — the substituting of humility in place of arrogance. Epistemology is the study of how we know what we know. Modesty is warranted because there is so much we don't and can't know. People with this disposition believe that wisdom begins with an awareness of our own ignorance.
The world would be a far better place if people adopted an unwavering willingness to grapple with issues rather than simply pontificate about them; to embrace nuance, ambiguity and paradox rather than choosing sides; and always be open to learning and to being changed by what they learn.
This is a path to a more meaningful life — one that balances action with introspection, confidence with restraint.
Each of us, consciously and unconsciously seek out people in life whose values, opinions and sensibility most mirror our own. We need to remind ourselves of how little we actually know or even can know, how much our own desire for power and to do good blinds us to our own limitations. We need to pay attention to the sensations that come up from below. We should make tentative generalizations and analyses. We should continue to wander and absorb, letting the information marinate deep inside.
The bottom line is, if we don’t really know what we don’t really know and unless we consciously make a decision and act on that decision… we never will!
Admin NB
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Originally Posted by littleroundman
) one of the scam mods working for the HnRM admin. How terribly embarrassing - wouldn't you agree? Shout it out QS!
I will try to help him with his -uh, umm, research skills and point him in the right direction. I know this is quite a task I am taking on, however, I will give it my best shot.
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