Yesterday, I wrote about the confirmation bias. I had heard of the tendency to see confirming evidence while having a lower probability of either seeing or remembering disconfirming evidence before. The lecturer discussed at one point the example of Lord Kelvin, the premier scientist of his day, the man who discovered the existence and value of absolute zero. A specialist in thermodynamics, he seemed to feel that at the pinnacle of scientific achievement, he had become a specialist in everything. He dismissed whole fields of scientific endeavor out of hand, feeling that he had the insight that enabled him to do so.
Not being aware of or being able to remember a stream of data is no shame. As a male, I like to think I am the king, if not of the whole kingdom, at least a portion of it. If not of a portion, at least of my stamp collection or my tool bench. Sometimes feeling as though in truth I am not a king can be very uncomfortable. Just as the man caught by a lion had his consciousness snap off so that his body and mind would not have to face the terrible truth of what was happening to him, my mind can snap off or even fail to register all the evidence.
I believe that sitting still and quiet for 10 minutes a day is good for me and that if I "can't find the time", I am kidding myself into either the wrong over-full slate of activities or the avoidance of something which is really quite simple,. short and painless while being super-valuable. In a similar way, I believe that if I can't make a short blog post each day, I am kidding myself into too many duties and activities or avoiding enough reflection and observation of make some statement.
Sometimes, I am so pleased to have the post written or so happy with it or something, that I don't watch what I am doing and send the post instead of waiting until the next morning to send it. Then, as yesterday, I send my marvelous creation out instead of letting it age a few hours. It irritates me when I am careless, since it is another piece of evidence that I am unable to ignore that I am not so durned terrific at everything I do, the way a king ought to be.
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Bill
Main blog: Fear, Fun and Filoz
Main web site: Kirbyvariety
Not being aware of or being able to remember a stream of data is no shame. As a male, I like to think I am the king, if not of the whole kingdom, at least a portion of it. If not of a portion, at least of my stamp collection or my tool bench. Sometimes feeling as though in truth I am not a king can be very uncomfortable. Just as the man caught by a lion had his consciousness snap off so that his body and mind would not have to face the terrible truth of what was happening to him, my mind can snap off or even fail to register all the evidence.
I believe that sitting still and quiet for 10 minutes a day is good for me and that if I "can't find the time", I am kidding myself into either the wrong over-full slate of activities or the avoidance of something which is really quite simple,. short and painless while being super-valuable. In a similar way, I believe that if I can't make a short blog post each day, I am kidding myself into too many duties and activities or avoiding enough reflection and observation of make some statement.
Sometimes, I am so pleased to have the post written or so happy with it or something, that I don't watch what I am doing and send the post instead of waiting until the next morning to send it. Then, as yesterday, I send my marvelous creation out instead of letting it age a few hours. It irritates me when I am careless, since it is another piece of evidence that I am unable to ignore that I am not so durned terrific at everything I do, the way a king ought to be.
--
Bill
Main blog: Fear, Fun and Filoz
Main web site: Kirbyvariety
