An essay on perspective.
The whole NaNoWriMo thing done and over with, I find myself with twitchy fingers more and more, and the tendency to gobble herbal supplements isn't ending just because I finished what I set out to do some time ago.
Not that I mind the odd psychologial dependency to try to get my brain working better. On the whole, as a habit, it's cheaper to grab every known herbal supplement on the shelf for a month's supply, than, oh, say other forms of stimulants that might be out there.
But, enough harping about my own mind, on to the meat of this post, which is about perspective.
It's something I've been slowly but inexorably thinking about for the past few years, and while my thinking on it is far from finished, it probably would help if I threw something down on digital record so that I can look back and compare what comes to mind then versus what I think at this very moment.
I've been slowly planning for the day when I'll be heading back into school. One of the things that has been bothering me, repeatedly, about this is that in the field that I've chosen, there's often the sense that there are more armed camps, throwing barbed letters and denunciations of pet theories on this or that.
It doesn't simply contain itself there, of course. People are often harping about the whole 'nature versus nurture' argument, for starters.
I've read a fair bit so far, but I've not contained myself to the usual science fiction parts, but have been busy grabbing and reading small essays from various reputed scientists, fringe groups protesting other actions of ours, and the like.
What I'm immediately reminded of when I start to think of all this in amalgam is of the horse known as Clever Hans. If you've heard of this horse, then you might get an inkling of where I'm going with this. For those who don't, the tale is fairly simple. Clever Hans was a horse who was often reported to be a fairly educated horse, but in all reality had mastered the art of reading body language in order to give the right answers that would please his owners and those who asked him questions. Subtle things indeed, this horse picked up, really.
The greatest evolution of our rational thought came with the advent of the Scientific Method. With this process of evaluating the world around us, logically, and repeatedly, we found a means by which we can prove or disprove certain phenomena, attempting to understand more and more of how our world worked, and perhaps giving insight into how it was created.
The greatest ignominy occured shortly after that discovery, when it was brought to man at large and allowed to disseminate.
What happened then is a fine example of the scientific principle then becoming a 'clever Hans' for the legions of people who were hoping to find proof to prove their theories, or to disprove the theories of their enemies.
The problem inherent in the scientific method is that it relies on humans to make an informed, objective analysis of the information each time, not taking into account that particular human's likes, dislikes, wishes, hopes, dreams and hatreds. It doesn't take much to fudge something, even if you're intending to make as objective an observation as you possibly can. One missed step, quickly forgotten, one subconcious nudge in the wrong way, and what is 'factual' is more representative of that person's views than anything.
This doesn't even take into the account of intentional skewing of the facts. I try to take into account my own paranoia when it comes to trying to weigh out how much of the 'factual information' on display is actually disinformation thrown out there as a propaganda tactic to either convert people to one point of view, or reinforce thinking in people who already share in that point of view.
If one takes a step back and a breath of fresh air, then re-examines the entire structure of information, it is very likely that they would come to a similar conclusion in time. The spread of dis-information in this day and age is so widespread that it is now merely assumed among the general populace that anything immediately said is either a lie or skewed information, perhaps a blessing of the Information Age that we have the ability to determine such by weighing out all the 'facts' and comparing them.
However, most people who say they are open minded when it comes to things like points of view have an interesting habit of closing their minds tighter than a steel trap when certain things are brought up.
My point here is in Creation Science, the scientific arm of the quickly-mutating Creationism movement. Mention Creationism anywhere in the circles of so-called open minded people, and that sound you'll be hearing is the slamming of mental doors, shortly followed by a round verbal thrashing of the entire concept as being the dim hopes of benighted fools wanting to haul us kicking and screaming back to the Dark Ages.
I myself gave an ear to this for a time, from two very good Christian friends of mine, both piercingly intelligent, and I've heard things that, while not giving me reason to throw my own personal support behind the concept, have given me something to think about and eventually, especially considering the fact that it concerned microbiology, something that is not only of perpetual interest to me, but is in the field I intend to pursue, when I return to school.
Some of these ideas are such that while I give them no weight until I can further study them, it does bear in mind that this is something to look into, to see if there's any actual truth to the matter.
Most people, however, would never have heard about it, simply closing their minds upon hearing the word 'creation' anywhere nearby. Their loss, honestly.
What occurs to me, thinking about this for a time, is that regardless of dogmatic fence-lines, there are those who glimpse pieces of what may actually be the true nature of things, reality, and the world we live in. That these individuals labor to better understand these things happen to be on opposite sides of the various paradigmatic struggles that go on in the world simply tell me that, when it boils down to it, it is not only a good idea to get a fresh viewpoint and perspective while one is trying to discover new things, but is, actually, absolutely necessary to ensure that you are not researching an idea simply because you wish to reinforce your own perception of how the world should be.
Research is going on all over the world, and underneath all these tons of papers that may simply be nothing more than a reaffirmation of belief in the paradigms they've chosen to accept may actually be useful pieces of the grand puzzle that is the reality we inhabit, and the way that things work in the world we were all born on, inhabit, and will, for my generation at least, likely be buried on.
From my perspective, the scientific method, as well as every other endeavor on this planet, draws its strength from the great diversity of perspective afforded by the various cultures that have sprung up here. Regardless of how 'backward' it may sound, it strikes me as wise to give them at least an ear, for who knows what pearls of wisdom may be hidden deep within each culture? What piece of the puzzle that will unlock a greater understanding of how this cosmos came to be will you miss for being intolerant?
-M.P. Reyart
Not that I mind the odd psychologial dependency to try to get my brain working better. On the whole, as a habit, it's cheaper to grab every known herbal supplement on the shelf for a month's supply, than, oh, say other forms of stimulants that might be out there.
But, enough harping about my own mind, on to the meat of this post, which is about perspective.
It's something I've been slowly but inexorably thinking about for the past few years, and while my thinking on it is far from finished, it probably would help if I threw something down on digital record so that I can look back and compare what comes to mind then versus what I think at this very moment.
I've been slowly planning for the day when I'll be heading back into school. One of the things that has been bothering me, repeatedly, about this is that in the field that I've chosen, there's often the sense that there are more armed camps, throwing barbed letters and denunciations of pet theories on this or that.
It doesn't simply contain itself there, of course. People are often harping about the whole 'nature versus nurture' argument, for starters.
I've read a fair bit so far, but I've not contained myself to the usual science fiction parts, but have been busy grabbing and reading small essays from various reputed scientists, fringe groups protesting other actions of ours, and the like.
What I'm immediately reminded of when I start to think of all this in amalgam is of the horse known as Clever Hans. If you've heard of this horse, then you might get an inkling of where I'm going with this. For those who don't, the tale is fairly simple. Clever Hans was a horse who was often reported to be a fairly educated horse, but in all reality had mastered the art of reading body language in order to give the right answers that would please his owners and those who asked him questions. Subtle things indeed, this horse picked up, really.
The greatest evolution of our rational thought came with the advent of the Scientific Method. With this process of evaluating the world around us, logically, and repeatedly, we found a means by which we can prove or disprove certain phenomena, attempting to understand more and more of how our world worked, and perhaps giving insight into how it was created.
The greatest ignominy occured shortly after that discovery, when it was brought to man at large and allowed to disseminate.
What happened then is a fine example of the scientific principle then becoming a 'clever Hans' for the legions of people who were hoping to find proof to prove their theories, or to disprove the theories of their enemies.
The problem inherent in the scientific method is that it relies on humans to make an informed, objective analysis of the information each time, not taking into account that particular human's likes, dislikes, wishes, hopes, dreams and hatreds. It doesn't take much to fudge something, even if you're intending to make as objective an observation as you possibly can. One missed step, quickly forgotten, one subconcious nudge in the wrong way, and what is 'factual' is more representative of that person's views than anything.
This doesn't even take into the account of intentional skewing of the facts. I try to take into account my own paranoia when it comes to trying to weigh out how much of the 'factual information' on display is actually disinformation thrown out there as a propaganda tactic to either convert people to one point of view, or reinforce thinking in people who already share in that point of view.
If one takes a step back and a breath of fresh air, then re-examines the entire structure of information, it is very likely that they would come to a similar conclusion in time. The spread of dis-information in this day and age is so widespread that it is now merely assumed among the general populace that anything immediately said is either a lie or skewed information, perhaps a blessing of the Information Age that we have the ability to determine such by weighing out all the 'facts' and comparing them.
However, most people who say they are open minded when it comes to things like points of view have an interesting habit of closing their minds tighter than a steel trap when certain things are brought up.
My point here is in Creation Science, the scientific arm of the quickly-mutating Creationism movement. Mention Creationism anywhere in the circles of so-called open minded people, and that sound you'll be hearing is the slamming of mental doors, shortly followed by a round verbal thrashing of the entire concept as being the dim hopes of benighted fools wanting to haul us kicking and screaming back to the Dark Ages.
I myself gave an ear to this for a time, from two very good Christian friends of mine, both piercingly intelligent, and I've heard things that, while not giving me reason to throw my own personal support behind the concept, have given me something to think about and eventually, especially considering the fact that it concerned microbiology, something that is not only of perpetual interest to me, but is in the field I intend to pursue, when I return to school.
Some of these ideas are such that while I give them no weight until I can further study them, it does bear in mind that this is something to look into, to see if there's any actual truth to the matter.
Most people, however, would never have heard about it, simply closing their minds upon hearing the word 'creation' anywhere nearby. Their loss, honestly.
What occurs to me, thinking about this for a time, is that regardless of dogmatic fence-lines, there are those who glimpse pieces of what may actually be the true nature of things, reality, and the world we live in. That these individuals labor to better understand these things happen to be on opposite sides of the various paradigmatic struggles that go on in the world simply tell me that, when it boils down to it, it is not only a good idea to get a fresh viewpoint and perspective while one is trying to discover new things, but is, actually, absolutely necessary to ensure that you are not researching an idea simply because you wish to reinforce your own perception of how the world should be.
Research is going on all over the world, and underneath all these tons of papers that may simply be nothing more than a reaffirmation of belief in the paradigms they've chosen to accept may actually be useful pieces of the grand puzzle that is the reality we inhabit, and the way that things work in the world we were all born on, inhabit, and will, for my generation at least, likely be buried on.
From my perspective, the scientific method, as well as every other endeavor on this planet, draws its strength from the great diversity of perspective afforded by the various cultures that have sprung up here. Regardless of how 'backward' it may sound, it strikes me as wise to give them at least an ear, for who knows what pearls of wisdom may be hidden deep within each culture? What piece of the puzzle that will unlock a greater understanding of how this cosmos came to be will you miss for being intolerant?
-M.P. Reyart