Comments | raisin3010: (без темы)

raisin3010

(Untitled)

Mar 02, 2005 20:38

“Because the capacity of the human mind for formulating and solving complex problems is far too small to meet the requirements for full rationality, individuals operate within the confines of bounded rationality. They construct simplified models that extract the essential features from problems without capturing all their complexity... Assuming ( Read more... )

Comments 7

could this simply be... mhmeln_57 March 3 2005, 14:28:46 UTC

human quest for instant gratification? why think MORE if you can think less? isn't that the reason we generalize and stereotype - to conserve the time and energy that would have been spent on considering more facets of the issue?

Re: could this simply be... raisin3010 March 3 2005, 15:43:37 UTC

Yes, that’s exactly why we stereotype, but I’m not sure what attributing this to the human quest for instant gratification (or indifference) does- solves the problem, justifies it as an inevitable occurrence which cannot be altered, or suggests that a change is needed (in which case, what/how?)

Re: could this simply be... mhmeln_57 March 3 2005, 16:09:50 UTC

First, we need to agree that the causes of the events and patterns of behavior that you described in your initial post lie in the explanations that i provided. If we can sufficiently and definitively narrow (or broaden) our understanding of the causes, we may begin to respond to them.

If the causes lie in the human nature, any forceful change, either social, legal, psychological or moral, would meet resistance and not last. After all, when, under sufficient pressure, all social, moral and other constructs break down, humans begin to act according to their deepest and most natural motives. Therefore, i think that any forceful alteration of human behavior and deviation from the natural tendencies will eventually fail, in the short or long run.

The solution, in my view, must lie in connecting the desired result (humans having interest in making more informed choices, etc) to humans' natural tendencies of instinct-driven pursuit of self-interest. That, i haven't figured out how to do, yet. :-)

Re: could this simply be... raisin3010 March 4 2005, 01:13:23 UTC

The need/preference for instant gratification is part of the explanation since many seek to reach only the most basic information thresholds, and then feel competent enough to make decision. However, an even broader issue is the fact that full information is unattainable and that a perfectly informed decision is impossible, even for those who champion delayed gratification ;)

I agree that improving the situation by forcefully changing human nature would be neither practical nor effective. And if human nature is solely responsible, aligning it with desired results would be great. On the other hand, since human nature is not a variable likely to be forcefully manipulated, it seems like an easy target. Many governments/regimes have assumed a certain definition of human nature to justify the status quo, yet even they ultimately underwent change.

anonymous March 7 2005, 16:30:32 UTC

update your journal! ive been depressed all weekend cause you havent!!

Re: could this simply be... mhmeln_57 March 7 2005, 17:26:52 UTC

"However, an even broader issue is the fact that full information is unattainable and that a perfectly informed decision is impossible, even for those who champion delayed gratification ( ... )

Re: could this simply be... raisin3010 March 7 2005, 19:25:50 UTC

"As of now, patience and delayed gratification are OUT'A HERE!"
jumping from one extreme to the other? ;)

Regimes aren't flexible enough to change/correlate "on a regular basis." They tend to value a firmly-grounded values system where frequent fluctuations are considered a source of weakness. Had that not been the case, re-evaluation based on shifts in human nature would still be close to impossible. Changes in human nature become tangible in hindsight or to those far removed from the situation. Otherwise, trying to identify them in the present is like noticing yourself grow taller- you know it's happening but you are not consciously aware of the change.