4.17.2008

Local Cognition and Volition

Human society has a cognitive bias towards the local, spatially and temporally. Everyone wants to know whats happening right now, whats happening around them, what people in their social proximity are thinking about them, what someone near them is going through etc.

The overriding focus on the local has led to a flourishing media industry, which serves to expand our "locality" and thrives on the "local" information consumption patterns of people like you and me.

As a matter of education, at no point are humans taught to distinguish between temporary blips and long term trends. It is a tremendously beneficial exercise for the human psyche to carry out this discrimination, as it leads to greater balance and effectiveness in practice. Sadly, like other finer points about thought, this exercise is never promoted in formal education.

Among a large percentage of people, there is downright disregard for abstract and non local thought and a culture of worship for "local work", work that addresses local and contingent problems, that keeps systems running and keeps the salaries pouring in too. I think that the "local" variety of work and thought has certain importance, but i think it is overrated and there are too many people practicing that kind of work.

Only non local thought can lead man to peace, to an objective treatment of things that happen to him and things that he does. It permits him to examine himself and his environment and form action plans that have lasting value.

I really wish that humans were taught to discriminate between local and non local thought and action and thereby live more intelligently and effectively.