Human Senses and Misplaced Intelligence
We sense, perceive and respond to the world around us in unique ways, as compared to other species. Other species have their sensory strengths. Some have far a more sensitive sense of smell than we do. Others have astonishing visual abilities. And many a species depends heavily on the ability to detect and respond to sounds we cannot hear, well beyond the volumes or frequencies viable for our ears.
However, a collection of powerful sensory capabilities is, in itself, just one measure of a species. As humans, our “competitive edge” in the animal kingdom is our so-called intelligence, which we consider superior to other animals. Indeed, in terms of the pure processing power of our brains, there is little to compare.
It is not the sensitivity of our senses that define our success as species. Rather, it is our ability to accept and interpret the messages our brain receives through those senses- often at extraordinary speeds and in a manner that not requiring conscious thought – that defines our strengths. The combination of sensory messaging and rapid, deeply complex assessment and interpretation of those message is a defining characteristic of our species.
Considering all this, a visitor from another planet might reasonably assume that we can make reliable , well-informed decisions that always drive towards and maintain our success as a species.
And yet….
We don’t always do well when we look at our overall success in maintaining our safety as a species. Despite the astonishing level of information we have available and the application of our intelligence…it’s fair to say we have not always been successful! We experience continual wars around the world. We see extraordinary poverty. The health and life expectation of individuals around the world varies quite dramatically.
Let’s step back and look at what could have been possible.
The Honeybee as a Guiding Light
But the world through complex and highly impactful “filters”. Affected by an untold number of influences, from early childhood through our adult years, our ability to consume information and twist and turn it into a distant relative of the source, is legendary.
These affect our ability to truly see the truth and the reality.
Why the term “filter”? It’s really a simple term that reflects my love, bias and support for science and technology. A filter is merely something that takes and input, does something to it and returns and output.
- At a physical level, a filter on a camera takes light, moves it through some form of substrate that affects this light (perhaps in frequency or path) and emits filtered light.
- On a coding level, we often use regular expressions to accept a string of characters, parse that string based on the semantic rules of regular expressions, effectively filtering the string.
The Filter of Time
When we make decisions or reach conclusions, our sense of time is often a key determinant. Specifically, we tend to place far more emphasis on events in the recent past or near future than those from the distant past. This often manifests itself in a convenient amnesia around the more troubling aspects of history, whether our own or in terms of world events.
We refer to “the good old days”, with a warm, comforting familiarity that we see through the eyes of nostalgia. Those memories of our childhood or early adulthood glow in our hearts and we often have a yearning for those more simple, happy days*.
* I do, of course, understand that these are sweeping generalizations and that many experience challenges that render their memories far less enjoyable. I do not, in any way, wish to diminish or disrespect what others may have faced and hope my comments are understood to be appropriately qualified.
In reality our yesterdays featured difficulties we might find humorous – or even fearful – today. But, where they are within reasonable boundaries, our minds help us bury those.
The Filter of Self-Value
In this ever-changing, hugely complex world it is easy to lose the sense that we have meaningful control over our destiny. Indeed, in many aspects of our lives it is true that we are completely unable to fully control what we experience. At the most basic level, when we drive on the highway we make a calculated risk about the chances of an out-of-control driver deeply affecting – or even ending – our lives. These types of calculation are greater in number and complexity than ever before. How many living in the 1700’s had to worry about a deranged driver!
There are so many aspects to this that it’s easy to conclude that we don’t merely have less control over out life, but that our place in the world is less important. At the most fundamental level – the value of human life – I would argue that nothing has changed. But when we conflate , consciously or otherwise, “control” with meaning and value, then it can threaten our sense of confidence.
How do we handle this, as individuals? Well, in many different ways!
The Filter of Safety in Numbers
Like most species, we feel safety in numbers! While this clearly has merit in the often harsh realities of physical world, we humans also carry the burden of our ego. There are many ways to feed and sustain our egos, not least of which is the continual – and often quite valid – prioritization of our self-esteem, as mentioned above.
One of many factors affecting our self-esteem is the comfort we find in affirmation from others. The message we receive when others voice their approval is a major part of how we see ourselves. Indeed, the craving for positive feedback is so intense and so important to us it we can often give greater credence to it’s powerful value than reality!
It can take a strong person to admit their mistakes and their weaknesses, particularly in terms of important or highly visible topics. In fact, our visibility can be the overwhelming driving force behind how we make decisions. Those with a weaker constitution will dig in, rather than reflect, when evidence contrary to their position is presented. But this tendency is amplified greatly when the discussion involves those who mean a lot to us or where large numbers of people are involved.
Reasons for Fear
I’ll confess that back in the day, as the Internet took it’s first tentative steps into the consciousness of society as a whole, I was a foolish optimist.
I recall the rapid pace of change in 1989, with the fall of the Berlin Wall along with long-standing dictatorships in Eastern Europe, to the relentless march of democracy. It was a dizzy and dramatic series of changes that, for most around the world, delivered a sense of optimism, as we headed into the 1990s. There was a strong sense that “the will of the people” was an unambiguously positive force, especially in the Western World.
In reality, the collective will of society – whether local, regional, national or global – isn’t guaranteed to have a positive outcome. The most glaring and obvious exception are the events and outcome associated with Germany in the 1930’s. While that has been discussed and analyzed over many decades (and is certainly beyond the scope of this article), it remains a fact that Hitler was able to build support across wide swaths of German society. There are many other examples too, especially when the scope is limited to towns, cities or regions.
So, why do bad outcomes start and what are their driving forces. Again, this is a discussion for another time, but at a very high level one can identify a number of supporting factors that are likely to be in place. These generally include a changing situation, a sense of “danger”, vocal and persuasive supporters of an alternative vision and an effective way to communicate.
It is the last of these that is causing so much havoc in the world today.
Reasons for Hope
But what about a more positive perspective? Is there really any hope that this chaos, this anger, this distrust and this deep division can ever be seen as a temporary misstep on the path to a better future?