The Rise of the Hypothetical
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29 Sep 2013 18:33 - 29 Sep 2013 18:38 #120010
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The Rise of the Hypothetical
- Questions I thought of...
((...after watching the Ted video mentioned in ( http://www.templeofthejediorder.org/forum/General-Discussions/104798-why-are-our-iq-levels-are-higher-than-our-grandparents and thought I'd start a new thread- You don't need to watch the video))
Are we unhappier than some of our ancestors because we question the way things are and ask ourselves- “What if *this* or *that* were to change?” And with so many What If’s being asked in daily life, does all the possibilities and choices lower our ability to simply choose between what we think right/wrong, better/worse etc.? Are we more likely to follow the crowd with so many possibilities open to us where in the end, we’d rather not choose at all but follow the other people (who probably haven’t thought either through all of the possibilities and are being led by a small wealthy ambitious group)?
Are we becoming more open and understanding to one another in the world as we ask the question- “What if I were in their shoes?” Is there an increasing possibility of peace between different groups of people by asking this question and not dismissing it instead?
My answers- (Quite possibly it is true we (in general, Not everyone) are less happy than our ancestors without a clear task to accomplish and often questioning our own existence and questioning the 'point' of everything.. Our ancestors probably had less time to ponder such things if being of 'lower' class but rather work the long hours to provide the food for the family. I do think that by being able to imagine so many different possibilities we often 'over-load' and stop thinking at all,
(For Example, in England among the middle class, it has become extremely common for young adults not knowing what they want to do go into uni. We have several options we can head towards. But we rarely think about NOT going to uni. Why? Because everyone else does.. We become a little like sheep sometimes without realizing it and it's pretty well known that the government makes a LOT of money from students- in some cities it is the students who keep the money going round.. We're encouraged to go to uni despite how the more of us who go lowers the 'value' of the degree and you cannot stand out from the crowd anymore without only the best degree..)
I like to think that despite our occasional uncertainty in ourselves that yes, we can relate to one another better because of the hypothetical "What if I were you? How would I feel?"
I hope I expressed myself clearly and well enough- been travelling for about 16 hours as of now, Anyway- have a nice day/night
P.s. Final note- The talker from the TED video talks about how moral debate has become more possible as people are able to use the hypothetical and put themselves in the shoes of other people.. Found this interesting as people try somewhat to be more understanding of one another and this is seen as a good trait to have..
((...after watching the Ted video mentioned in ( http://www.templeofthejediorder.org/forum/General-Discussions/104798-why-are-our-iq-levels-are-higher-than-our-grandparents and thought I'd start a new thread- You don't need to watch the video))
Are we unhappier than some of our ancestors because we question the way things are and ask ourselves- “What if *this* or *that* were to change?” And with so many What If’s being asked in daily life, does all the possibilities and choices lower our ability to simply choose between what we think right/wrong, better/worse etc.? Are we more likely to follow the crowd with so many possibilities open to us where in the end, we’d rather not choose at all but follow the other people (who probably haven’t thought either through all of the possibilities and are being led by a small wealthy ambitious group)?
Are we becoming more open and understanding to one another in the world as we ask the question- “What if I were in their shoes?” Is there an increasing possibility of peace between different groups of people by asking this question and not dismissing it instead?
My answers- (Quite possibly it is true we (in general, Not everyone) are less happy than our ancestors without a clear task to accomplish and often questioning our own existence and questioning the 'point' of everything.. Our ancestors probably had less time to ponder such things if being of 'lower' class but rather work the long hours to provide the food for the family. I do think that by being able to imagine so many different possibilities we often 'over-load' and stop thinking at all,
(For Example, in England among the middle class, it has become extremely common for young adults not knowing what they want to do go into uni. We have several options we can head towards. But we rarely think about NOT going to uni. Why? Because everyone else does.. We become a little like sheep sometimes without realizing it and it's pretty well known that the government makes a LOT of money from students- in some cities it is the students who keep the money going round.. We're encouraged to go to uni despite how the more of us who go lowers the 'value' of the degree and you cannot stand out from the crowd anymore without only the best degree..)I like to think that despite our occasional uncertainty in ourselves that yes, we can relate to one another better because of the hypothetical "What if I were you? How would I feel?"
I hope I expressed myself clearly and well enough- been travelling for about 16 hours as of now,
Anyway- have a nice day/nightP.s. Final note- The talker from the TED video talks about how moral debate has become more possible as people are able to use the hypothetical and put themselves in the shoes of other people.. Found this interesting as people try somewhat to be more understanding of one another and this is seen as a good trait to have..
Last edit: 29 Sep 2013 18:38 by .
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