The complexity of Social Problems is outsmarting the Human Brain
Truly one of the best things I read this year. One of our biggest challenges right now is convincing a society that has been artificially accustomed to easy answers is that the truth is in fact messy and complex and easy answers don't exist.
"Whether contemplating the pros and cons of climate change; the role of evolution; the risks versus benefits of vaccines, cancer screening, proper nutrition, genetic engineering; trickle-down versus bottom-up economic policies; or how to improve local traffic, we must be comfortable with a variety of statistical and scientific methodologies, complex risk-reward and probability calculations – not to mention an intuitive grasp of the difference between fact, theory and opinion. Even moral decisions, such as whether or not to sacrifice one life to save five (as in the classic trolley-car experiment), boil down to often opaque calculations of the relative value of the individual versus the group.
If we are not up to the cognitive task, how might we be expected to respond? Will we graciously acknowledge our individual limits and readily admit that others might have more knowledge and better ideas? Will those uneasy with numbers and calculations appreciate and admire those who are? Or is it more likely that a painful-to-acknowledge sense of inadequacy will promote an intellectual defensiveness and resistance to ideas not intuitively obvious?"
Read the full thing at https://aeon.co/essays/the-complexity-of-social-problems-is-outsmarting-the-human-brain.
How do you think we can solve this problem?
I haven't read the article yet but I'm compelled to comment on your opening statement. :-)
I like this concept. It falls in well with a lot of stuff I've been learning from watching Jordan Peterson lectures on YouTube.
The human condition deals with the bounded finite being living in an unbounded infinite existence. The sheer complexity of dealing with that has developed within us mechanisms for dealing with the unknown which plays out in things like archetypal images from our collective unconscious, or automated lower brain functions that alert our brain to the appearance of novelty, while numbing our senses to what we have determined to be 'predictable'.
Peterson actually talks about the modern expressions of ideology, where people have sought to simplify the existential questions to find certainty and security. What they end up creating is a form of tyranny of thought.
I'm very intrigued by this. Can you recommend some videos?
His 2017 lectures are being recorded in the best quality. He is running two courses at University of Toronto...
2017 Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL22J3VaeABQAT-0aSPq-OKOpQlHyR4k5h
2017 Personality and its Transformations
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL22J3VaeABQApSdW8X71Ihe34eKN6XhCi
Kill everyone who is an idiot.
Will be lonely with me alone on the planet, but the environment will be better off! ;)
We can't just have blind faith in experts to solve problems for us. We all need to think for ourselves. We will still need experts, but we will be in a better position to determine who the real experts are.
always has, always will.
Humans are limited by the monkeysphere
We can't do any better without neural augmentation.
It's impossible
No need trying to fool ourselves.