I went and had a coffee with a friend for a few hours this evening, and as normal, we spoke of many things. However, one of the conversations tied in with a discussion on life as a series of equations to solve, and how I think that because we are getting less skilled by becoming more reliant on tools, we are losing the ability to solve for 𝒳.
It started with a "simple" question on whether I believe that we have lost our desire to explore, to adventure, which I do believe. I think that this is because our lives have become more stable and we have more tools at our disposal, meaning we have less problems to solve. I also think that a lot of our work is so structured, that as long as we meet the standard, that is enough. There is little incentive to go above and beyond, just meet expectations.
And we know what to expect from the world, because we have removed so much of the randomization, because we have access to specialized service. Gone are the days where we have to be a Jack of all trades to get through life, now we pay for many Jacks.
But it is in our nature to want to solve problems, because that is how we advance and evolve. And, when we don't have real problems to solve, we will make problems for ourselves, regardless of whether they are needed to solve or not. Our lives have become so structured, that the narcissism of small differences is where we live, creating large issues out of the small, just to feel like we are relevant.
We are no longer adventurers looking to discover the secrets of the universe, because we aren't even able to solve for 𝑥 in out daily lives. We have become robotic, living algorithmically, and robots don't solve problems, they run their programs. When they face a challenge they have not been taught to overcome, they fail.
My friend asked if it is a lack of curiosity, and I think this is part of it, but it is also combined with a lack of creativity. Rather than creating solutions to the problems we face, we turn to various help sources that already have the problem solved for us. This makes us feel like we are exploring and expanding, but more often than not, we are just following the steps laid out before us.
I used an example of math as a way to solve problems, and in order to solve complicated and complex issues, the basics have to be learned. However, there is only a handful of people who will ever really use math to make a significant impact for our species. But, in order to get that handful, a massive amount of people have to learn the basics - the less people who learn the basics, the smaller the pool becomes to uncover those gems who will go on to do great things.
It is the same with creativity and our ability to solve the problems we face as a species. The less we all solve problems in our daily lives, the smaller the pool becomes to find those top-end problem solvers, the ones who will cure complicated diseases, or improve complex environmental crises.
But, we can't all change the world, but we can all improve ourselves. And, if we were to look to solve for the solution of "me", we would have to be more practical. Perhaps, it might be useful to break it down into some basic questions to see what might help.
1. What are we spending our resources on?
This includes our attention, and tells us what is important to us. And perhaps if we uncover what we are actually doing, perhaps we would want to alter where we are spending and shift our attention and interests elsewhere. If we know the general direction in which we want to go, it becomes easier.
2. What tools do we have that can help us on the path?
What are our real resources and how can we apply them to where we want to go. Do we have everything we need, where are our gaps, what can we identify we are missing?
3. What people and community do I need around me?
Who can help? Who do I need to interact with in order to move in the direction I want to move? What kinds of groups do I need to be in, surround myself with, and associate?
4. What actions do I need to take in order to move?
What are the long-term goals and what are the short-term actions that start down that path? How do I get connected with the right people? What kinds of equipment or tools to I need to obtain? How am I going to get the resources required to move to the next step?
That is a very simple look at things, but essentially, we need structure in order to be compelled enough to act consistently. without it, our actions become random, and will generally err on the side of laziness, because that is what our nature demands. It wants easy, it wants simple, it wants to not have to think.
And, that is why we have lost our explorative drive. Because we aren't forced to explore our world out of necessity, we just don't. Instead, we sit back and fill our curiosity with engineered content that makes us feel safe, because we chose to consume it. We consume gamified experiences that bring us the sense of satisfaction we would get from real exploration. We avoid the unknown.
We don't walk through the doors and into the jungle of life.
We just watch it through the safety of a window.
𝒳 will never be solved, because we will never start looking.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
