Her "zooming in" is normally referred to as analysis. The opposite of analysis is synthesis, or synthetic thinking (i.e. the combination of ideas into a whole).
Her "zooming out" is pattern recognition. Our ability to recognise patterns results in our concepts and the words to denote them. It is because of this that the extent of the vocabulary we posess and regularly use is sometimes said to measure our intelligence.
Stripped for all the mumbo-jumbo, what she is saying in her essay is this: Intelligence is a useful trait.
Studying or performing analysis does not make us weaker in conceptualisation. This juxtaposing is unnecessary and misleading. Due to our differing personalities our interests differ and lead us to do more of one or the other. Children are taught analysis first simply because it is so much easier than conceptualisation.
As a rule of thumb, I always look at a "cognitive analysis" such as this one with the utmost caution. Because it's frighteningly easy to use them as a first step into brainwashing cults or the like.
But this article, in my opinion, is excellent. Denouncing mental standardization is a most useful and healthy endeavour. "Open up."
MY summarization of this article would rather be : "Always be mindful of attempts to limit your thinking and intelligence in certain directions." The world is full of them. The best prison is the one you're not aware of, or don't perceive as such. Like ignorance, even partial.
Her "zooming in" is normally referred to as analysis. The opposite of analysis is synthesis, or synthetic thinking (i.e. the combination of ideas into a whole).
ReplyDeleteHer "zooming out" is pattern recognition. Our ability to recognise patterns results in our concepts and the words to denote them. It is because of this that the extent of the vocabulary we posess and regularly use is sometimes said to measure our intelligence.
Stripped for all the mumbo-jumbo, what she is saying in her essay is this: Intelligence is a useful trait.
Studying or performing analysis does not make us weaker in conceptualisation. This juxtaposing is unnecessary and misleading. Due to our differing personalities our interests differ and lead us to do more of one or the other. Children are taught analysis first simply because it is so much easier than conceptualisation.
As a rule of thumb, I always look at a "cognitive analysis" such as this one with the utmost caution. Because it's frighteningly easy to use them as a first step into brainwashing cults or the like.
ReplyDeleteBut this article, in my opinion, is excellent. Denouncing mental standardization is a most useful and healthy endeavour. "Open up."
MY summarization of this article would rather be : "Always be mindful of attempts to limit your thinking and intelligence in certain directions." The world is full of them. The best prison is the one you're not aware of, or don't perceive as such. Like ignorance, even partial.
Just one example among many : focusing the people's attention and worry on the "peril from outside" to draw it away from the peril within. Dictatorship, corruption, communism... they all used that old trick. And it still works. "Olé, toro! Look at the rag." Read Orwell's Animal Farm, people.