The Lemming Instinct

Lemmings. Suppose we have an important subject whose practitioners are all relatively mediocre. Research from these people will correspondingly be mediocre. However, some of it will catch on - as always happens. Many will gravitate toward this line of thinking and propagate more research along these lines. It will become the mainstream mode of thinking. Then, after a long time, the ideas will not prove valid; they will be proved absolutely incorrect. What happens is that a new equally invalid idea will replace it, and it will catch on. The cycle repeats. The net result is this important subject will never progress, but will leap from one incorrect paradigm to another.

There is such a subject in this world. You might justly think government - my preferred choice, but that is too obvious.

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Behavioral Science and Problem-Solving

I. I. Introduction. Concerning our general behavior, it’s high about time we all had some understanding of how we operate on ourselves, and it is just as important how we are operated on by others. This is the wheelhouse of behavioral sciences. It is a vast subject. It touches our lives constantly. It’s influence is pervasive and can be so subtle we never notice it. Behavioral sciences profoundly affect our ability and success at problem-solving, from the elementary level to highly complex wicked problems. This is discussed in Section IV. We begin with the basics of behavioral sciences, Section II, and then through the lens of multiple categories and examples, Section III. II. ...

UNCERTAINTY IS CERTAIN

Uncertainty is Certain G. Donald Allen 12/12/2024 1. Introduction . This short essay is about uncertainty in people from both secular and nonsecular viewpoints. One point that will emerge is that randomly based uncertainty can be a driver for religious structure. Many groups facing uncertainty about their future are deeply religious or rely on faith as a source of comfort, resilience, and guidance. The intersection of uncertainty and religiosity often stems from the human need to find meaning, hope, and stability in the face of unpredictable or challenging circumstances. We first take up the connections of uncertainty to religion for the first real profession, farming, noting that hunting has many similar uncertainties. Below are groups that commonly lean on religious beliefs amidst uncertainty. This short essay is a follow-up to a previous piece on certainty (https://used-ideas.blogspot.com/2024/12/certainty-is-also-emotion.html). U...

Mediocrity

Once of the worst things that can happen to a young person is to be told their mediocre performance is good. For me, I was told the opposite, that my efforts would end me in failure. That was a spur that dug in deep. I would prove him wrong. And I did. Do not praise mediocrity, no matter how much it makes you feel good or your target.

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