Human beings are wired to look for patterns. Your brain figuring out that those random spots is a leopard is the difference between you surviving by getting out of sight and being the leopard's lunch. Well, the evolutionary justification is pretty clear- the better you are at figuring out patterns, the greater your chances of survival.
This is what leads us to see those optical illusions where the brain completes a triangle even when you show it only parts of a triangle. It is hardly the brain's fault that we have moved from dense jungles to stupid concrete jungles. Yeah, so what? you might ask. So we see some patterns where there arent any. Its all right. Doesn't really impact us much in our daily life. Well, think again.
How many completely rational humans who otherwise dont believe in superstitions or horoscopes or anything have you heard saying " But yes. She is Aries. Obviously you expect that shortfuse from her.' Or "Ohh a Leo. Hmm.. that explains a lot". I dont say that these people would make major life decisions based on zodiac signs but somewhere in the back of their minds they are trying to categorise people. And zodiac based categiorising is just one of them. I am no exception to this rule either. I find myself analysing people, especially in an emotional context, based on their zodiac signs.
This could be a big mistake because the universe is essentially random but we have this unstoppable urge to look for patterns. Whats worse, we look for patterns with us in the centre. Lets say you are trying to find a restaurant in a corner of the city you have never been to. The roads are not straight, there are lanes and by-lanes and its a crazy maze. You have made a few wrong turns. And finally something feels right. You think " I have made soo many wrong turns. Now it will be the right turn". Based on nothing. You think that just becuase you have made so many wrong turns the universe is obliged give you the right one now. Well, guess what? The universe doesnt care. Well, not care isn't the correct way to put it. The universe doesnt know you exist. It goes on being random, doing what it always has and suddenly you swoop in and demand something favourable to you and you alone purely because of a pattern seen from your stand point, the universe really couldnt care less.
But its a tough thing to wrap your head around. That all this you are battling, crying, smiling, fighting, struggling for is essentially going unnoticed by the universe. The universe doesnt care that you have failed million times to bend down, pat you on the head and give you the thing you were fighting for. If you are an intelligent human you should have found the thing you were looking for, dont look to the universe for help. It is busy being random.
Perhaps forcibly unseeing the patterns is the difference between surviving and perishing in today's world. Think about it.
This is what leads us to see those optical illusions where the brain completes a triangle even when you show it only parts of a triangle. It is hardly the brain's fault that we have moved from dense jungles to stupid concrete jungles. Yeah, so what? you might ask. So we see some patterns where there arent any. Its all right. Doesn't really impact us much in our daily life. Well, think again.How many completely rational humans who otherwise dont believe in superstitions or horoscopes or anything have you heard saying " But yes. She is Aries. Obviously you expect that shortfuse from her.' Or "Ohh a Leo. Hmm.. that explains a lot". I dont say that these people would make major life decisions based on zodiac signs but somewhere in the back of their minds they are trying to categorise people. And zodiac based categiorising is just one of them. I am no exception to this rule either. I find myself analysing people, especially in an emotional context, based on their zodiac signs.
This could be a big mistake because the universe is essentially random but we have this unstoppable urge to look for patterns. Whats worse, we look for patterns with us in the centre. Lets say you are trying to find a restaurant in a corner of the city you have never been to. The roads are not straight, there are lanes and by-lanes and its a crazy maze. You have made a few wrong turns. And finally something feels right. You think " I have made soo many wrong turns. Now it will be the right turn". Based on nothing. You think that just becuase you have made so many wrong turns the universe is obliged give you the right one now. Well, guess what? The universe doesnt care. Well, not care isn't the correct way to put it. The universe doesnt know you exist. It goes on being random, doing what it always has and suddenly you swoop in and demand something favourable to you and you alone purely because of a pattern seen from your stand point, the universe really couldnt care less.
But its a tough thing to wrap your head around. That all this you are battling, crying, smiling, fighting, struggling for is essentially going unnoticed by the universe. The universe doesnt care that you have failed million times to bend down, pat you on the head and give you the thing you were fighting for. If you are an intelligent human you should have found the thing you were looking for, dont look to the universe for help. It is busy being random.
Perhaps forcibly unseeing the patterns is the difference between surviving and perishing in today's world. Think about it.
No comments:
Post a Comment