What to do if you have no idea.

 

What do I do now?

My earlier post offered the idea that we all have the ability to understand anything to some degree.  The major theme of the post was "Use what you got".  I did not acknowledge that there may be topics that are so baffling that their mere mention sends or brains spinning uncontrollably.  these intellectual voids can take many forms.  We could be totally unaware of the structures and constructs of a topic.  If I was knocked unconscious and transported to say Sweden I could probably cope.  I would recognize roads buses store fronts, and other familiar references that would help orient me.  I would be able to find a police officer that would likely offer assistance (The officer would be wearing some type of distinguishing uniform).  If I was transported back to a prehistoric time the unfamiliarity would paralyze me.  I would not recognize topological reference points nor would I be able to grasp any of the social hierarchy.  I would be totally lost.

We may avoid a topic because there is one aspect of the topic we just do not understand.  I am able to understand some aspects of crypto currencies but I really cannot grasp the concept of a coin.  Actually there is a lot about crypto I do not understand.  I think I will place crypto in the "I am totally lost category (LOL).  A better example for me would be climate change.  I have a basic understanding of climate and weather.  I however, could not draw a straight and concise line from what we are doing as a society and how it impacts climate.

Another issue is not getting the full picture.  This can be a double edged sword.  We may legitimately be missing a key piece of the puzzle.  It may be information vital to our understanding of an issue.  the unknow can also distract us.  I would like to know were covid originated.  However if I am trying to decide whether or not to send a child to school I think the current state of the virus would be more relevant than the origin of the virus.  How contagious and how dangerous the virus currently is would be more important than where it originated.

The immediacy of the decision is very relevant.  If the decision has to be made now the best course of action is to assess two outcomes.  Those are right or wrong.  If I am right the outcome will be: if I am wrong the outcome will be.  You weigh the two decide on one and hope for the best.  Think of a major purchase such as a car.  If you buy it you have a car and all the obligations and responsibilities associated with it.  If you don't buy it the world falls apart, there will never be a deal as good as this one and your life will never be the same.  Sound like the last time you bought a car?  Car salesman are pretty good at painting this type of picture.  The reality is that there is always another deal out there.  Think of it have we ever run out of cars to sell?  The market does fluctuate but rarely turns overnight.

If we have time to investigate start with some basics.  As I have said earlier basic reviews.  Assume that you do not understand any individual word.  If reviewing articles and you see a word used over and over, look it up.  Try and keep your focus as simple as possible.  If you get confused backup and reread earlier articles.  It is better to fully understand one small aspect of an issue then move on then to marginally understand everything.

Once you have a grasp of some of the basic elements you can begin to look for parallels.  This then goes back to the earlier post regarding "Use what you got".  One may not fully grasp the abstract concept of a crypto coin but someone may have a background in the Arts.  Understanding why one painting is worth 100 million while another is barely worth the canvas it is painted on is quite abstract.

As a final note the most difficult thing in all of this is to take as much of the emotional baggage out of the process.  Fear of missing out, that is really cool,  the newest and coolest are all powerful factors that cloud our judgement.  Focus on facts and decide.

Previous blogs

Basic reviews blog   Basic Reviews

Use what you got      Use what you got