We do not see Things as they are, but as We are Ourselves

We do not see Things as they are, but as We are Ourselves

When we are older we tend to see more Endings than Beginnings

Today we will explore the following: “It has been well said that we do not see things as they are, but as we are ourselves. Every man looks through the eyes of his prejudices, of his preconceived notions. Hence, it is the most difficult thing in the world to broaden a man so that he will realize truth as other men see it.” [1]

Why does this matter to us? Because while we at CACOR do our utmost to be scientifically “objective” with how we discuss the challenges our world faces in creating a sustainable socio-economic order we also know that we each have a very limited perspective that requires some humility in all we do. With this in mind I want to explore one dimension to the title: the fact that most CACOR members are older.

I too am older, I retired 2 years ago and I have health challenges that have made me very aware of my mortality. What does this mean? We older folks are likely, unless very careful, to see more limitations than opportunities, to see what our people cannot do rather than what people can do. Why?  The fact is that we are living at a time in our lives when we are much more limited in our options and have had many experiences and memories of people not able to accomplish goals, instead of memories of great accomplishments succeeding. Part of this is due to a human foible: we have evolved to place more emphasis on what is wrong rather than what is right. We remember the one dangerous mushroom that killed some people at a party [that happened last week, ref.3] and then see that as supporting our viewpoint that picking mushrooms is inherently dangerous.  The fact is that many cultures have safely collected mushrooms for thousands of years. [I picked this example because my grandfather trained me how to pick mushrooms and I have safely done so all my life.] In fact we are hard wired to remember something dangerous more than good news. Why? To keep us alive. Here is what the latest research tells us:

Li and his team reported recently in Nature, the difference between memories that conjure up a smile and those that elicit a shudder is established by a small peptide molecule known as neurotensin. They found that as the brain judges new experiences in the moment, neurons adjust their release of neurotensin, and that shift sends the incoming information down different neural pathways to be encoded as either positive or negative memories. The discovery suggests that in its creation of memories, the brain may be biased toward remembering things fearfully — an evolutionary quirk that may have helped to keep our ancestors cautious. They found that neurotensin levels increased in the amygdala after reward learning and dropped after punishment learning. By genetically altering the mice’s thalamic neurons, they were able to control how and when the neurons released neurotensin. Activating the neurons that released neurotensin into the amygdala promoted reward learning, while knocking out the neurotensin genes strengthened punishment learning. [2]

This last bit is important. It basically means the way we learn, the way we teach kids in school, the way we reward people at work impact whether we are even more biased towards memories that are negative when learn by punishment instead of reward, probably in a feedback loop. In other words, the carrot is much better than the stick in allowing us to see doors opening instead of closing as we age. So let’s use the carrot as we confront our environmental challenges and spend our time on rewards rather than punishments, on doors opening instead of those that are closing.

Of course, this applies to any person, young or old. However, given that an older person will have more memories, and thus accumulate more bad memories [which can be called wisdom and experience if we do not become too cynical] all of us “oldies” run the risk of seeing what is wrong with the world more than what is right with the world. Now, I am not saying that this changed perspective will suddenly and magically make realities like Climate Change go away. What I am saying is that if we “oldies” can consciously remember and create experiences which have a positive outcome we are more likely to see doors of opportunity opening as other doors are closing. Both are happening – but its so much easier to see doors closing because the doors that are opening have not “happened” yet – they are yet to become.

This view is about Life in the biological sense. By definition life changes, as it is dynamic and has to maintain cell and body homeostasis in the face of every changing environmental conditions. Thus, seeing opportunities which are just being born – like seeing the use renewables with a way of life with much less energy/consumption/population as positive –  rather than the door slamming in our face of something that we know is “real” and “works” – like using fossil fuels which have generated vast economic growth, wealth and increases in population – is tough for us when we are older, and in this I include older societies. Especially when we are older. Especially when we look backwards instead of forward. Especially when we feel ourselves becoming weaker and less capable – we tend to project “how we are” into the world and see the world the way we are. Big mistake. Not helpful. Not true.

But we “oldies” – we can do it. We can learn new tricks. We can at least try to be “wise” – which is I will take to mean admitting to parts of “life” coming to an end – like our current over-consumptive economic system – while also seeing that endings by admitting that this means new beginnings are happening as much as endings. The dinosaurs died, but that just opened up the way for mammals to dominate. Rome collapsed [at least in the West] but eventually the Renaissance created a European powerhouse. I have a friend who is a farmer and her barn burnt down, but it has been rebuilt – better then ever. In Life endings just mean new beginnings.

I think our task, as “oldies” is to help the youth realistically see that while much of what “is” will pass away we have the ability – if we cooperate and trust each other and adapt to the limitations that are imposed by us by “Mother Nature” – to be part of a new way of life that is being born right now. Actually, this is going to happen anyway, the only choice we have is to aid in the process or by being blind to it resist it and only increase the pain of this birth. You and I get to choose. Choose wisely.

References

1. 1891, The Province of Expression: A Search for Principles Underlying Adequate Methods of Developing Dramatic and Oratoric Delivery by S. S. Curry (Samuel Silas Curry) (Dean, School of Expression: Instructor of Elocution, Harvard College), Quote Page 392, Published by School of Expression, Boston, Massachusetts.
2. https://www.quantamagazine.org/a-good-memory-or-a-bad-one-one-brain-molecule-decides-20220907/
3. https://nypost.com/2023/08/13/inside-the-mushroom-death-mystery-thats-gripping-australia/