[post] Discussion on information dilution, curiosity, and ego (#113)

data/posts/0035-personal-vs-org-productivity.md

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-!! title: Personal Productivity vs organizational Productivity
+!! title: Personal Productivity vs Organizational Productivity
 !! slug: personal-vs-org-productivity
 !! published: 2024-04-01
 !! description: A discussion on an interesting perspective of personal productivity from the systems thinking perspective and the affect that it has on the greater group.

data/posts/0036-information-dilution-and-ego.md

@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+!! title: Information Dilution and Ego
+!! slug: information-dilution-and-ego
+!! published: 2024-04-08
+!! description: A discussion on the dangers of reliable sources, generative AI, plagiarism, learning and ego
+
+---
+
+The state of today's information age poses an existential threat to critical thinking. It is much
+easier to reach for a search engine and ask a question to see what other people are thinking rather
+than thinking for oneself. The skill of critical thinking is becoming ever more important as the
+information that we depend upon is becoming less dependable and less qualitative.
+
+In the past few years, I have timidly attempted to keep up with the major happenings in the world.
+It has been extremely challenging to find a reliable source of information; between the
+disinformation campaigns and the general overt biases in news articles. No matter what beliefs one
+holds, there there are media outlet that caters to held mental models. The outlets only show
+information that aligns with their chosen mental models which short circuits the double-loop
+learning model and prevents learning (Sterman 2009).
+
+Media outlets catering to specific mental models is not a new phenomenon. It can somewhat be
+overcome by subscribing to multiple outlets with opposing views to allow for a larger perspective.
+What worries me is the blatant plagiarism found across these major media sites: the same articles,
+word for word, published by different authors. Whether this is a conscious decision by the outlet
+(one author directly copying work from another) or unknown to them (a ghost writer selling the same
+article to two different outlets to be published under different authors), the source dishonesty
+results in the same dilution of the accurate information. In addition, generative artificial
+intelligence still in its early stages, is being trained on what is supposed as human-original data.
+It is then being used to generate content to be published in human work. With both of these, I fear
+the quality of information is headed in an exponential decline.
+
+The dilution of the quality of information and the duplication is creating a lot of informational
+noise. The human species is not identifying and keeping worthy information and discarding unworthy,
+but instead keeping and hoarding it all. Memory selection is a very important part of idea
+generation. If we remembered everything, it would be as if we remembered nothing. There would be too
+much noise to cut through to get to the important information (Ahrens 2022). 
+
+Wading through noise to get to the important information takes a lot of time and energy which takes
+time and energy away from learning and generating new ideas. It also takes more time and energy to
+find credible sources to provide multiple perspectives on the same subject.
+
+Insight and learning is predicated by curiosity (Ahrens 2022). Without curiosity about opposing
+views, one does not search for different perspectives that challenge currently held mental models.
+These opposing models are the ones that provide the most opportunity for learning and insight
+because the difference is so great. But often ego gets in the way (Holiday 2016). We stick to the
+sources that align to our mental models. Humans do not like being wrong and the quickest way to
+discover that one is wrong is to be curious and learn something from an opposing view.
+
+The embodiment of ego is the obsession with anything but the present (Holiday 2016). It is being
+obsessed about a future where someone may pass judgement because of previously held incorrect
+belief. It is being obsessed with the self-judgement that an incorrect view was held in the first
+place. Ego obsesses about what has been and what is to come.
+
+Ego is the enemy of curiosity and learning. It works extremely hard to avoid an unfiltered look at
+current mental models in search of improvement. It sees continual improvement as being constantly
+incorrect instead of becoming a better version of oneself. It sabotages growth. Letting go of ego--the
+identity of self--is difficult but is necessary to improve and grow . Ego kicks, screams, and cries
+for us to keep holding on to it but we must not listen.
+
+Eastern cultures use meditation and practices like yoga to train the individual to let go of the
+obsessions with the past, the future, and the self's place in it. These practices are used to stay
+grounded in the present, reminding that "one hand of tranquility is greater than two handfuls of
+toil."
+
+It is much easier to reach for a search engine to find the mean of human thinking to absorb for
+ourself. Instead, take the more challenging road, let go of ego, cultivate curiosity, develop
+critical thinking, and "Dare to know! Have the courage to use your own understanding" (Holiday
+2016).
+
+---
+
+
+## Resources
+
+1. Sterman, John D. Business Dynamics: Systems Thinking and Modeling for a Complex World. Nachdr., Irwin/McGraw-Hill, 2009.
+2. Ahrens, Sönke. How to Take Smart Notes: One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking. 2nd edition, Revised and Expanded edition, Sönke Ahrens, 2022.
+3. Holiday, Ryan. Ego Is the Enemy. Portfolio, Penguin, 2016.
+