The Tharawat Magazine, where I had a great pleasure to publish in several ocasions has launched its new web site. There is one article I particulary enjoyed writting. Here it comes:
_________________
When world-renowned psychologist Daniel Kahneman
coined the concept “What You See Is All There Is” (WYSIATI), he did so
in order to describe the common tendency to simplify the complexity of
the everyday phenomena that surround us. In his own words, WYSIATI means
that we use the information we have as if it is the only information.
Instead of contemplating and planning based on things that we don’t
know, we make do with what we do know. This concept is central to the
functioning of our mind.
In our daily life we tend to give answers based only on the information we have available without acknowledging the importance of the data that is not available to us at the moment. Furthermore, we don’t necessarily consider how this could substantially alter the results of the analysis.
However, there is one duality where WYSIATI apparently has no effect, and which is perhaps the most important one for the preservation of life on the planet. It is the duality between the GDP and ecology. Although the GDP is invisible and environmental contamination is visible, the reality is that it is difficult for many political and business leaders to acknowledge ecology as the World’s priority and many still live in a state of denial regarding it.
The fact remains that climate change is real and that if we don’t do the best we can to change our behaviour, life on Earth as we know it will disappear.
So, could it be that WYSIATI does not apply to the ecology? I don’t think so. ‘What there is’, is more an issue of arrogance than ignorance. At the core of this issue is the modern tendency to pay more attention to the products rather than to the processes. Therefore, society deems it more important to inform its citizens about industrial products rather than the state of the ecological processes.
‘What there is’, is that the invisible GDP turns visible at the end of the life-cycle of the products. There are mountains of trash extended over fertile lands, islands of garbage float in our oceans and still many companies turn their heads to look the other way to search for “opportunities”. Many still hold on to Milton Friedman’s point of view where the business’s main responsibility is to increase company’s value. But Life ignores these rules. It only complies with nature’s rules, and if anything, history has taught us that in any clash between human and nature, it is much wiser to stand on nature’s side.
CONTINUE READING AT THARAWAT.COM
_________________
 |
| From Nature.com |
In our daily life we tend to give answers based only on the information we have available without acknowledging the importance of the data that is not available to us at the moment. Furthermore, we don’t necessarily consider how this could substantially alter the results of the analysis.
However, there is one duality where WYSIATI apparently has no effect, and which is perhaps the most important one for the preservation of life on the planet. It is the duality between the GDP and ecology. Although the GDP is invisible and environmental contamination is visible, the reality is that it is difficult for many political and business leaders to acknowledge ecology as the World’s priority and many still live in a state of denial regarding it.
The fact remains that climate change is real and that if we don’t do the best we can to change our behaviour, life on Earth as we know it will disappear.
So, could it be that WYSIATI does not apply to the ecology? I don’t think so. ‘What there is’, is more an issue of arrogance than ignorance. At the core of this issue is the modern tendency to pay more attention to the products rather than to the processes. Therefore, society deems it more important to inform its citizens about industrial products rather than the state of the ecological processes.
‘What there is’, is that the invisible GDP turns visible at the end of the life-cycle of the products. There are mountains of trash extended over fertile lands, islands of garbage float in our oceans and still many companies turn their heads to look the other way to search for “opportunities”. Many still hold on to Milton Friedman’s point of view where the business’s main responsibility is to increase company’s value. But Life ignores these rules. It only complies with nature’s rules, and if anything, history has taught us that in any clash between human and nature, it is much wiser to stand on nature’s side.
CONTINUE READING AT THARAWAT.COM
Comentarios