Why are so many people not introspective?

Question

Why are so many people afraid of silence?

Why are so many people unwilling to look at themselves and see who they REALLY are?

why do people lie to themselves? Why do we let them?

Answer 1

I think it's largely due to cultural conditioning. From the time they are wee little ones, kids are surrounded by stimuli. The parents of these kids, the MTV generation, grew up with hyperstimulating music videos, which has transpired to much of television and movies now. And the kids are put in front of the TV which has this hyperstimulating programming, which actually affects the wiring in their brains - studies have shown this - and they now are literally unable to be at peace with silence. Their brains 'normal' state is to be constantly stimulated and when they are not, the person becomes agitated. Somewhat like withdrawal symptoms.

As to introspection, while I'm sure that plenty of people are still introspective, certainly increasingly larger numbers of people are NOT so introspective. This is an increasingly shallow society we live in, concerned only with surface issues - "Better to look good than to feel good" and other such nonsense. Shallow people don't spend time looking inward to have a deeper understanding of themselves. And given that the majority of people are probably of the same mind set, parents aren't requiring this of their children so they don't LEARN to be introspective.

As well, as a society, we don't really teach people how to deal with their problems. We instead teach them that they are not to blame for ANYTHING. It's ALWAYS someone else's fault. And if there is a problem, well someone else will surely take care of it or the govt will take care of it for us. Well, if everything is always someone else's fault, then we, by default, are NOT at fault and thus there is no reason to look inward to see how we might have been the cause of a problem and no need to look inward to see how to solve or correct the problem. Thus, no need for introspection.

Speaking to your final question - if most people are of the same mind, and culturally conditioned to think they way they do, then they don't see the problem to address it. As to why those of us who are introspecitve let them do it, well, with respect, look in the mirror, engage in some introspection of your own and you will have your answer. The reason YOU don't is likely a lot of the same reason WE don't.

Cheers. Great questions.

Answer 2

And how do you know that so many people are not introspective? Does some one have to meditate in complete silence? Perhaps most people have looked at themselves, seen who they really are, and decided they didn't like it. People lie to themselves because the truth isn't always pretty. We let them because most of us have far more important things to do than worry about it. (Like spend all my time on Yahoo Answers...)

Answer 3

I feel exactly the same way. I think there is a fear of what one may find in being introspective, but how can one grow without doing so? I think that my recent introspection has been so rewarding and so refreshing, and I think that it's necessary to look at oneself to grow.

Answer 4

They are more concerned about what other people think about them, than they think about themselves.