Are we lazy thinkers?

Question

It amazes me how many people will answer questions about clothing, what is cool, abusive and cheating lovers, and some really lame ones but ask a question with some content regarding your future, career, etc. and the brain power wouldn't light a match. Is it just easier to answer the superficial ones? Do we not answer the hard ones because we don't know, don't care or just don't want to think in reality?

Answer 1

all of the above, probably.

as to your title question, in the scientific sense, yes we are. it's because we only have so much mental energy to devote to one thing at a time. so we use mental heuristics or "rules of thumb" to help us solve problems quickly.

the more you care, or the more important you percieve it to be to your well-being, the more mental energy you are willing to devote to any one problem.

unless you have to think fast! (tiger about to eat you, food source running away from you, child in danger, etc) in which case, heuristics can actually be a pretty adaptive strategy. maybe google the phrases "heuristics," or "take the best heuristic" for more info.

Answer 2

Actually, it scares me that modern day life has expelled this sort of in depth thinking to the realm of the... I would say intellectual, but even that term has lost some of its meaning.

I think much of modern day (at least westernised) society has abandoned the need to question life, the universe and everything. We are brought up in such indulgent comfort that most of us no longer feel the need to question the fundamentals, and are happy to indulge in the superficial.

I'm not at all surprised that Fukuyama proposed the 'End Of History' thesis, but I am dismayed by it. (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End_of_history for a somewhat complete analysis)... Interstingly, even Fukuyama has since dismissed his own theory as nieve...

Many of our great modern thinkers are lamenting the lack of critical thinking among, particularly, the younger generation. I guess that many of the greatest thinkers of any times were born during periods of great social upheaval, but I don't think that these changes pale in signifigance to the fundamental hipocracies of the modern world.

I could go on, but I wanted to come back to a point I made earlier about the so-called intellectuals that we have so much faith in. I forget who, but a modern day theorist talks of the 'cult of the intellectual.' The basic theory is that we rely so heavily on those who are qualitatively more intelligent than the average person to supply us with answers to the big questions of our time that we ourselves become dissasociated from them.

ie. If a scientist were to come out and say that god is unequivocably real, we wouldn't doubt it. We would accept it as fact and move on. It's almost at the point where it's not socially acceptable (re. cool) to think beyond this. I feel this is potentially a very stifling environment for those of us who enjoy critical thinking to grow up in, and with the absolute saturation of our consciousness by status, coolness and (ultimately) irrelevant concerns, I wonder where we are to turn...?

Answer 3

A mix of all three... we're an indecisive race. We can make up our own minds in a snap about what we like and what we hate. However, stuff regarding one's future, career, etc. is harder to answer because it's... the FUTURE! Duh. We don't know what will transpire later in life, how fickle our nature is, what impact a possible major event could have on us... I guess it leans towards the "we don't know," but then again, seeing some of the others on here, I'd definitely go with "we don't care to think in reality" for the general public.

Answer 4

I think 'we' is a very sweeping generalisation.

Some people answer questions because they are bored and are just looking to blow off some steam so they just answer lightheartedly.

There are a few who try to answer intelligently and in depth according to their own experience or knowledge.

The percentage of people on Y!A who are either shut-ins, elderly, unemployed or children probably outweigh those who work full-time and don't have the time to contribute.

Some of us are lucky enough to be able to work and do this intermittently. My job consists of waiting around for reports to build and complete. While I wait I can answer questions. Not many people can afford that bit of pleasure mixed with work.

Answer 5

I think alot of your question is aanswered by desensitization. Most people view this in relation to violence and television, but it can be the case in any stimulus. Think of reading a thought provoking novel, which requires you to take in the words of the writers imagination and create your own visual aspects of this story. Think of this as digital information. Now think of a television program and its ability to convey a message. It is spoon fed. You are at the full extent of the writers imagination, leaving yourself no thought process to get involved in. It becomes easier and easier, day by day. You become entangled in this mainstream culture of media and it is all you know. It infiltrates your style of dress, conversations and even attitudes. Our minds are conditioned to rely on external images and dialogue for our thought processes. It isn't a very constructive thing to do. My wife and my mother are ones who wants to talk about superficial trivial conversation, but backs off when the topic gets to deep.

Answer 6

I just answer peoples damn questions. The ones that I will have to write a really long answer to or one that will be hard to express myself in (I'm a swede so naturally it's harder for me to express my words in english sometimes) I just don't answer. Sometimes I do, but then I sit here for quite a while and, well... Anyway, those questions are just so much funnier!

Answer 7

Most people don't like to go beyond the surface...it revels to much and it's sometimes hard to face your reality.

That's why people don't like to go into therapy....you have to come face to face with yourself.

Also...it's much easier answering questions about other peoples problems.

Answer 8

we dont think in reality
reality is dead