Why do people insist on focusing...?

Question

Why do people insist on focusing on the smaller, more insignificant details of life, rather what's truly important? Is this a product of society, the human mind, or something else? Do you think that this has effected you any?

I am not talking bigger than what you are capable of handling, duh. I am talking about self-actualization and other things like that, as well as obsessive behavior over things that have no consequence whatsoever.

Answer 1

You mention self-actualization. This is at the top of the pyramid. Most people don't make it there! If you're familiar with Maslow's hierarchy of needs then you know that the bottom needs have to be met before you can work your way up the pyramid to strive for the higher needs. So if you don't have basic necessities: food, water, shelter, clothing, you will not have the time or luxury or inclination to worry about your spiritual self, you're too busy trying to survive (your physical self). Then you focus on social needs (love, belonging, etc). Many people don't feel like these needs are met & become so wrapped up in them that they never go further to search their souls for the meaning of life. In a sense, philosophy is a luxury. It is only possible for those who have the smaller, insignificant details of life taken care of so they can afford to contemplate the great and important questions.

Answer 2

That's a really interesting question, one I've wondered about since I was about age 15, when I used to ask my parents at the dinner table, "Why don't you ever discuss anything important? All you do is talk about 'How was your day?'" The answer was usually along the lines of "We've already discussed the big philosophical questions and we know each other's opinions."

I would think, 'Right. You've solved problems that the world's great minds have been wrestling over for thousands of years. Impressive.'

I think a big part of the answer is cultural. There's little support or reinforcement for consideration of the larger issues, outside of some narrow academic circles. The mass media certainly do their utmost to avoid anything deep or complex.

Every once in a while, though, there seems to be an explosion of the pent-up pressure, and the demand for real meaning spills over into a more popular arena. This happened in the 60s and early 70s with the New Age movement, and the phenomenal recent success of "The Secret" suggests that it may be happening again.

In the West, we've never had a societal model that matches the classic Hindu and Buddhist expectation that a man will participate in commerce and raise a family until age 50 or so, then affiliate with a monastery to focus on study and meditation for the rest of his days. I think it's a good tradition.

At age 19 or 20, when I first encountered books about Eastern thought, I felt as if I had finally found some folks who were willing to discuss the things that I felt to be important. The first books to really impress me this way were "The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are," by Alan Watts, "The Master Game: Pathways to Higher Consciousness," by Robert de Ropp, and "Zen Mind, Beginner's MInd," by Shunryu Suzuki. I especially recommend the last one.

Thanks for the interesting question! I hope my perspective was equally interesting.

Answer 3

It is product of human mind. To be precise, the human
mind is not one unit:

"Our two minds .... One is an act of the emotional
mind, the other of the rational mind. In a very real
sense we have two minds, one that thinks and one that
feels" (Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence,
Bloomsbury Publishing, London, 1996, page 8). This
rational mind is also called the faculty of logic and
reason.

The emotional mind is connected with what is most
important for humans, and concepts like self-actualization.
The rational mind is conneced with small insignificant
details to use its faculty of logic. Both of them will not
be working equally in all persons - one of them dominates
the other. The Upanishads say that these two are opposite
in nature. Modern psychologist also have observed it, but
they are not very sure about it:

"At the same time, reason sometimes clearly seems to
come into conflict with some desires (even while not
being in conflict with others) giving us the impression
that reason is separate from emotion".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reason

Answer 4

It's because we can deal with the smaller, insignificant details. Death is such a big detail and something we can't change, so we try not to think about it. And while people may have a small thought about life and existence, it never stays for long. It just takes up too much energy to think about something bigger than the insignificants.

Answer 5

I think it's because whether we like it or not, life can be very stressful and overwhelming, especially these days when every person is expected to be able to do a million things at once. Who has time for lunch with a friend when you have two weeks worth of laundry to do, your son's soccer game Saturday, and a big presentation at work on Monday?

Finding the balance and being able to say no to excessive obligations is one of the most difficult tasks facing a lot of people. It can often take a very conscious and serious effort to forget the small stuff and stop to smell the roses.

Answer 6

I think its a mixture of both. Sometimes we insist that things happen for a reason when in reality they may not have a reason at all. Our strive for a sense of giving a meaning to our lives blindfolds us into paying attention into the intricate workings of what makes life so beautiful, its bitter-sweet complexity. Society places importance on ambition (not that all ambition is bad) and needless competition ( who has the most expensive car...) and hinders our ability to appreciate the abstract and things in its simplest form. I know i'm not perfect and I know that in order to appreciate my life at full, including its tiny insignificant details i have to learn from my mistakes. I think its only something you realize after trial and error. It's been said that " we're always getting ready to live but never really living". It hasn't been til recently ive learned the importance of taking things one step at a time...

Answer 7

Think about it. Our gadgets are small. So much info fits in them. We're used to focusing in. And then we miss out. It's also part of the human mind to get caught up in things.
It has totally affected me. I've let way to many things get away--and I KNOW I've let them get away! Self-actualization has its downside.

Answer 8

Frankly, to be honest, the big questions scare me. They're just too big. So focusing on the mundane details and taking joy in the trivialities keeps me sane.

Answer 9

What is truly important? The larger things over which we have no control on and cannot change or the small things that we do have some control and can change?

Answer 10

yes of course. it's the product of Satan because He wants us to be diverted to the One true God. The maker of Heaven and earth. Before I knew Christ, i was self centered and selfish. Now life is pretty much meaningless if you don't know who God is and what He has done for us.