“The objective world is a sort of Rorschach ink blot, into which each culture,
each system of science and each religion, each type of personality reads a meaning.”
― Lewis Mumford, historian & literary critic
This post is about how new experiences change us.
Novelty
The less you retain of yourself in a new experience, the more new ideas you’ll bring back. But a paradox exists in bringing back things that are not part of yourself: If an idea is not part of yourself, then how did you bring it back? And if it is part of yourself, then what further work needs to be done?
The mysteries of change, creation, and learning are related. Random mutation and selection of the fittest were suggested as explanations, but these lack scale and mechanism. Because living systems learn quickly and intentionally, Darwinian evolution does not explain learning.
I can’t describe what you should retain from an unusual experience. I can’t say what you should learn, and I don’t know how you learn. I’ll give you some ideas about how you can enhance learning, how to retain and enrich new ideas.
Integration
Personality
Feelings
Change
Associations
Incorporation
This post is delivered to and accessible by paid subscribers to the Stream of Subconsciousness blog which publishes 4x/month and offers podcasts, discounts, video meetings, and other perks.
If you’re a subscriber, this button will take you to the post. If you’re not, it will take you to the subscription page.
Leave A Comment