Mea sententia

“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a really persistent one.” (Albert Einstein)

Here is an image that illustrates the central concept of this essay: things are seldom what they seem. Almost everyone who views this image describes it as red strawberries:



Even when told there are no red pixels in the image, almost everyone still sees the strawberries as red.

My family likes to complain that I am a pessimist and tell me I would be happier if I were more optimistic. They don’t understand. Some of the unhappiest people I know are optimists, because they falsely assume that optimism produces good outcomes. Their optimism feels to them like a magical talisman that will protect them. When their positive thinking does not shield them from bad outcomes they feel betrayed by Fate, often taking it personally, and sometimes becoming bitter.

In my experience, people who seem unable or unwilling to listen with curiosity  are constrained by one or more of the following traits:

My friends know that I try to look objectively at the available evidence when forming opinions or making decisions.

Are you someone who understands how useful conversations across divides can be, but is reluctant to engage because you feel unsafe or unprepared?

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Comment about Musk from a college classmate: "Musk’s comment in his interview by Seth Rogan: “The fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy.”  Says all you need to know about him. "

Reply by another college classmate: "But see Paul Bloom’s book Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion.

From the back cover, courtesy of Amazon.com: