Chaos

[Griffin NoName]

I've just been watching High Anxieties: The Mathematics of Chaos.

NB. this is the only related page at present - it is BBC iplayer for the programme and will expire in 6 days

Documentary which looks at how developments in mathematics over the past 40 years have completely changed our understanding of the fundamental nature of the world we live in.

As we approach tipping points in both the economy and the climate, the film examines the mathematics we have been reluctant to face up to and asks if, even now, we would rather bury our heads in the sand rather than face harsh truths.

I fell foul of this programme from moment One, and it got worse.

I disagree with using Chaos Theory in this way (ok that discussion would be more suited to the "Science" board).

My real gripe though is that it is not the mathematics "we have been reluctant to face up to" and who is this "we" anyway?

A large percentage of the Human Race deals with uncertainty by the emotional trick of "Denial".

I might be interested in seeing how Chaos Theory applies directly to "Denial" (causality), another topic for the "Science" board, but that's not what this programme is doing at all.

My "Human Concerns" question is:  would it be acceptable to promote the erradication of the emotional trick of "Denial" ? Would that be helpful towards changing the mistakes made through ignorance caused by "Denial". Or is "Denial" vital for humans to operate fully in the sense of certain functionality? How much is my anger, distress, and degredation of functionality caused by the fact that I have a heightened sense of, for example, death at any moment, catastrophic speeding up of the evidential climate change, etc etc. ?  Is it acceptable that when I fall across mass denial I get angry because I can no longer use that trick and want others not to do so, or is it such a vital part of functioning that I should be sad for everyone who cannot use it?

Denial cannot be classified as a non-stratified concept. Denial may be employed momentarily, say to cross an empty road where the belief has to be nothing will come along at high speed out of the blue and I won't have a heart attack half way across. I'm not really concerned with that layer of Denial, although it has to be said that people who have this are amongst those we designate as most ill and examining an extremity can be eye-opening.

[Pachyderm]

If you eradicate denial, what goes in it's place? I think sometimes people need to be able to say "no, don't think so" despite the evidence. Without the capacity for denial, would we end up in a sterile world, where everybody agreed all the time, and any scientific research or theological development only ever followed the party line? If so, it's not for me. 

[Griffin NoName]

I don't see an irony icon there. So I don't know whether to laugh.

[Pachyderm]

If you eradicate denial, what goes in it's place? I think sometimes people need to be able to say "no, don't think so" despite the evidence. Without the capacity for denial, would we end up in a sterile world, where everybody agreed all the time, and any scientific research or theological development only ever followed the party line? If so, it's not for me. 

[Scriblerus the Philosophe]

Denial is a natural human reaction. I don't think we can remove it any more we can remove any other facet of human nature. That said, individuals can rise above it. Certain aspects of society are always going to be ruled by the sheeple who are gut reactionaries and take the path of least resistance (IE, not thinking). Denial is easy. It's simply, "No, that's not true. That didn't happen. That can't happen."

Sorry, but avoiding denial requires critical thinking and honesty. Not something sheeple (who do make up most of the population) are capable of.

[Griffin NoName]

Thanks Pachy. Am roaring with giggles now. Emoticons do help with emotional responses.

In fact, thinking about yours and Scrib's posts, I was wrong to consider erradication, and I didn't make it clear how vital some level of denial is for stuff like crossing roads. It's similar to suspension of disbelief in the theatre - but in this case suspension of belief, although no one above a certain age and considered fully finctional would cross a road with a fast car speeding right at them unless they wanted to risk dying or being horribly maimed.

Yes, denial is a natural human reaction. We use it, for example, to suppress unbearable memories.

IMO there's a huge difference between critical thinking and emotional honesty and that is part of what I have been mulling over.