Double Arrowed Attention

Double Arrowed Attention

We are all immersed in complexity and many of us seem to intuitively feel that nothing is more important than wisdom yet nothing seem more elusive. However just thinking about wisdom could be a good first step in developing it. 

Though “Wisdom” is difficult to pin in simple words but all humans feel it in operation. We can see others behaving wisely even though we fail to exactly articulate why?. In general we associate wisdom with moral judgment, knowing what’s important and unimportant in a situation, patience, compassion, emotional self control, altruism etc. However developing these qualities in us is a real challenge. Many believe it is endowed in some people! That would be a “fixed mindset thinking” and doesn't help us at all. I am seeking a framework to learn and develop wisdom. And in that journey I seek to sort of marry best of “Eastern philosophy” and “Western Philosophy" - being a “Consilient Observer”. 

I speculate that Wisdom begins with awareness of “Self” and “World outside the Self”. Quality of awareness of our “inner psychological atmosphere” and that of "outer environment" which includes everything else then that feeling of “I”. 

Heightened awareness or personal orientation to my mind should be guided by following broad aspects:

• Ourself: As humans we have many thing in common; but our difference define our individuality. We have range of sensing capabilities which is limited and our cognition can misinform and mislead. We all have so to say similar structure of physical, psychological and Neurological limitations. However, all of us are unique individual humans with differences in how these limitation come to life. If we don’t acknowledge these differences in our abilities and limitations, we will misunderstand our perception about World. Can we see ourselves talking, feeling and emoting? Can we have some part of our “attention” our inner atmosphere? This is kind of dividing attention i.e. part is inside and part is outside. Before being awake to what is outside can we be awake inside? We see attitude in others but can we see our own attitude before we observe others?    

• About the World Around Us: We are a part of the natural world. A scientific attitude & approach of observe, create hypothesis, test, re-test & look for peer reviews has been helpful in our understanding of the World around us. We get into trouble when we rely too much on unchallenged, untested beliefs, feelings and assumptions. A curious, questioning, testing, modifying or discarding attitude based on scientific ethos is the best chance to know the world outside better.    

• Our perspective about the World around us & about others: Each of us comes from unique environment, culture, circumstances & abilities and hence bound to posses unique set of experiences. Also each of us our in constant flux or change and hence each has unique perspective about the world at a point in time. Not acknowledging this diverse perspective takes us away from reality. Our ability to empathise with others perspective leads to sanity. Can we be conscious of diverse perspectives?  

• About Language: Language is the defining aspect of human species. Our language ought to represent the latest state of what we are inside and what we observer outside. However no language is perfect and mostly it is mix of deliberate, accidental or arbitrary rooted in tradition. Inevitable difference arise even when we speak same language for the same state. For multiple languages coming to terms with communication is even more prone to misunderstanding. Can we be conscious of this language dynamics of what one says & means and what other understands? Can we bring probabilistic language in our habit? Can we bring to awareness the prospect that we misunderstand & we are misunderstood?

• Behavioural consequences of our language and Perspective: All of us react to events, people and circumstances automatically. We can have conditioned response but automatic mode is quite powerful and at times needed. Different language and perspectives guide our behaviour which itself triggers behaviour of others and so on. Can we pause for better abstraction of what is happening around us before behaving.   

• Learning from experience & applying what we learn: We can learn from our own experiences, from others’ experiences. Language provides the means by which to assess and articulate our learning. Therefore the quality of our knowledge—how and what we learn—is dependent on the quality of our language behaviors and our evaluative judgments that guide our behaviors. Do we talk what we know and do we do what we know? Are we conscious about our learning and its application?

This orientation is mainly guided by synthesis of Mindfulness”, “Scientific temper” and “General Semantics”.  It’s an orientation which respects Non-Aristotelien premise forwared by Alfred Korzybsky which can be summarised in following three statements - (a) A map is not the territory - {Non-identity} (b) A map covers not all the territory - {Non-Allness} & (c) Map of maps condense the territory - {Self-Reflexiveness} & Buddha’s advice of “Pause & Silence”.

In short this is “Double Arrowed Attention” i.e. one arrow watching ourself and other arrow pointed outside.

My day job is “Allocation of Capital” but everything else and the job depends on how successful I am on “Allocation of Attention”.

It is a journey which has a lot of meaning to me and I am open to learn from anyone who shows me light!