Get an EDGE

Hello,

It's not often that I think David Brooks of the New York Times has something worth discussing. However, I will give the man considerable credit for his insightful opinion piece about the recent EDGE symposium.

The concept of the EDGE symposium is simple.
1. Provide a compelling question.
2. Draw on as many different thinkers as possible.

This year's question was proposed by Stephen Pinker: "What scientific concept would improve our cognitive tools?"

The results were fabulous. Here are a few results:

Evgeny Morozov, the author of “The Net Delusion,” nominated the Einstellung Effect, the idea that we often try to solve problems by using solutions that worked in the past instead of looking at each situation on its own terms. This effect is especially powerful in foreign affairs, where each new conflict is viewed through the prism of Vietnam or Munich or the cold war or Iraq.

Daniel Kahneman of Princeton University writes about the Focusing Illusion, which holds that “nothing in life is as important as you think it is while you are thinking about it.” He continues: “Education is an important determinant of income — one of the most important — but it is less important than most people think. If everyone had the same education, the inequality of income would be reduced by less than 10 percent. When you focus on education you neglect the myriad of other factors that determine income. The differences of income among people who have the same education are huge.

Stay inspired!

Cheers,
Maurice
Voice One Oy
www.voiceone.fi