Thread by @DrewCoffman

Reading ‘The Knowledge Illusion’, a book which tackles a fundamental paradox:

“The human mind is both genius and pathetic, brilliant and idiotic.”

We think of the mind as a computer, but it’s nothing like one. Computers, focused on saving and loading information, are rigid. The human mind (which stores little) is flexible and focused on solving problems.

A better metaphor: The brain is a bee and society is a beehive.

The human mind rarely FULLY understand anything. Here’s what you would need in-depth knowledge of in order to understand a toilet:

- Mechanics
- Ceramics, metal, plastic
- Chemistry
- Anatomy
- Economics

We can’t master everything, but we live under the illusion of knowing.

We all have areas in which we’re the expert — but for everything else, we simply connect abstract bits of information and intuit our way forward.

Driving is a great example of this. We don’t have to understand cars in order to drive them — though maybe we should!!

So why do we think in the first place?

In order to ACT! Our minds use knowledge and reasoning to determine if an action seems good or not. We extract what we need out of the systems of the world and make decisions, for better or worse — and sometimes it’s for worse!

When someone starts a conversation with you, your brain focuses not on what they’re saying but how you’re going to RESPOND. Your mind extracts what you THINK they’re saying and HOW they’re saying it while discarding the actual words just said.

That’s…kind of crazy 😅

I read this and thought “reply or quote tweet?”

https://twitter.com/ocell/status/1350916469861847054

We’re able to live under the ‘illusion of knowing’ because, thankfully, SOMEBODY usually has the knowledge we need! When your toilet clogs, you call a plumber.

Our minds aren’t machines on an assembly line, we’re ‘bees’ aware of each other and the roles we can play.