I surf in the ocean. There are sharks in the ocean.
A frequent consequence of these two facts is that I am often asked the following question: Aren't you scared of sharks? The short answer to this question is: Yes, but its so much fun that I surf anyway. The long answer is a bit more interesting.
Sharks kill 5 people annually. More people die from eating shark than those that die from being eaten by a shark. Falling vending machines kill 13 people annually. Four hundred and fifty people die annually in the US from falling out of bed. Texting while driving kills thousands per year.
People, myself included, are generally extremely bad at assessing the probability of something occurring. We tend to over-estimate the probability of something bad happening. A consequence of this phenomenon is that we can end up being afraid of the wrong things. The risk of being attacked by a shark is so small that it is barely worth worrying about. In fact, the stress caused by your shark induced worrying is more likely to kill you than an actual shark. We should be far more concerned and fearful of more mundane things. That doughnut you get with your coffee. The long, stressful hours at work. These are the things that should keep us awake at night. Not sharks. Although, I suspect that a horror movie featuring a zombie doughnut may not achieve much box office success.
Scientists and physicists are far more familiar with the concepts of probability and risk than most of us. One tool in their arsenal is the concept of the likely reward measured against the probability weighted cost. Risk vs reward. Driving my car gives me negligible levels of enjoyment. Statistically it is extremely dangerous, yet I partake in this risky behaviour every day. The reward of a bag of chips is rather severely outweighed by the probability that the vending machine will fall on me.
A final point is this. If we don't participate in activities that bring huge amounts of joy with minimal levels of risk, can we really say we have lived at all? After all, life is a fatal condition.
Wednesday, 26 June 2013
Wednesday, 19 June 2013
The trouble with choosing
At the end of the year, if all goes well, I will graduate from university. I will venture into the big, wide world and try to find some sort of career. However, I am having a lot of difficulty making a decision about what I would like to begin my working life with. When I reach out to friends and family for advice, the responses I receive in return are falling into broadly two categories. While both categories of advice are sort of helpful, neither are completely satisfactory. Worryingly, neither have helped me take much action concerning my career. I hope that this post will deliver the pinch of salt that I have found is required for either of these sets of advice to be of much use to you.
The first set of advice falls into the lack of self knowledge category. As Penelope Trunk mentions, career choices are actually choices of identity. By choosing a certain career, you are in some way defining a part of you. You are planting your metaphorical flag in the land of Lawyer or Doctor or whatever. The reasoning goes that since this is a fairly big deal, you should do some soul searching before categorising yourself. In other words, if you don't really know what you want you cant go and get it. Unfortunately, soul searching is a never ending pursuit. Do we ever fully know ourselves? Also, the self is always changing. Whenever this happens you would need to re-evaluate your choice. This is rather tiring and time consuming. This method of career selection requires that after some period of soul searching you come out of your mental isolation and declare to the world: I am an Engineer. However, this has such a sense of finality and importance that I shy away from making such a proclamation. The other problem is that there may be multiple jobs that could satisfy the true self hiding within me. If this is the case then making a choice between these attractive futures would still be incredibly difficult. Obviously a certain amount of self knowledge is helpful when making career decisions, but when is enough?
The second set of advice is of the "more is better" variety. I have always been advised to keep as many career options open as possible. To a large extent I agree with this technique, especially given my wide stable of interests. When it comes to job hunting however, a multitude of paths is becoming an impediment to action. While it is wonderful to have a lot of choice, it is also debilitating. For all I know, I may actually have far fewer options than I realise, but when we perceive that there are many options available it is very difficult to make a decision. This is a case of too much of a good thing. Those dispensing career advice often have a belief that more choice results in a happier you. However, as the psychologist Barry Schwartz argues, in many situations a large amount of choice actually makes people unhappier. This phenomenon is referred to as the paradox of choice. One illustration of this paradox in action involved a company's retirement scheme . The study found that for every additional 10 retirement fund options made available to employees by a company; the rate of employee participation in any retirement scheme went down. More choice made people participate less. The employees found it so difficult to make a decision that they didn't make any decision at all. I am finding a similar phenomenon occurs in my job hunt. I get so overwhelmed that I choose to do nothing at all.
Another finding from Schwartz's studies illustrates a further problem with the "more is better" advice. Even when we manage to make a decision, his studies find that people are less satisfied than when they make a decision in an environment of less choice. One reason he proposes for this phenomenon is that the more options there are, the more we believe that the perfectly outcome is possible.With a large number of choices, we expect perfection. If the reality does not match that expectation, we are dissatisfied. The pool of available careers has ballooned in recent years. No longer is there the choice between a lawyer, doctor or engineer of our parents' generation. One result of this increased variety is that we expect the perfect job to be out there. Dissatisfaction arises when reality does not achieve perfection.
Finally, there is the issue of blame. When you don't have many choices and the outcome is unsatisfactory; you can blame others. The world presented you with too few options and you made the best out of a bad situation. However, when you are in a decision rich environment and the outcome is unsatisfactory, who can you blame? Only yourself. You should have chosen better. This contributes to your disappointment both in the outcome and in yourself when a job is not to your liking. Schwartz found that people will be disappointed with the result, even when the outcome is objectively good, because their expectations are so high. When the reality does not meet these high expectations, they blame themselves for not achieving what they wanted.
Both types of advice do have some merit, but I feel that the implications of this sort of advice are often not verbalised. What do I recommend? I am still working on that.... One possibility may lie in arbitrarily limiting the options available to me. As Barry Schwartz says: "Everybody needs a fishbowl." Or maybe I just need to force myself to make a decision, any decision and see what happens. I can always change jobs. Having an actual job would also help me identify what I would like in the ideal job. Some structure and contact with regular working people may do me some good. I will let you know if I come up with any better ideas.
The first set of advice falls into the lack of self knowledge category. As Penelope Trunk mentions, career choices are actually choices of identity. By choosing a certain career, you are in some way defining a part of you. You are planting your metaphorical flag in the land of Lawyer or Doctor or whatever. The reasoning goes that since this is a fairly big deal, you should do some soul searching before categorising yourself. In other words, if you don't really know what you want you cant go and get it. Unfortunately, soul searching is a never ending pursuit. Do we ever fully know ourselves? Also, the self is always changing. Whenever this happens you would need to re-evaluate your choice. This is rather tiring and time consuming. This method of career selection requires that after some period of soul searching you come out of your mental isolation and declare to the world: I am an Engineer. However, this has such a sense of finality and importance that I shy away from making such a proclamation. The other problem is that there may be multiple jobs that could satisfy the true self hiding within me. If this is the case then making a choice between these attractive futures would still be incredibly difficult. Obviously a certain amount of self knowledge is helpful when making career decisions, but when is enough?
The second set of advice is of the "more is better" variety. I have always been advised to keep as many career options open as possible. To a large extent I agree with this technique, especially given my wide stable of interests. When it comes to job hunting however, a multitude of paths is becoming an impediment to action. While it is wonderful to have a lot of choice, it is also debilitating. For all I know, I may actually have far fewer options than I realise, but when we perceive that there are many options available it is very difficult to make a decision. This is a case of too much of a good thing. Those dispensing career advice often have a belief that more choice results in a happier you. However, as the psychologist Barry Schwartz argues, in many situations a large amount of choice actually makes people unhappier. This phenomenon is referred to as the paradox of choice. One illustration of this paradox in action involved a company's retirement scheme . The study found that for every additional 10 retirement fund options made available to employees by a company; the rate of employee participation in any retirement scheme went down. More choice made people participate less. The employees found it so difficult to make a decision that they didn't make any decision at all. I am finding a similar phenomenon occurs in my job hunt. I get so overwhelmed that I choose to do nothing at all.
Another finding from Schwartz's studies illustrates a further problem with the "more is better" advice. Even when we manage to make a decision, his studies find that people are less satisfied than when they make a decision in an environment of less choice. One reason he proposes for this phenomenon is that the more options there are, the more we believe that the perfectly outcome is possible.With a large number of choices, we expect perfection. If the reality does not match that expectation, we are dissatisfied. The pool of available careers has ballooned in recent years. No longer is there the choice between a lawyer, doctor or engineer of our parents' generation. One result of this increased variety is that we expect the perfect job to be out there. Dissatisfaction arises when reality does not achieve perfection.
Finally, there is the issue of blame. When you don't have many choices and the outcome is unsatisfactory; you can blame others. The world presented you with too few options and you made the best out of a bad situation. However, when you are in a decision rich environment and the outcome is unsatisfactory, who can you blame? Only yourself. You should have chosen better. This contributes to your disappointment both in the outcome and in yourself when a job is not to your liking. Schwartz found that people will be disappointed with the result, even when the outcome is objectively good, because their expectations are so high. When the reality does not meet these high expectations, they blame themselves for not achieving what they wanted.
Both types of advice do have some merit, but I feel that the implications of this sort of advice are often not verbalised. What do I recommend? I am still working on that.... One possibility may lie in arbitrarily limiting the options available to me. As Barry Schwartz says: "Everybody needs a fishbowl." Or maybe I just need to force myself to make a decision, any decision and see what happens. I can always change jobs. Having an actual job would also help me identify what I would like in the ideal job. Some structure and contact with regular working people may do me some good. I will let you know if I come up with any better ideas.
Friday, 14 June 2013
E.T phone home
From the 18th June, you can send text messages and pictures to aliens. Yes, a company is offering to beam your messages to a planet suspected to be capable of sustaining life. This planet is 17.6 light years from earth. The company, lonesignal, expects users to pay between one and 100 dollars to send their completely uncensored messages to the unsuspecting aliens.
What sort of message should one send to lifeforms that may be completely different than us, both physically and mentally? Moreover, what will these aliens think of Earth's unfiltered stream of 9gag photos? Or of shoutouts to the people you shared breakfast with?
If these messages find intelligent lifeforms, will they think we are intelligent? They may choose to simply stay away from Earth....
What sort of message should one send to lifeforms that may be completely different than us, both physically and mentally? Moreover, what will these aliens think of Earth's unfiltered stream of 9gag photos? Or of shoutouts to the people you shared breakfast with?
If these messages find intelligent lifeforms, will they think we are intelligent? They may choose to simply stay away from Earth....
The pursuit of imperfection
I want a baby - a lensbaby.
For those of you who have not heard of this product before, it is a lens attachment for your SLR camera. It is an attachment that allows your camera to perform worse. Yes, worse.
Modern digital cameras are marvels of engineering and are able to record extremely clear images under a massive variety of conditions. In many ways they outperform the human eye, one of evolution's masterpieces. However, a side effect of this perfection is that the activity of taking photographs acquired an extremely serious tone; at least for me. The amazing capabilities of my device created an expectation in my mind that nothing less than perfect photographs was acceptable. As a result, a pleasurable activity sometimes became far too serious and cold and staid for my liking. What I find interesting about lensbabies is the chance to use lenses that are cheap and of inferior quality to the original lenses that came with the camera. However, these imperfect devices bring back a measure of fun, experimentation and to some degree; frivolity to my photography. You feel more inclined to search for weird effects and experiment because it is expected that your photograph will not be perfect. In short, perfect can be boring.
Now-days, many objects and experiences are hyper engineered. Considerable time and resources have been invested in the next consumer product, holiday or presentation. The result is sometimes an experience or product that meets a desire in the customer at the fundamental level. However, in a lot of cases, the perfection that has been achieved lacks character, feeling and a connection with the customer. I would argue that on these occasions, perfection can be a drawback.
Clowns and acrobats know exactly what they are doing when they feint a fall, pretend to drop something or fake forgetting their lines. These deliberate mistakes build a connection with the audience and remind one of the difficulty intrinsic to the tasks being performed. I feel that the warmth and character of old buildings as opposed to modern ones owes a lot to the mistakes, impracticality and individuality of the structures. Some of the desire for retro objects may stem from a longing for imperfect but relate-able objects and experiences.
What holds for objects and experiences can also apply to some degree to people too. Don't worry so much about having perfect hair, perfect mannerisms and perfect clothes. Sometimes it is that character flaw or nose that is too big that allows those around you to connect and empathise with you.
Go forth on your imperfect path, you amazing creature.
For those of you who have not heard of this product before, it is a lens attachment for your SLR camera. It is an attachment that allows your camera to perform worse. Yes, worse.
Modern digital cameras are marvels of engineering and are able to record extremely clear images under a massive variety of conditions. In many ways they outperform the human eye, one of evolution's masterpieces. However, a side effect of this perfection is that the activity of taking photographs acquired an extremely serious tone; at least for me. The amazing capabilities of my device created an expectation in my mind that nothing less than perfect photographs was acceptable. As a result, a pleasurable activity sometimes became far too serious and cold and staid for my liking. What I find interesting about lensbabies is the chance to use lenses that are cheap and of inferior quality to the original lenses that came with the camera. However, these imperfect devices bring back a measure of fun, experimentation and to some degree; frivolity to my photography. You feel more inclined to search for weird effects and experiment because it is expected that your photograph will not be perfect. In short, perfect can be boring.
Now-days, many objects and experiences are hyper engineered. Considerable time and resources have been invested in the next consumer product, holiday or presentation. The result is sometimes an experience or product that meets a desire in the customer at the fundamental level. However, in a lot of cases, the perfection that has been achieved lacks character, feeling and a connection with the customer. I would argue that on these occasions, perfection can be a drawback.
Clowns and acrobats know exactly what they are doing when they feint a fall, pretend to drop something or fake forgetting their lines. These deliberate mistakes build a connection with the audience and remind one of the difficulty intrinsic to the tasks being performed. I feel that the warmth and character of old buildings as opposed to modern ones owes a lot to the mistakes, impracticality and individuality of the structures. Some of the desire for retro objects may stem from a longing for imperfect but relate-able objects and experiences.
What holds for objects and experiences can also apply to some degree to people too. Don't worry so much about having perfect hair, perfect mannerisms and perfect clothes. Sometimes it is that character flaw or nose that is too big that allows those around you to connect and empathise with you.
Go forth on your imperfect path, you amazing creature.
Wednesday, 12 June 2013
The tyranny of stuff
My bedroom was a mess. In my defence, I have just come through a busy exam period; during which cleaning the room felt too much like procrastination. As I started to clean away the detritus of the three week study session I caught a potent virus - spring cleaning fever. Sure enough, the post-study cleanup blossomed into a full scale sorting operation.
As I began to clear out files with notes from high-school history and the like, I was struck by the thought that it is so much easier to keep a room clean and orderly if there is less in it! Now, I am a magpie and I do not advocate the minimalist look of a sparse white cube and a bed for a bedroom. However, we are frequently held hostage by the items we acquire. We feel the emotional impact of a chaotic room, or we cant be bothered to move because we have too much stuff or we cant find that favourite shirt under the pile of unworn clothes. The incessant accumulation of possessions takes its toll financially, environmentally and emotionally.
It felt rather liberating to get rid of so much unnecessary stuff and de-clutter the room and my experience within it. My clean up wasn't perfect, but I feel that as I warm to the process of simplifying my living spaces I will become better at discarding unwanted and unneeded items. As Graham Hill mentions each cubic meter of space or object that you own means more to clean, heat, cool, insure and move. Having less reduces the complexity in your life and can allow you to focus more on what really matters. If you feel like joining me on this journey of editing your life, a website which may prove helpful is Hill's lifeedited.com .
What I feel is valuable about this process is not getting rid of everything or denying yourself that leather jacket you want. The life editing philosophy is more about identifying what you truly want and which of your possessions give you genuine satisfaction and dumping the rest. It is also about realising that objects can have a profound impact on our lives, both in the earning of money so we can afford them and the managing of these hoards. Who knows, maybe you will be able to afford that holiday if you don't buy the latest smartphone and use an older version. If you decide you really do want the phone, then good for you. Just be aware of the cost, in the widest sense, of your purchase. My advice: If you haven't used it in a year - toss it!
As I began to clear out files with notes from high-school history and the like, I was struck by the thought that it is so much easier to keep a room clean and orderly if there is less in it! Now, I am a magpie and I do not advocate the minimalist look of a sparse white cube and a bed for a bedroom. However, we are frequently held hostage by the items we acquire. We feel the emotional impact of a chaotic room, or we cant be bothered to move because we have too much stuff or we cant find that favourite shirt under the pile of unworn clothes. The incessant accumulation of possessions takes its toll financially, environmentally and emotionally.
It felt rather liberating to get rid of so much unnecessary stuff and de-clutter the room and my experience within it. My clean up wasn't perfect, but I feel that as I warm to the process of simplifying my living spaces I will become better at discarding unwanted and unneeded items. As Graham Hill mentions each cubic meter of space or object that you own means more to clean, heat, cool, insure and move. Having less reduces the complexity in your life and can allow you to focus more on what really matters. If you feel like joining me on this journey of editing your life, a website which may prove helpful is Hill's lifeedited.com .
What I feel is valuable about this process is not getting rid of everything or denying yourself that leather jacket you want. The life editing philosophy is more about identifying what you truly want and which of your possessions give you genuine satisfaction and dumping the rest. It is also about realising that objects can have a profound impact on our lives, both in the earning of money so we can afford them and the managing of these hoards. Who knows, maybe you will be able to afford that holiday if you don't buy the latest smartphone and use an older version. If you decide you really do want the phone, then good for you. Just be aware of the cost, in the widest sense, of your purchase. My advice: If you haven't used it in a year - toss it!
Saturday, 9 March 2013
The appeal of detox
People frequently mention that they are embarking on a detox in an attempt to improve their health. The basic premise of this concept is that a certain diet will allow the "toxins" in our bodies to be flushed out and our health will benefit as a result. According to medical writers, such as Ben Goldacre, the concept of detox does not gel with basic human physiology. Eating unhealthy foods is bad for you, however, unhealthy foods do not leave behind some sort of "toxin" that can be flushed out later. Goldacre argues that the idea of physical detox is a cultural one, since it does not belong in the realm of science.
However, there is a train of thought related to the concept of detox, that does seem worth exploring. The idea is that what we consume can have a bearing on our quality of life. I am thinking of this more in a mental sense. Humans have a limited attention span. Therefore, we must necessarily choose what to focus our attention on. I feel that the quality and nature of information that you absorb affects your thoughts. If you want to be more creative, have more varied and unusual experiences. If you want to be less depressed, hang out with happy people. "Garbage in, garbage out" definitely applies here.
Many people seem to obsess over healthy eating and what their body consumes. Maybe it is time people take the same care with what their mind consumes.
However, there is a train of thought related to the concept of detox, that does seem worth exploring. The idea is that what we consume can have a bearing on our quality of life. I am thinking of this more in a mental sense. Humans have a limited attention span. Therefore, we must necessarily choose what to focus our attention on. I feel that the quality and nature of information that you absorb affects your thoughts. If you want to be more creative, have more varied and unusual experiences. If you want to be less depressed, hang out with happy people. "Garbage in, garbage out" definitely applies here.
Many people seem to obsess over healthy eating and what their body consumes. Maybe it is time people take the same care with what their mind consumes.
Wednesday, 20 February 2013
The benefits of friends
A recent study has found that the quality and quantity of your social life can have a large effect your health. The study, Social Relationships and Mortality Risk, is a meta-analysis of 148 published studies looking at the topic of the health effects of one's social relationships.
The analysis found that the influence of one's social interactions affects your risk of mortality to a degree that is comparable to other well established risk factors. In other words, poor social interaction has an equivalent effect on your chance of dying as smoking 15 cigarettes per day. Poor social relationships are twice as risky, health wise, than being obese.
In short, make great friends - quickly!
However, the benefits one gains from high quality friends extends beyond better health. Friends also expose you to ideas and places that you would not otherwise experience. Not to mention the intrinsic joy of spending time with friends and loved ones.
Unfortunately, the road to acquiring these friends is less clear. I have yet to find a decent book or website addressing the matter. It is certainly a topic that is worthy of some thought.
The analysis found that the influence of one's social interactions affects your risk of mortality to a degree that is comparable to other well established risk factors. In other words, poor social interaction has an equivalent effect on your chance of dying as smoking 15 cigarettes per day. Poor social relationships are twice as risky, health wise, than being obese.
In short, make great friends - quickly!
However, the benefits one gains from high quality friends extends beyond better health. Friends also expose you to ideas and places that you would not otherwise experience. Not to mention the intrinsic joy of spending time with friends and loved ones.
Unfortunately, the road to acquiring these friends is less clear. I have yet to find a decent book or website addressing the matter. It is certainly a topic that is worthy of some thought.
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