Philip Chard's Out of My Mind column is sponsored by AllWriters' Workplace & Workshop, which offers online classes in all genres and abilities of creative writing, as well as coaching and editing services. You can read past columns here.
In the iconic Star Trek series, two characters—Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock—exemplify the contrast between relying on gut feelings versus factual analysis. Kirk was the fiery “because it feels right” leader, while Spock tempered this shoot-from-the-hip style with calm doses of “logic suggests.”
As evidenced by our political divide over how to address the coronavirus pandemic, these two different mindsets often spark conflict; not just hateful wars of words, but also physical violence. To be sure, Kirk and Spock had their disagreements, yet they managed to do so with mutual respect. While fictional, their collaboration demonstrated how intuition and logic need not be mortal enemies. To the contrary, when it comes to tough choices, working together, each characteristic can increase the probability of making the right call.
Unfortunately, in our body politic, gut feelings and critical thinking rarely work in tandem. In isolation, Kirk’s from-the-gut approach becomes the tyranny of personal opinion. Similarly, devoid of empathy or intuition, Spock’s terse factual analysis grows untethered to the human (or Vulcan) impact of decisions.
‘Because I Said So’
In the absence of factual evidence, billions of individual opinions, each with its own idiosyncratic version of reality, constitute an invitation to anarchy. “Because I said so” thinking arises from fear, anger and feckless closed-mindedness. Left to its own devices, this aspect of human nature can run amok, generating hatred, racism, sexism, harassment and, too often, physical violence. During our pandemic, it fosters delusional thinking along the lines of “I know I’m right because I know I’m right.” This cat-chasing-its-tail rationalization has no factual foundation. It relies entirely on one’s biases and anecdotal experiences; two narrow and untethered perspectives devoid of fact-checking.
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Humanity is bedeviled with despots, extremists, unhinged political pundits, conspiracy mongers and garden variety ideologues who just know they are right, and the facts be damned. We often say, “You’re entitled to your own opinion,” and we are. And, clearly, many who cling to their personal biases despite countervailing facts prove harmless, content to live and let live. However, attempting to forcefully impose one’s personal point of view on others when it rests solely on . . . well, one’s personal point of view . . . is standard operating procedure for haters, true believers and tyrants.
On the flip side, some just-the-facts types summarily dismiss the possibility that intuition might sometimes get it right, including in the absence of supporting evidence. Even scientists rely on epiphanies and leaps of imagination to solve complex problems that defy critical analysis. This was true for Einstein in his efforts to unravel general relativity, among the greatest scientific achievements of the modern era. What’s more, some data geeks become so immersed in statistics they forget to consider the human impact of their ideas, elevating head too far over heart.
There is both historical and scientific evidence that, during times of contagion, many of us revert to our personal biases in making decisions and forming opinions. Often, thinking becomes anecdotal in nature (e.g., “It worked for me, so it will work for everyone”). The greater the level of threat we perceive, the more this tendency escalates, which does not bode well in our current circumstances.
Let’s face it. Most of us like being right, which underpins the war on science by climate change deniers and pandemic minimizers. However, true scientists find value in being wrong, knowing that mistakes, while unflattering, often lead to greater knowledge. In contrast, fact-starved ideologues often feel threatened by information that contradicts their beliefs, believing their self-esteem is on the line. Confirmation bias (“Only tell me what I want to hear”) sets in, the mind locks down and no amount of evidence can reopen it.
So, yes, I listen to the Spock types out there, like Dr. Fauci, but not just because he knows the science. Like Captain Kirk, he also displays from-the-gut sensibilities. He feels for people, demonstrates humility not hubris, and, on occasion, plays his hunches.
In these troubled times, I wish both Spock and Kirk were standing together at the helm of our ship of state, helping us boldly go where none of us have gone before.
For more, visit philipchard.com.
Philip Chard's Out of My Mind column is sponsored by AllWriters' Workplace & Workshop, which offers online classes in all genres and abilities of creative writing, as well as coaching and editing services. You can read past columns here.
