Mankind. Multi faceted domesticated apes. Caged sheople. Working class drone. The ninety seven percent of the human race that works for a living. Semi educated to grad level intelligent human.
There is a crowd. There are people. Within this group of people there are patterns. Like fingerprints, every person is unique in their own way...but there are patterns within groups of unique individuals. People act like people. Knowing these patterns gives a degree of power to the knower of those patterns, in that products and services can be created to cater to these patterns.
A thinking person will often recognize these patterns in themselves, and be grateful for the availability of choice in which their own pattern of existence can be made more comfortable.
A non thinking person will unknowingly to themselves, recognize these patterns and purchase products and services that cater to those patterns in themselves, making life more comfortable for them.
The similarities in these two scenarios is obvious. The thinking person has chosen based on recognition of a choice, and the non thinking person has chosen based on the recognition of a choice. The important difference is that one chose it consciously, and the other had it chosen for themselves subconsciously.
You may ask why this is important, but think about it. That is the edge a company needs to predict what you might want, and then provide that to you for a fee.
If you know what patterns within you that tend to be catered to, you cater to them yourself. Relatively free of charge.
Sheople prefer to pay for it.
learning
Let me say it another way.
Learning and thinking is work. Most people learn when they are forced to, and then stop when they are not forced to. A relatively small percentage of people find learning to be fun.
Take traffic patterns as just one example. Once someone has found a route to their destination (such as in commuting to work), they stick to that route. No matter how bad the conditions are. These people spend 2 or 3 hours a day going to an 8 hour job. They won't look for another way to get to their job, because that would require learning.
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Most people feel that everyone is entitled to their opinion.
don't watch telly
*
I gave up television and most movies and novels
years ago- I find that reading poetry helps,
you hear the music and patterns even if you do
not understand the structures.
when walking, people walk in front of me and cut me off.
i though it was rudeness, but they are so caught up in
problems and lack of sleep that they don't see.
thats why kids are fun ,they notice and respond to
everything, though there are drawbacks to a child
like state.
no-one takes ye seriously.
there is treasure in the old book shops and libraries.
brightly coloured book covers put me off.
it takes a while too- to learn not to judge them by
covers.
:-)
C
books
Not that this has much to do with your post C, maybe just a little.
When I go to a bookstore (yes I read books), and look for Science Fiction. 90% of what I see is Fantasy.
It bothers me, that people don't know the difference.
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Life is a sexually transmitted disease with 100% mortality.
C
*
Have ye read the Doris Lessing Space fictions?
I am not sure about sci-fi, cos have not read much
though much medieval lore has a sci-fi (ish root)
its the world-view and the respect for what is not
understood or rationalised.