On Try, Try and Try Again
Life Lessons, Truthiness Comments (3)
The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.– Abraham Lincoln
I’ve always asked a question to myself; who was the second person to try blowfish? I mean, after the first person fell dead convulsing, did the other person just shrug and say: “It can’t happen to me?” This question goes fundamentally to the curiosity of the Human Race, and our ability to rationalize anything away.
This self delusion has a name, naturally. It’s called cognitive dissonance and has actually been demonstrated in monkeys, humans and well, alot of other creatures. We lie to ourselves, we convince ourselves something happened (or didn’t happen) despite the evidence and we use it to overlook the faults of other. Some of you will recognize this last in others, or why you hate your friends significant other while they are “in love.”
We’ve seen this in a story before, aka, sour grapes. The story of the fox who wanted some grapes and after trying all he could to get them, finally stated :”they were probably sour anyway.” This makes us feel good about ourselves, but why would it help with choices that are clearly life and death? After all, if someone takes a sip of pineapple juice then falls over dead, who takes the other sip?
Which brings me to another part of the crazy human rationalizing: Shared pain. Ever notice when someone taste something bad they gag, spit it up, and then offer you some! What rational is behind this cannot fully be explained by cognitive dissonance but it can be explained by the laugher afterward and the newly shared bond in telling the stories that accompany the subsequent re-tellings.
Still, back to the question, for it is one of human curiosity and ability to keep going over adversary and rational choice. Why do we play the lotto after losing 18 in a row? why will , “one more try.” keep us going, and the odds, 100,000 to 1 mean we have “good chances” compared to the 200,000 to 1 game? Humans seem to exist in a place where wishful thoughts and reality collide. Yet somehow, we can prepare blowfish.
I wonder who was the third guy?
OceansOfThought @ May 29, 2008
I think that cognitive dissonance is what caused me to remain with my (now ex-) husband as long as I did (10 years-yikes). sometimes it’s nearly impossible to believe that one actually sees what one perceives…and sometimes it’s far less painful (at least in the short term) just to ignore it and hope it goes away. somehow I doubt this is uncommon.
on an semi-related note, I’ve always wondered who first thougth it was a good idea to crack open a coconut (a hard, hairy orb) or slice a pineapple (mmm…spikey). Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad someone was brave, but I can’t help but wonder, “what were they thinking?”
and finally, on an almost completely un-related note, I have a short story about my favorite monkey group behavior study. six monkeys are put into a cage containing a ramp with a pull cord at the top of the ramp. after a few minutes, the curiosity of one of the monkeys gets the better of him, and he climbs the ramp to pull the cord. as soon as he does, a jet stream of icy water sprays the monkey collective. after a while a second monkey does the same thing, and the group is sprayed again. it doesn’t take long before the needs of the group start to take over, and the monkeys gang up on anyone approaching the ramp so he won’t pull the cord. one monkey is removed from the group, and is replaced with a fresh monkey, who of course is interested in the ramp and the cord until the others start beating him. each of the remaining five orignal monkeys are subsequently removed and replaced, so in the end none of the caged monkeys have been sprayed by the icy water, but in turn will join the group beating when another newcomber is introduced and tempted by the ramp and cord. it’s entirely possible that they have no idea why they are beating him, it’s just “the way we’ve always done things”.
Interesting isn’t it, why we do things. AT work when someone new is hired, i take great pains in explaining why we do the things we do. Not all places or departments are this way of course. It’s funny to see people in our accounting department explain to someone outside of it a function on their computer. They only speak in menu’s and keys pressed, because they have no idea what other things mean, and worse, sometimes, don’t care to.
[…] Blow fish: Who’s the second person to try this? If you don’t know, blow fish has a deadly nerve toxin. I bet the first person didn’t know that. Or the second, but really, how hungry do you have to be to keep trying to eat the damn thing? Sure, put it on your spear and stab someone. However…, eat it? Really?! […]