Visions of Generalizations

When I look I rarely see you, I see history. Not your history, but the cumulative acquired experiences and perceptions of my lifetime. Tattoos? Your poor parents! A Bible? Oh God, don't get me started! A middle-aged dude in a 'Vette? BWA HA HA HA HA HA! Brown skin, pink skin, yellow skin, black skin, who did who in the what with a huh in the here?

As we do so, we recognize patterns and lean on them rather than having to rediscover each concept every time we want a Klondike Bar or a slug of Pepto Bismal. Expediency counts and generalizations make it easier.

While passing through The Now (rather than being in it), we paint pictures and tell stories in our heads to give meaning and warnings if needed and to retain our momentum; the last time you made that face, wore that dress, had that twinkle in your eye, scowled like my grandmother... nice legs, close-set eyes, big flabby meat wings, grimy fingernails, shiny watch, mesh-back truckers' hat, overbite, bed head, designer label, big tiny penis truck, luxury automobile, screaming kids, Trumper sticker, Biden decal, dirty feet, extra-humungous Yoga pants, everything we see we judge. It is an intrinsic survival skill of human beings; The Law of Generalizations. It kept us safe as we evolved. It continues to do so, but it also keeps us fearful, arrogant, and isolated. We don't really see too often, at least not with the eyes of a child, the wonder of a new heart, or a truly open mind. Plato said, "The unexamined life is not worth living."


"It's a flower."

"Yes, but tell me about this flower."


Prejudice is Generalization's ugly cousin.

generalize

[ jen-er-uh-lahyz ]

verb (used with object), gen·er·al·ized, gen·er·al·iz·ing.

to infer (a general principle, trend, etc.) from particular facts, statistics, or the like.

to infer or form (a general principle, opinion, conclusion, etc.) from only a few facts, examples, or the like.

to give a general rather than a specific or special character or form to.

to make general; bring into general use or knowledge.

verb (used without object), gen·er·al·ized, gen·er·al·iz·ing.

to form general principles, opinions, etc.

to deal, think, or speak in generalities.

to make general inferences.

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/generalize

Generalization is the foundation of learning. It builds great wisdom and entrenches ponderous ignorance. We have to comprehend a hundred gazillion things to be able to even conceive, for instance, leaving a room, such as;

self

room

in

out

enter

exit

motion

rising

walking

reaching

twisting

pushing

pulling

door

doorknob

etc

ad nauseum


Remember: No generalization is worth a damn, including this one.

"Ohm"

#generalizations #visions