Promoting a Productive Mind in an Era of Disjointed Political Directions

This is one of my shorter blogs as the method of promoting a productive mind in an era of disjointed political directions, is well, rather simple; When watching election coverage or reading a post from a Facebook friend, identify the material as associated with a conspiracy.  I don’t mean propaganda in the traditional sense, I mean mustache twirling conspiracies.

Eric R. Weinstein, an American mathematician, and economist wrote on conspiracy theory: “All smart people are conspiracy theorists.”   Before taking this out of context, using Weinstein’s words to promote the idea that the Bush family and Margaret Thatcher are shape-shifting alien reptiles, hear the stipulation connected to this claim:

Take the position of saying, even if just to yourself; this is what I really think is true; that Margaret Thatcher is an alien reptile.  Now put on a different hat and steelman the counter argument on plausibility.  Develop enough self-authorship of your mind to explore things that might be nutty and then do the editing to see whether or not you achieved something in the nutty state.   And then go back and forth.  Camp and decamp.

When you don’t camp and decamp, your mind is not solving problems.  The tension between these modules in the mind creates productive thinking.  Temporary suspension of rationality is sometimes needed to achieve mental progress.

Now apply the method to contemporary events concerning possible political outcomes, example: Sean Hannity recently said:  “If in 96 days Trump loses this election, I am pointing the finger directly at people like Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham and John McCain.”

1.       The initial reaction to that statement would be; False, if in 96 days Trump loses he has no one to blame but his own odd behavior.
2.             Embrace the statement (a.k.a conspiracy to use Weinstein’s terms).  If I think like a hyperpartisan political contributor; it makes perfect logic to voice this statement.  Because if everyone in the party unified behind Trump, this re-assurance will pull undecided voters over. 
3.       Third, look at our own nutty mind from step two, self-edit and ask did we achieve any new knowledge?  I’ll conclude that yes we did achieve new knowledge; that it is perfectly rational for Hannity to make this statement.  However, in our editing, it is hard not to think of the children’s tale “The Emperor’s New Clothes.”  Without Paul Ryan and John McCain, who will tell the Emperor he has no clothes?