Understanding The Matter with Things Dialogues Episode 18: Ch. 18 The untimely demise of intuition

[@montyoxymoron4704]

I’m finding this is happening even in nursing. I am (or perhaps was, as I find it too stressful to work just now) a psychiatric nurse and my observation is that we are under increasing scrutiny and being measured more and more by our adherence to detailed “policies and procedures” and what is called “evidence based practice” by which our work is measured and evaluated, so we are being required to emulate the “perfection” of the machines. AI is increasingly used to flag up tasks that must be completed within a timeframe. Meanwhile there is less and less time (and energy) left to devote to the face to face interactions with our residents. Of course “evidence based practice” (prejudice based on given knowledge) is valuable, but I would argue that without also “values based practice”, that which treats the individual complete person and the situational context, person centred care is impossible. This unique encounter with another person who you are wanting to help, requires intuitive, creative and imaginative responses. This is the basis for the “art” in nursing rather than the science (though I know that these two are not seen as opposite disciplines in your work.) Is the expectation of “mechanistic perfectionism” destroying even nursing and care work? It’s hard not to despair, but your work may yet save us from the huge “Satanic Mill” we have created that is our prison house. Thank you!

[@Magicpoppy]

An excellent reply👍. I think this is the case for all kinds of jobs. And we (collectively) are so exhausted that we barely notice this. I have felt for a long period now, the need to work more organic. How I will do this......I have yet to find a way.

[@carolineoakshett8520]

You write very eloquently of the experience as I resonate with very deeply. I was in health care ( retired now) as a speech therapist. The tentacles of this I began to sense, though did not fully realise where it was going, as more and more policies and procedures and 'care pathways' were introduced, especially from early 2000s along with the increasing use of computers. I was concerned then (to a point I was resisting in my simple way and was bullied out of the NHS for that). I am horrified now by how the element of human encounter is being systematically excluded, and indeed actually punished for not adhering to the protocols.

[@montyoxymoron4704]

@@carolineoakshett8520 thank you! I’m thinking of writing a article for the Nursing Times using McGilchrist’s critique as a foundation.

[@abcrane]

[@acoustically9201]

Some well-considered and neatly expressed insighs. Ditto your views for almost every area of professional life. The human being has been evacauated from the building. The super computer is not interested in individuals - only large data and actuarial probability.

[@bearheart2009]

Hurray! I love to see these episodes drop. I wish they would never end.

[@abcrane]

IF your main concern in this lifetime is the wellbeing of workers, consumers, children, and natural ecosystems, the McGilchrist Hypothesis is THE MOST FUNDAMENTALLY UNDERLYING critical concept of all academic disciplines. I read virtually everything that I can, economics, anthropology, psychology, sociology-all the subjects that (should) be geared to solving the Human Condition. Thanks to Dr. McGilchrist, I have the PROPER WINDOW, the proper "looking glass" with which to see the common reflections and refractions in the common mirror of all the world's epidemics and atrocities, the common underlying "glitch" in human consciousness. Once I saw it, I can no longer not see it! Which theorist, then, is the one I would most like to draw a comparative analysis with, if I were limited to but one (and I attempt to do so in my current works in economics)? Thorstein Veblen! This most honest and thorough economist/sociologist (who draws from history and anthropology) has created, similarly to Dr. M, his own system of thought that covers the vast variations of human experience. Conspicuousness-a left dominated mentality?- in education, consumerism, "charity", war, all those behaviors that are destroying human soul, community, and nature-for the sake of the show, the game, the mere re-presentation of reality in lieu of authentic education, work, leisure, and community. A shout out to the systems thinkers of the world, please unite!

[@riteshsinghchoudhary115]

What is conspicuousness?

[@mmnuances]

As I have done in the past, I reread Chapter 18 (and read forward to Chapter 19 and the Coda) prior to watching this video. As we have proceeded through the chapters, I have experienced glimpses of a remarkable, shimmering depth... a hint at the possibility that humans could recover their wholeness and the attentional freedom to explore the vast extent of the human awareness phenomenological state space. This could prove extremely helpful on a planet where most humans appear to be unbalanced or insane as evidenced by the decline in the habitability of our planet on very many levels. I offer this Sufi tale as an immediately, in this very moment, tool, to facilitate the transformation... (sure would like to hear Ian's, Alex's and yours take on the usefulness of this tool?) The Ants and the Pen An ant one day strayed across a piece of paper and saw a pen writing in fine, black strokes. ‘How wonderful this is!’ said the ant. ‘This remarkable thing, with a life of its own, makes squiggles on this beautiful surface, to such an extent and with such energy that it is equal to the efforts of all the ants in the world. And the squiggles which it makes! These resemble ants: not one, but millions, all run together.’ He repeated his ideas to another ant, who was equally interested. He praised the powers of observation and reflection of the first ant. But another ant said: ‘Profiting, it must be admitted, by your efforts, I have observed this strange object. But I have determined that it is not the master of this work. You failed to notice that this pen is attached to certain other objects, which surround it and drive it on its way. These should be considered as the moving factor, and given the credit.’ Thus were fingers discovered by the ants. But another ant, after a long time, climbed over the fingers and realized that they comprised a hand, which he thoroughly explored, after the manner of ants, by scrambling all over it. He returned to his fellows: ‘Ants!’ he cried, ‘I have news of importance for you. Those smaller objects are a part of a large one. It is this which gives motion to them.’ But then it was discovered that the hand was attached to an arm, and the arm to a body, and that there were two hands, and that there were feet which did no writing. The investigations continue. Of the mechanics of writing, the ants have a fair idea. Of the meaning and intention of the writing, and how it is ultimately controlled, they will not find out by their customary method of investigation. Because they are not ‘literate’.

[@artcanhelp]

it is an amazing book. I just finished it last week! As an artist, it has been very inspiring and helpful.

[@druidjuicer636]

Wonderful for this area to be reached in this series. Good to see a reference to Kahneman's Dorsal-Ventral division considered in the context of hemispheric lateralisation. I would love to see this fleshed out some more. Also what behaviourists refer to as 'rule governed insensitivity' which is such an important limitation of left hemisphere dominance when compared to animals performing the same tasks and picking up on contingency changes much faster than humans. Thanks Iain and Àlex for such a thought-provoking conversation.

[@nancypulley]

So happy to start my day with this ! Iain, I did watch your Amsterdam talk - quite spot on and coherently said . . . of course, in such wonderful way - and will share 🙋🏻‍♀️😊

[@sheilaeisele8490]

As an aural learner I feel especially blessed to listen to these dialogues. Of course, I also love the book!

[@CK-yp1tf]

'Heraclitean Fire' from Chargaff is available as pdf.

[@cynthiaford6976]

I love these dialogues! I read a psychologist decades ago, maybe Marion Woodman, who said that one way to get rid of confounds around intuition is to check to see if there's anything you fear or desire, e.g. you have unpaid debts and you have a crush on someone you met recently--the phone rings, but your fear over bill collectors, and your desire around the person you met being on the phone will create a kind of static that damps intuition.

[@Brad-RB]

This was a great conversation.

[@isabellelecalvez6415]

Wonderful!

[@davidkamaunu7887]

Ive used this term before "today we have more smartphones then sense..." people have become fixated on their phones and interaction with it and the world within. very troubling to witness this in my lifetime. that a converged device would dominate the majority of Humans interest and time in the industrialized world. i think we need to lobby for Human protections and rights to not be surveilled and silenced.

[@Jimmy-el2gh]

I'd be more afraid of the ballerinas in the dark alley than the group of young men...lol

[@abcrane]

what if they were male ballerinas and female Hells Angels?

[@Jimmy-el2gh]

@@abcrane what if they were hells angels in ballerina outfits...lol

[@jordanedgeley6601]

I think the sound may be missing

[@mattbrw08]

Sound works for me

[@doctorcrafts]

Yeah I lip read the entire conversation. Riveting

[@charlesmartel7502]

"They can only report what the computer models tell them" -- said about medical diagnosis, but think "climate change."

[@SamCheryl-s6q]

White Michelle Davis Lisa Perez Christopher