Gravity keeps us grounded and prevents us from jumping up high in the air. Could gravity also affect our thinking in a similar way? Many, and perhaps most, people have a micro focus. They look at correctness, at details, at empathy. Nearly all media adopt a micro focus. There is, however, another perspective.
On the other side, there is a macro focus. That focus looks at the bigger picture, at completeness, at the greater good. Recently, I received a remark which resulted in a new recent blog: Why is sex not part of the 7 Belief systems? I was amazed about that question because it focussed on completeness rather than correctness.
Most likely, my audit education and training are responsible for my macro focus. The completeness assertion in auditing is probably the most difficult audit objective (eg, completeness of turnover). It’s easier to check the correctness of assets (eg, bank balances). Even then some auditors fail (eg, Wirecard fraud, my June 23 blog).
Similarly, it’s probably easier to have a micro focus than a macro focus. You just need to think less. A macro focus forces you to consider the completeness of your thinking. Hence, it consumes more energy and more time. Both resources are scarce for many people. Moreover, a micro focus is often enough for making decisions.
Overcoming gravity (eg, space rocket launches) also takes lots of resources (eg, energy, money, time). Hence, the goal or purpose must be worth it. A macro focus may just not be worth considering.
Moreover, we humans are always looking for opportunities to improve our (eg, financial) situation. I call this driver advantage and its corresponding belief system is Money. Opportunities usually require a micro focus. Only visionaries can see opportunities while applying a macro focus (eg, Google founders).
Last but not least, you would expect that a micro vs macro focus follows a normal statistical probability distribution, similar to intelligence (eg, Britannica, my July 12 blog). In that case, the statistical distribution would see an evenly skewed distribution. This distribution appears to be right-skewed.
I cannot answer my blog title’s question. Nevertheless, I think, feel and believe that my analogy with gravity might be valid. “Gravity is the weakest of the four fundamental interactions of physics” (Wiki). For us humans, it’s exceptionally strong.
Gravity (2006) by John Mayer
artist, lyrics, video, Wiki-1, Wiki-2
Gravity is working against me
And gravity wants to bring me down
Note: all markings (bold, italic, underlining) by LO unless stated otherwise.
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