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June 03, 2003
Cognitive Inconsistency...
I can now convert millimeters to inches, calculate the pitch of the thread on a screw, determine when the moon rises and sets based on whether it is waning or waxing or in the last quarter, and read the measurements on a thimble scale, a barrel scale, and the vernier scale ( see “calipers“ ). Wow. These are all little tidbits of knowledge that my brain really wasn’t thirsting for. But, through the miracle of multi-subjected Summer School I get to learn all of it! I wonder how many of my brain cells are occupied by useless units of information. And, does a brain develop an increasingly difficult time at organizing and ordering these useless units the more it soaks them up? Take calipers, for instance. When am I ever going to need to know how to measure with calipers. But, I know how if I need to. I hope that my brain functions will remain consistent in their usual duties without calipers getting in the way.
I found a book on the bookshelf in the classroom I am teaching in: Theories of Cognitive Consistency: A Sourcebook, Robert P. Ableson, et al. It was published in 1968 by Rand McNally & Co. In some ways, the book really interests me. If I had the time, I might even sit down and try to trudge through it. Surely, many of the concepts laid forth in Cognitive Consistency are sorely outdated. The language is undeniably dry and mundane. But, would it be just another useless unit to add to my already inconsistent cognition?
Something tells me that “cognitive consistency“ is an idea that, no matter how thinly veiled, has crossed every mind. And it’s still a subject that eludes most of us; most definitely the insane. Is “cognitive consistency” a subject that needs further investigation, though? According to Robert P. Ableson, et al, it does.
I wonder if God gave us an inherent cognitive inconsistency. Maybe, instead of trying to force ourselves to be more consistent we should value our inconsistency a little more.
Posted at 4:31 pm
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