Focus on Information

Namaste, Welcome to SAM-VAD (Together In Conversation), as we begin today ‘let us remember, ‘What we give our Attention to matters.’

Our life’s experience would ultimately amount to whatever we had paid attention to. Attention: is important and most of the times we are indifferent to it. It is as fundamental as food; and we go blundering about, seeking ways to assuage the craving, instead of learning how to provide ourselves with what we need, sensibly and calmly. Once our attention is drawn to the mechanism of why and what we give attention to, it is as if a veil has been stripped off and we become freer in our action and choices.

This week again I bring to your attention the book titled ‘Willful Blindness’ – Why we Ignore the Obvious at Our Peril by Margaret Heffernan.

This book tries to understand, why after every major accident and blunder, do we look back and say how could we have been so blind? Why do some people see what others don’t? And how can we change? Drawing on studies by psychologists and neuroscientists, and interviews with business leaders, whistleblowers, and white-collar criminals, businesswoman and writer Margaret Heffernan examines the phenomenon of willful blindness, exploring the reasons that individuals and groups are blind to impending personal tragedies, corporate collapses, engineering failures even crimes against humanity.

Excerpt

When individuals read, they focus on the information that supports their current opinion, paying less attention to information that challenges their views. Overall, people are about twice as likely to seek information that supports their own point of view as they are to consider an opposing idea! Rather than broadening their attitudes, the very process of discussion renders them blind to alternatives. We stop looking at places or jobs or information or people that will prove too uncomfortable, too tumultuous for our closely held beliefs. We may think we want to be challenged, but we really don’t. Our intellectual homes are just as self-selected and exclusive as our physical homes.

Excerpt from ‘Willful Blindness’ by Margaret Heffernan

I am sure that you will enjoy reading this book; you can buy your copy from the following link:

https://www.mheffernan.com/book-wilfulblindness.php

Enjoy reading it with your family, friends and near and dear one’s.

Namaste!