viernes, 31 de octubre de 2008

jueves, 30 de octubre de 2008

The Problems of Perception

“Perhaps this will be the moment when we alter our views of decision making. Perhaps this will be the moment when we shift our focus from rational calculation to perception”

Yesterday I read a very interesting article in the New York Times called “The Behavioral Revolution”. It discusses how analysts have mostly focused on how we come to a decision rationally after we:
a) perceive reality
b) think of possible courses of action
c) decide which is the best course of action
d) take action

David Brooks, who is the author of the article, says that experts have mostly concentrated on point c. And then he makes opens the possibility for argument I quoted above. I think it is a wonderful time for us to ponder about perception.

I have been obsessing over perception in the last few months. Why is that people we respect, love and or admire can arrive at such drastically different conclusions from our own? And I mean DRASTICALLY different. I find this happens usually in the arena of politics and economics. My timid self conclusion has been that our different belief systems keep us from similar perception. I will go further, we look for clues in reality that will reinforce what we ALREADY believe. This is, we tend to read, agree with and even solidify our pre-existent point of views. We do not, on the other hand, seek out, analyze or read different opinions and arguments.

In Argentina, reality has been perceived so differently by different people and common sense has flown out of the window long ago so that I have found the need to read perceptions that coincide with my own: just to feel I am not going crazy. But in all honesty, this too is reinforcing my opinion.

But the issue of perception is deeper than that. It means that even though it could be argued that we are looking at the same world, we perceive DIFFERENT worlds. But now, in the XXIst century we are all interconnected so perceiving different realities becomes a real problem. We will never agree on solutions if we see totally different problems.

martes, 21 de octubre de 2008

Pasaporte a la LUNA

Como lunática confesa, me quedaba en el tintero este dibujo de Batu por Tute que publicó La Nación en Septiembre. Yo me anoto en seguida para ir a La Luna. Fly me to the moon!! Cuando me jubile, si logran saquearme una vez más, me voy a la luna. Me quedan pocas hojas en el pasaporte pero eso tiene arreglo.

sábado, 11 de octubre de 2008

Ouro Preto

El oro reluce, es verdadero, duradero y en este momento de megaKaos mundial está en suba. El oro negro es una imagen que me encanta – no como metáfora del petróleo que nos lleva a otro lado – sino como el metal que más me gusta y que puede ser encontrado en su estado natural en el barro y salir, por ende, como "oro negro".

Ouro Preto es una maravillosa ciudad colonial fundada en 1711 por los Portugueses que es obligación visitar si uno está en Belo Horizonte ya que se encuentra a menos de dos horas en auto o bus. No alcanzó algo más de medio día para ver todo, me gustaría volver.

En los tiempos de tumulto la gente se refugia en el oro. Yo me refugié en Ouro Preto.

Gracias a aabila por editar este video que me emocionó y me deja volver a las calles empedradas llenas de negocios de todo tipo que venden piedras preciosas donde casi se puede oir ir ver pasar a sus antiguos habitantes.