Blinders are devices placed on a horse so it can only see straight ahead. Avoiding slowing distraction. Our current term is “focused like a laser.” That is often a useful tool when trying to accomplish a defined task. It is a tragedy as a guide to life.
We evolved, after all, with luck and pluck by being able to be aware of and quickly evaluate everything in the environment. Those who ignored the various surrounding possibilities of danger and advantage were probably not the most successful members of ancient tribes.
Beyond individual problems, blinders often prevent people from participating well in society. Since, above all, our species only exists as highly social animals, that is a massive handicap for the person, and a possible tragedy for everyone else.
Blinders came to the workplace with the industrial revolution. And their success there encouraged wider efforts to adapt focus to social and philosophical tasks. A great error, always ending in an ironic, incomprehensible swamp of seeming contradictions. Life and consciousness is so complex it overwhelms targeted organization.
I think we need to throw out the blinders and limit the lasers. They have done enough social damage. It is time for each of us and our collectives to accept that distraction is just as important and more central to our well-being as dedicated narrow concentration.
HuntingtonHarborThoughts 