There is simply not enough time for one to deeply comprehend all issues. Therefore, we only give meaningful thought to those issues which we deem important to us. For example, I simply don’t see the grave importance, have the time, or knowledge to know what is fashionable. Therefore, I trust those who I deem have style and look rather sharp, whether it be men whose clothes receive high marks or name designers. There are two problems with this concept
- Are the majority of the issues we give the most about of time pondering-- issues of importance? This is both true in societies where luxury is common, and therefore there is simply no immediate need to ponder over issues beyond entertainment. It is also true in places where there is simply little time to contemplate issues outside of day to day survival. That is why we must prioritize what our brain power. One must put a premium on such things as the meaning of life and spirituality (religion), the actions of government and the impact on the world, philosophy, and other issues of importance. This is not to say not to focus on items of enjoyment, but rather simply to say not to focus a majority of are brain power on them.
- On issues we don’t consider important enough to put vast amounts of brain power mussing over and instead decide to follow popular opinion, it is vital to do so with a level of skepticism. In the example of my fashion choices, if I solely relied on the advice of experts and hipsters without also contemplating say the vulnerability of wearing jeans with wholes in them or wearing a shoddy article of clothing produced by a child to lazy to double stitch, then the classic example of the “emperor’s new clothes” could arise. This contemplation is often not given, the most poignant example of which is the Holocaust. A lack of meaningful thought was given by your average German and this lead to a lack of a check on the Nazi’s.
