Twenty-Two Black..
The cinema classic Casablanca has a scene where a young woman asks Humphrey Bogart's character, Rick, if Captain Renault will keep his word on his promise to grant her and her husband exit visas to leave the country if she slept with him. Rick brushes her off then enters the casino and sees her husband losing at roulette. Rick proceeds to tell the man to play 22. The man wins, not once but twice, then is told by Rick to cash out and leave. Obvious to everyone, Rick has just let this man win two hands at roulette essentially fixing the game so that he and his wife can purchase the exit visas and spare his wife the indignity she was facing. Rick had knowledge of many of these occurrences happening and was even asked by Captain Renault not to interfere with his appointment with a blonde for the next night. So why did he interfere this time?
Behavioral economists would say that the young woman became an identified life. A face and story, and emotional content, was put to what would have been a statistical life. Many of us would feel compelled to react and help people in need once they become 'identified' as more than 'statistics.'
The other day I was purchasing a coffee during my lunch break when a homeless person, whom I regularly see, was looking to purchase a coffee as well. His large pile of cans and bottles which he routinely gathers for their deposit return was toppled over and something inside me just gave way. I humbly offered to buy him lunch and he accepted. I thought about that incident regularly since it happened and realized that although I am aware that there are millions of homeless people suffering and struggling, I never felt compelled to act.
When we view groups as statistics it is easy for us to detach any emotional connection causing our empathy and compassion to take a back seat. In some ways for those of us that are highly sensitive, such as myself, this mechanism serves a purpose. Being mindful of this we can work better towards self regulating our emotional selves and recognize everyone as an identified life.
Reference:
Misbehaving by Richard Thaler
#elliotyi
#paradigmleft
#habits
#mindset
Behavioral economists would say that the young woman became an identified life. A face and story, and emotional content, was put to what would have been a statistical life. Many of us would feel compelled to react and help people in need once they become 'identified' as more than 'statistics.'
The other day I was purchasing a coffee during my lunch break when a homeless person, whom I regularly see, was looking to purchase a coffee as well. His large pile of cans and bottles which he routinely gathers for their deposit return was toppled over and something inside me just gave way. I humbly offered to buy him lunch and he accepted. I thought about that incident regularly since it happened and realized that although I am aware that there are millions of homeless people suffering and struggling, I never felt compelled to act.
When we view groups as statistics it is easy for us to detach any emotional connection causing our empathy and compassion to take a back seat. In some ways for those of us that are highly sensitive, such as myself, this mechanism serves a purpose. Being mindful of this we can work better towards self regulating our emotional selves and recognize everyone as an identified life.
Reference:
Misbehaving by Richard Thaler
#elliotyi
#paradigmleft
#habits
#mindset
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