The Decision on a Stormy Day. (August 17, 2024)

The Decision on a Stormy Day.

 One summer day, there was an important event for my son. But a strong storm was approaching our region. It would make the trip to the event dangerous, even fatal. So we discussed if we should cancel the trip. According to the weather forecast, there seemed to be a 50-50 chance that we can make the trip without much trouble. My wife bet on the go. Although I bet on the stay, I knew I can’t change my wife once she makes her decision. She is a “glass is half-full” person, while I’m always a “half-empty” type. (By the end, we made the trip safe and sound.)

People observe an event in front of their eyes. Yet, what they see is different from one individual to another. How could this be?

 In Rashomon (1950), on the court to try a bandit Tajomaru (Mifune Toshiro), the witnesses were asked to describe what had happened at the crime scene. The testimonies turned out to be completely different from one witness to another. After the trial, one of the witnesses (Shimura Takashi) mumbles “I can’t believe in men any longer”. The incident took place in the war-time Kyoto in the 15th century. The glorious capital of the olden days was burnt down. People lost humanity in ruins and distrusted each other.

Scientists who study human behavior through experiments found that our cognitive interpretation is biased in certain ways. Facing uncertainty, people tend to believe that things will turn up trumps in their favor. At the beginning of season, based on the same data, each individual believes that local team will win the championship. At the end of the season, he/she says the next season will be different. Such a behavior is very human. We can’t live without hope. Maybe, those who suffer from depression are the ones who take data as it is and cannot lie to themselves.

 Maybe, there is a limitation on cerebral data processing capacity. In From a Buick 8 (2002), what people see in the barrack of police station is a 1953 Buick Roadmaster, although it really is not. To see what it really is is beyond people’s cognitive capacity. People are scared by unsettling feeling when they see an object which is difficult to comprehend. So their brains do tricks; to interpret the object as something familiar, like a car. If people see what the object really is, they will go insane, like Abdul Al-hazred who saw the reality behind our world.

 Please answer me, my friend, in yes or no, if the following equation is correct.

              2 + 2 = 4

 Here, the question is clear enough to both you and me. But in our real life, we are asked questions that are difficult to give clear and unmistakable definitions. Moreover, we must think about the consequence that our answers might cause in the future. Our answers might alter the course of history in grave ways.

At each moment, God opens Schrödinger’s box. Yet, some say the cat is dead, while others say the cat is alive. (Anonymous)

References;

King, Stephen, From a Buick 8 (2002).

Rashomon (1950), directed by Kurosawa Akira, produced and distributed by Daiei.