Once again I am convinced that consciousness is a very powerful and dangerous thing. But if you learn to control and direct it or even change it a little, you can get a big advantage in life.
For those that enjoyed this lecture, I recommend watching Paul Blooms intro to psychology course. You can probably find it on the side bar of this video.
Paul shows us "abstract" painting by his son and says that his son described it as an aeroplane which had nothing to do with the painting. Strangely enough as soon as I saw the painting I thought "That's a picture of an aeroplane coming out of a disaster/weather zone/event. The aeroplane was absolutely clear to me and black and down on the bottom right and very easy to discern. I am a painter and art teacher. So what's up here.
This kind of bias is prevalent in society and most people, the ability to bypass your preferences and biases produces the capacity to view art in an objective sense free from personal preferences and bias. This is not an easy feat but can be achieved and unlocks the doors to bliss and ecstasy at the drop of a hat. A fined tuned human can determine the difference between good and bad art according to the level it can include and compress useful information.
I agree, Bill Ilkovski, and I am sure that I have these biases as much as anyone. It is really something to have a visceral response to art without knowing a thing about it. Sometimes it is the art that promotes this...just that compelling.
It's really weird when audiences laugh at things that weren't meant to be jokes, just because the intonation or phrasing of the person saying them makes them sound a bit like a joke
I strictly disagree with his opinion on sexual preferences as "unconditional".. that is to say, as he says, "you can't throw a switch".. but under extreme stress and circumstance.. it's not only possible, but may be crucial to one's well-being..
