![]() If it could have been foreseen, or was inherent in what one already knew, it could hardly be entirely original. This blind variation (i.e., wandering) is, logically, the only way in which genuinely new knowledge can come about. He sometimes simply called it “guessing,” but spoke more specifically of abduction, the details of which need not concern us here. Much earlier, the philosopher, Charles Peirce had proposed a similar theory in the Nineteenth Century. A similar position grounds Karl Popper’s arguments about the nature of scientific discovery. This was the essence of the psychologist, Donald Campbell’s, notion that truly creative problem solving must reflect an unsystematic, blind – but not quite random – variation-and-selective-retention system. Hence, constrained mind wandering may constitute the most general practical problem solving strategy. ![]() For the open problems we often encounter in life, there is no map. Indeed, it cannot have a plan, for, by definition, it is seeking a way. Yet, mind and conversational wandering should not surprise us because, although it is a reasonable assumption that directed thinking is an achievement to be desired, yet much thinking, even practical problem solving does not have a plan.ĭiscoveries made in this wandering sort of way might well be revolutionary. Of course, in spite of the most carefully arranged external prostheses, social or physical, our minds will wander. It is perhaps not just the ideas that others have, but simply that they constitute an external anchor to keep thing from wandering too far from the consciously agreed upon purposes. This may be part of the benefit of incorporating others into our thinking processes through dialogue. We need an external loop in our thinking. Thus, it seems we need to arrange the environment in special ways to support the internal plan. Internally directed thought (i.e., toward some goal) actually seems to require special training or external thought prostheses such as note pads, word processors, and the like. One of the major tasks of the chair of any meeting is to keep the participants on task. ![]() It seems that without the environment, and, more specifically, some task to accomplish in that environment, to “discipline” one’s thinking, one’s attention lurches along through a series of associative spasms.Ĭonversations do wander rather seriously as well. This raises an interesting question: If this is so why is conscious attention important at all?Ī second sense of mind-wandering is that one’s train of thought seems aimless. Yet my body generally does quite well without my mind, that is, my conscious attention. Indeed, these risks and costs are what we consider most important about mind-wander. ![]() This sort of mind wandering certainly can be the source of action errors and, sometimes, serious accidents. One thinks of attention wandering away from some task at hand. One sense of mind wandering is that it seems quite disconnected from concurrent actions. I think I mean two things by mind wandering. Indeed, I think it is the natural state of consciousness when the environment releases its grip on one’s attention. My mind – more precisely, my train of thought – wanders a lot. “His mind tends to wander, but it’s too weak to get very far.”įrom an otherwise forgotten old Lewis and Martin Film
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