Do not just look.

Do not just look. But see, see the forest for the trees.

Studies have been done, Asian cultures are much more aware of the grander picture than us in North America. Asian cultures have buildings that are not so uniform, and actually it is not just Asian cultures in particular but more collectivist cultures. These cultures encourage higher thinking as individuals apart of a community, breaking functional fixedness. 

Collectivist culture is where individuals are moving through life to benefit the group rather than just themselves; this is defined through production into the economy, family orientation, etc.

Individualistic culture is defined by the phenomenon where people break from the community and move about life in such a way that they are trying to make something of themSelves for themselves. 

Functional fixedness, this is when we only see an item as used for a specific task and nothing else when in reality, it could do many things! A chair for example, we sit in it right? Well say you are in the kitchen, you can't reach the cookie jar, and there is no step ladder? What to do? Leave? Ppsshhh ya right, you want that cookie! So you functional fixedness would be what stops you from realizing you are able to just climb the chair and obtain the jar. Mostly like motivation would be pretty high for something as gratifying as a cookie so the individual would move the chair and climb it. 

A lot of people look and do not see, they miss out on so much or drop themselves into holes because they don't realize something happen around them important that they should be paying attention to. 

This is not just a physical thing, this is just like when a guy likes a girl, they go on a date and she subtly leans in for a kiss and he gives that awkward, alright, well I'll talk to you later, peace! Or when a girl hangs out with a guy friend of hers who is constantly throwing himself at her and she honestly doesn't realize it. 

When you look at a landscape filled with trees and nothing but their green tops what do you see? Nature, trees, a forest or, home, the beginning, the world as it should be, true progress, a history textbook in the most natural form? 

When you look at metropolis, do you see the city of New York, the Statue of Liberty, an American state, buildings and lights, or do you see congestion, progress, concrete forests, and absolute beauty come sunset?

Something to think about, next time you are standing in that river watching the water break around your ankles and you feel the current between your chilled toes. 

Don't just look, see.

Cheers!

C.B.

I am looking at a window, but I see the frost. Thought process, but it's summer and warm beneath us. Science, the more you know and experience.