I wouldn’t say that this is a fear of an “inaccurate conclusion,” as you say. Instead, it’s a fear of losing control and becoming disoriented: “losing your bearings” as you said . You’re afraid that your most trustworthy asset—your ability to reason through a problem and come out safe on the other side; an asset that should never fail you—will fail you and lead you down a path you don’t want to go. In fact, it could lead to Game Over if you let that lead you to kill or be killed, as you highlight in your examples of the Unabomber, Mitchell Heisman and zealot soldiers.
I especially like the orientation metaphor here. And I think that your piece addresses this. First, you need to know where you are. Recognize when you are in far mode and thinking abstractly and when you are in near mode and thinking concretely. Then you can think about where you should be, near or far. Learn to recognize which one is better for your current situation and be able to switch between them. This is also part of being oriented. Finally, have a kill switch if you feel yourself losing control.
I wouldn’t say that this is a fear of an “inaccurate conclusion,” as you say. Instead, it’s a fear of losing control and becoming disoriented: “losing your bearings” as you said . You’re afraid that your most trustworthy asset—your ability to reason through a problem and come out safe on the other side; an asset that should never fail you—will fail you and lead you down a path you don’t want to go. In fact, it could lead to Game Over if you let that lead you to kill or be killed, as you highlight in your examples of the Unabomber, Mitchell Heisman and zealot soldiers.
I especially like the orientation metaphor here. And I think that your piece addresses this. First, you need to know where you are. Recognize when you are in far mode and thinking abstractly and when you are in near mode and thinking concretely. Then you can think about where you should be, near or far. Learn to recognize which one is better for your current situation and be able to switch between them. This is also part of being oriented. Finally, have a kill switch if you feel yourself losing control.