it's already probably the case that a higher fraction of Westerners have that ability than any people in history
If grey_and_purple is right and this mental flexibility is present in (most/all) children, I wonder if there might be a counter-example of cultures that didn't educate it out of their children en masse. I'm thinking of less-partriarchal cultures, but maybe there's someone with more anthropology training than me who has a better idea.
In any case, that wouldn't suggest anywhere near the sheer numbers of modern Western society. And yes, I expect there is more opportunity for being flexibly-minded now than ever before, what with leisure and education being what they are. However, that isn't economically motivated to lead to wisdom / flexibility, rather to conspicuous consumption.
(note to self; read The Theory of the Leisure Class; if for no other reason, it's where the term "conspicuous consumption" was coined.)
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Date: Monday, 20 June 2005 03:52 pm (UTC)If
In any case, that wouldn't suggest anywhere near the sheer numbers of modern Western society. And yes, I expect there is more opportunity for being flexibly-minded now than ever before, what with leisure and education being what they are. However, that isn't economically motivated to lead to wisdom / flexibility, rather to conspicuous consumption.
(note to self; read The Theory of the Leisure Class; if for no other reason, it's where the term "conspicuous consumption" was coined.)