Patterns

As I was driving on I-95 the other day it became clear to me that there are just some people in this world who simply lack some forms of intelligence. The stretch of I-95 here in South Florida is very different from the part of I-95 in the Northeast. There are more lanes and the scenery is a little better. I was in the second fastest lane going 75-80 MPH (which really is the average speed) and looking out for the cars to my left going much faster than I. There was very little congestion, which means that most people on the road could easily choose the lane they felt most comfortable in. I saw an SUV ahead of me in the lane I was in and started to become “confused” (“angry”). The SUV had five lanes to choose from to go 65-70 MPH, and he went with the second fastest. Cars were going much faster than him on the left side AND the right side. He was obviously and clearly out of place, and everyone on the highway knew it except for him and we were all visibly annoyed. Drivers are taught from fifteen years old that the left lanes are for fast vehicles that are passing and the right lanes are for slower cars. It’s about as simple of a concept as you can get: Left = fast, right = slow. I just can’t figure out what misfires in someone’s head where they have a range of options and pick the worst one when there is such a clear, better option. Some people have no concept of traffic patterns.

And I think that’s the key. A few years ago, my dad had the chance to sit beside a bona fide rocket scientist at a fund raiser. Now my dad is a very intelligent guy, but I doubt he would be able to accomplish a fraction of the mathematical hurdles that a rocket scientist faces. What was interesting to me, and what has obviously stuck with me, was the rocket scientist’s explanation of what his job entailed. When asked to explain how he does such a complicated job, the scientist replied in a humble and congenial tone, “It’s just patterns.” When I was told this story, I was strangely drawn to that explanation. It was so simple and so profound. Even in their explanation of their job, these rocket scientists are smart.

The traffic incident is just one example of why I think that rocket scientist was on to something. There are very intelligent people out there who can do remarkable things with their mind. I saw this firsthand when I spent a few short years in academic circles. Some people’s skills with esoteric, high concepts, extremely complex logic, theories of probability, etc. were beyond anything I’ll ever be able to grasp. But to quote Stuart Smalley, “and that’s…ok”, because in the vast majority of these cases these intelligent figures would show a lack of skill in another area. Those who were extremely gifted in mathematics or higher order logic could see patterns that my brain just could not pick up. At the same time those same geniuses had trouble picking out social patterns and participating in simple social settings. Many were nice and polite, but there is a certain skill that one should pick up in life after finding himself in situations with others. I have learned not to take good conversation for granted. Some people do not know what it’s like to find someone with whom they can easily engage; where their words effortlessly ping-pong back and forth. The very subtle, indescribable patterns of social behavior escape some very intelligent people. These people tend to think puns are actually funny, or they stare at you a little too long after you’ve finished a sentence when it is clearly their turn to speak. Recognizing the meter, tempo and patterns in everyday speech is much more difficult for some.

Rocket Scientist Guy was right. There are some people who will survey the traffic they’re in and not pick up on the patterns of movement. These people may be PhD holders or brilliant mathematicians. I’ve realized that 99% of the population has a limited capacity to recognize patterns in multiple fields and situations. For the most part our brains are not able to recognize patterns within a large number of spheres. If I can use a fictional example, Will, the main character in Good Will Hunting, was a genius in mathematics and the humanities, but he could not understand how someone was so skilled in music. He couldn’t read the musical patterns but he could do the most complex mathematics. We’re just not programmed to be great at absolutely everything.

I probably won’t be more patient when I drive, but who knows? I might pause and wonder if there is something that the awful driver is superb at. Or maybe he’s just ridiculously old and irrationally cautious and cranky.

Next up...Context.