Curiosity 101, Part-6
Hello👋 folks, Shubham here.
I am back with another edition of Curiosity 101.
Niksen
Niksen is a Dutch concept of doing nothing. Under this practice you allow your mind to wander.
Some might argue that they already are a Niksen practitioner because of their daydreaming expertise.
However, brooding while scrolling a smartphone or watching some web series doesn’t count.
Taking a walk, looking, engaging in a hobby, or just sitting by yourself. These activities are more suited for Niksen.
You might say, isn't this what mindfulness is?
In mindfulness, one is supposed to pay attention to the present whereas in Niksen you are licensed to play with your imagination.
Niksen helps to reduce stress, boost creativity, along with numerous other advantages too.
One criticism against Niksen is that people who overthink might get caught in endless ruminations.
Anyways, it’s worth a try considering the Netherlands is considered one of the happiest countries.
You don’t need to commit a huge chunk of time initially, just a few minutes is enough.
Next time instead of picking up a smartphone to kill your boredom perform a Nik.
Catch Them Early
'COCA-COLA' is the second most widely understood term in the world after 'OK’.
The astonishing fact is enough to showcase the pedigree of the 131-year-old beverage maker.
A normal person associates COCA-COLA with happiness thanks to their expert marketing strategy.
However, there are filthy bits that are often swept under the carpet.
For starters consider the health effects of our beloved sugary drink.
It causes high blood pressure, high cholesterol, excess fat, tooth decay, along with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and pancreatic cancer.
Then there are environmental issues associated with coke bottling plants. Depletion of groundwater, polluting surrounding areas, and dumping untreated waste in rivers are a few of the accusations.
Also, there are instances of Coke receiving dubious favors from government authorities time and again.
The more you dig the more dirt you will find.
What caught my attention is Coke’s school funding programs.
Coke made deals with several schools which allowed them to set up exclusive Coke vending machines on their premises for exchange of monetary sums.
Most schools struggling for funding accepted the proposal without second thoughts.
Coke broadcasted its support to the community through such programs but it’s hard to ignore the inner motive.
The strategy allowed them to get children addicted at young ages, which increased the odds of them ending up as lifelong customers.
Some sources say schools were often given greater incentives for selling carbonated drinks.
With the rising scrutiny against sugary drinks, Coke diversified its school portfolio by adding water products, fruit juice variants, dairy products, etc.
All this transpired in the US around the 1900s and 2000s.
There’s not much info online about the current status.
Coke’s official website doesn’t give a very clear picture either. It says their range of drinks varies as per the individual school’s needs (which may be easily influenced by splashing extra cash).
A few experts believe that even if Coke is selling age-appropriate drinks in schools they are subtly pummeling their brand among young impressionable minds.
Frankly, Coke has undertaken numerous initiatives over the years. Most of them must have been drafted with noble intentions but this one does seem fishy.
Fun fact, Coke intends to try these programs in Indian schools too.
Dunning-Kruger Effect
A friend of mine in college was a mediocre cricket player who assumed he was the engine of our team.
We tried to burst his bubble but he was busy practicing his man-of-the-match speeches.
I bet you know people who live in similar illusions.
They are perfect examples of the cognitive bias Dunning-Kruger effect.
The term was coined in 1999 by psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger. According to them, poor performers overestimate their abilities because they do not have the metacognitive skill to know that they themselves are doing poorly. The major problem is one of self-estimation, not estimation of peers.
Basically, people with minimal knowledge in a field or domain tend to overestimate their skills.
Unfortunately, their ignorance acts as blind spots to accept their incompetence (someone’s image must have come up in your mind).
There are several studies across different domains to support this fact. A survey by Hartford Financial Services found that 88% of respondents considered themselves cautious drivers.
There’s an additional corollary according to which experts underestimate their relative competence assuming everyone is good at the tasks which they excel.
We all exhibit the Dunning-Kruger effect.
The easiest way to deal with it is by accepting feedback. Receiving input from your peers will help you to make better self-assessments.
Your nightingale-like singing voice may be closer to a frog’s croak.
Another remedy is morphing into a perennial learner.
If you educate the poor performer in the corresponding discipline, they are willing to accept their flaws making more honest evaluations.
Take inspiration from Albert Einstein’s famous quote, “The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know.”
Hope you enjoyed this edition.
Signing off for today :) Until next time, Houdoe! 🙋♂️