Specifics on generalizing

You might think, from some of my previous work, that I think generalizing is evil or somehow wrong. And while there are times and places where it does in fact hurt us, that just isn't so.

Generalizations are like handguns, swords, fire and the poison we use to kill insects. All of these things can be very powerful tools that can accomplish a number of different tasks. Each is better at specific tasks than the others.

Fire can keep us warm, cook our food and keep predators away. Swords and guns can be used to defend ourselves and those we care about, to keep others from harming us. The poison can keep insects from running rampant throughout our lives.

Each of these things has powerfully positive ways that they can make our lives better. Conversely, each of them can also be turned to dark evil purposes as well. They can all be used to murder, cripple, maim and cause suffering.

A tool is just a tool, neither inherently good or evil. All tools are double edged swords so to speak. All is determined by the wielder. It is the knowledge and intent of the user of each of these tools that determines whether good or ill results.

Arguably, generalizations are the most powerful of these tools that I have listed because it deals with words and understanding of words. And since words are our way of interacting with one another, sharing our experiences and motivating ourselves and others, tools that are themselves concepts and not physical things, have the most potential for impacting lives, for better or for worse.

So, what is good about generalizing? Well as mentioned previously, it is part of the process that allows us to take in all the things that happen to us moment to moment and not get completely overloaded all the time by the sheer amount of raw data.

But, really, I think, the greatest way in which we benefit from generalization is how we use it in the learning process. Initially all learning is done by rote memorization of a thing happening over and over and over. It is how we learn our ABC's, basic counting and things of that nature.

At some point though, being the naturally curious animals that we are, we start doing something called extrapolating. Extrapolation is quite literally lumping all the stuff we know about a particular thing together into one category and saying if that is true then what about this?

We generalize all the data we have in a certain area into the word "that" and then use that to test something new and unfamiliar. If we find  "this" to be true, then we add it to "that" making a new slightly larger set of data and seek out a new "this"

Specific example. Bob likes being able to breathe. Suzie likes being able to breathe. So do, Steven, Mary,Jacob, Harry, and so on. You query 99 people. They all say they like to breathe, men and women alike. Before asking the one hundredth person the question you generalize all the data previously collected by theorizing that if all 99 of these people like being able to breath, the next person you ask will also enjoy breathing. You ask and lo and behold the hundredth person also enjoy breathing.

From this experiment you make some other generalizations and extrapolations. You decide that, based on the data you have collected so far, all men like breathing and all women like breathing. Men and women are people, therefore all people like breathing. Wait what about children, they are people too right?

You generalize the data. Children are just younger men and women. So children should enjoy breathing as well. You ask some. The ones that are old enough to properly understand the question all answer affirmatively that they do indeed enjoy being able to breathe.

Men, women, children, yup those are all the ones that qualify as people. You generalize that people like breathing and can extrapolate and learn more based on that data. Through generalization and trial and error our pool of knowledge gradually goes from this tiny little pond to a vast ocean of data.

And to communicate the concepts to people we just generalize. If they don't understand or if they disagree, then we can get into the specifics of how or why what we say is true. We save time, and energy be generalizing.  Like all of the other tools at our disposal, generalization is a powerful tool for good if used properly. It just takes conscious observation and effort to be sure we are using it correctly.