Categorical Thinking and Integral Vision

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ICS (Integral Consciousness Studies):

What makes a person happy?

A simple question and so many possible answers!

It can be exciting to reflect on all the possible new insights about happiness, its ontology, biological and neurological foundations, the epistemology of its cognitive and psychological states, genetic and epigenetic dispositions for it, and perhaps even its transpersonal implications for permanent happiness.

I would suggest that the multitude of pictures that paint reality can hardly be a bad thing. It is categorical thinking that might present a problem.

Do we have to passively wait for decades or even half-centuries to comprehend that certain (predominant at the time) notions were reflecting only a single aspect of reality?

Thinking categorically or actively seeking to align with only one aspect of reality, compulsively sticking to a single frame of thought, and focusing on the boundaries of a single field instead of seeing the bigger picture may never bring about thorough progress.

Separating various aspects of reality and being stuck in such categories is a frequent state of mind, it seems. It does not have to be, however.

Be that as it may, in the quest for integral vision, approaches like material reductionism, categorical thinking, and disinclination towards everything that does not correspond to one specific aspect of reality might prove counterproductive.

The advantage lies in flexibility, fluidity, and the ability to shift an angle of vision – and that is nourished by deep self-awareness above reason.

What do you think?

– Edmond Cigale, PhD