Understanding Design
Being aware of how things are designed allows us to understand our limitations and to understand how we may be manipulated by others or our surroundings. Below are three topics that involve the designs of the human mind, of computer security, and of the universe. Though diverse, these topics exemplify how understanding design can help us reach greater goals.
Habits: Training the Unconscious Mind
As the saying goes, we are creatures of habit. Understanding how those habits form involves the design of the human mind.
The mind is divided into the conscious and unconscious. The unconscious has no direct connection to our environment and must rely on our conscious thoughts and actions to grow.
The beauty of the mind's design is that as the unconscious learns, it takes the burden off of the conscious. The conscious is freed to do more complex tasks. For example, learning to drive takes an enormous conscious effort. As we get more experienced driving, the unconscious starts taking over the mundane tasks. The conscious is freed to do other things. An experienced driver can drive to work and back without having to consciously think about it.
The conscious trains the unconscious. Just as a dog must be trained consistently, the unconscious must be trained as such. Without consistent training, your unconscious will do unpredictable behavior and you are left consciously correcting the results.
The conscious mind has great potential to advance the human understanding and awareness of the universe. That potential is wasted everytime we spend conscious effort correcting unconscious behavior.
Whether you are aware of it or not, you will form habits. You might as well make those habits good ones.
Computer Security
Modern operating systems are designed with integrated security. Unfortunately, most people do not take advantage of that design. Instead, they execute all programs with full privileges.
Everytime a program is executed, you lose control of your computer. You are granting the authors of the program access to your computer and its resources. Try to name a single author of a program you use. Explain how you know this person and why you trust her/him. Explain how the company the author works for keeps its employees content.
Of course, most companies have checks to make sure no disgrunted employee puts in malicious code. If the author works alone, as in the case of a lot of shareware, those checks don't exist. With the rise of spyware, we can be guaranteed that some authors have ill intent.
Even if we could trust the intent of software developers, how can we trust their competency? Even if we could trust that, how can we be sure no mistakes were made in writing the program? A software bug can be as disasterous as ill intent.
Instead of understanding the design of integrated security, most people are lead to believe that their computers are insecure because they don't have enough protective software, such as firewalls, anti-virus, and anti-spyware. With enough protective software, granting strangers full privileges should be safe, right? Of course not, and granting them those privileges allows them to disable the protective software.
The answer is to understand the design of integrated security and use it. Don't grant strangers full access. Though protective software is still useful, its need is not as critical.
Faster Than Light Travel
The physics behind how the universe works seems about as intangable to daily life as anything can get; however, we must make effort to understand the universe. Ignoring the universe's design limits the human race and may prevent us from accomplishing our greatest achievements.
Understanding how the universe is designed allows us to understand what our limitations are. If the speed of matter and energy is limited by the speed of light, what isn't? Even if we cannot propel astronauts faster than light, perhaps there is a new form of energy that may move instantaneously. There may already be an intergalactic communication network that we are unaware of.
Content updated: 07 Apr 2005