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Pyramid of success is kind of a mysterious thing that is actually very simple. In this article, you will get to know the simplified version of Pyramid of success.
There has been no doubt that we live in a time of epistemological crisis over the past few weeks. The global pandemic COVID-19 has increased everyone’s stress levels day by day. And we have received more and more distressing information about the virus and gradually increasing cases. Like most things everyone has their opinion on the matter and has thoughts, they like to express.
Millions of self-proclaimed experts are ringing on the network, crowding out, or at least contradicting real experts. Our head is already spinning “from that article,” “from that post on the social network”. And from several other tables, graphs, possible scenarios, and forecasts that we see in the media and social media.
What do we do in a world where information and statistics pile up while wisdom staggeringly decreases? How do we maintain sanity, intellectual and spiritual health, and wisdom during these troubling times?
A few years ago, similar questions prompted me and thus I referred to the “Pyramid of Success and wisdom”. A visual auxiliary tool inspired by the food pyramid but applied not to food groups, but “knowledge groups.”
The key idea in the pyramid of success and wisdom is that social networks should occupy the smallest tier in our epistemological diet (like fats/oils/sweets in our diet). The problem is that most of us have made this unhealthy category, a priority in our diet. And therefore we do not know what is reliable. That is why recent years are characterized by an increase in anxiety and mental disorders. Our diet is not at all balanced.
In this article, I want to apply the logic of the pyramid of success to the present in connection with COVID-19.
Nature
It is a vital source of wisdom and sanity in a chaotic world. Nature, biology, weather, the seasons, and so on, are characterized by objectivity. And they are critical in a world drowning in a sea of subjectivity. God’s creation offers us perspective and comfort because he has a lot to say about God’s glory if we only listen.
The problem is that in the modern world, we are often too preoccupied with our electronic devices. And we find ourselves disconnected from nature; this, in turn, reduces the stability of our mental health. Scientists have discovered that a modern overabundance of digital stimuli overtaxes our brains. And as they have to filter and sort something in this ongoing stream always. In contrast, we have less of such a choice in nature. And that allows the brain system responsible for attention to function better in high-order things, such as reflection and deep thinking.
Thus, in our current crisis, it is essential to be on the street. Move away from the computer, set aside the mobile phone, and breathe in the fresh air. Take a walk in the park. Let the joyfully chirping birds – what a contrast compared to the collapse in oil prices and the rapid rise in food prices! – To teach you lessons that no Twitter is capable of.
The beauty
The wisdom of beauty is associated with the wisdom of the Sabbath. None of them seems to be in demand (at best, “it will not hurt”) in our chaotic times, overloaded with business. But this determines their relevance. Beauty slows us down, pacifies our busy mind. And it calms our troubled souls. It helps us to relax and provides us with a more peaceful mindset for contemplation and reflection.
Do not neglect beauty in times of crisis! Sometimes it’s much more useful to listen to beautiful music than to run around in a panic in a store. Beauty and art cannot solve a crisis like the current one. But they can help us deal with it and, in time, make sense of it.
Books
In our presentism, scattered, and inattentive era, books give us perspective, focus, and space for reflection. Reading a variety of books from different periods, places, and worldviews, both scientific and fictional supports. And thus allows us to evaluate our anachronisms and the degree of our fixation on ourselves. They contribute to our education. Also, contribute to the development of empathy, help us establish cross-disciplinary ties, and open the world to us.
In times of global crisis, you might be tempted to watch Channel One continually. Do not do this, instead read Augustine’s Confession or something relating to classical fiction or fiction in general. The book you read does not necessarily have to be the most complex. It could be simply a story with an intriguing plotline. Read books that have stood the test of time and offer wisdom and support to readers of decades and centuries. Instead of sitting in front of a computer monitor during this crisis, it is better to sit under a tree and read a book while listening to birds singing.
In many ways, the Internet is a great blessing, especially in the way that it allows us to keep in touch with each other, even when we cannot leave the house! However, it is critical in the digital age, especially in times of heightened anxiety, fear, and misinformation — to limit our openness to the virtual world. Yes, keep up to date on COVID-19 (pay special attention to official recommendations from national and municipal authorities on how you can help stop the spread of the virus), but do not dive into the news stream more than necessary.
Check and double-check the accuracy of the information on social networks! Refrain from reading the publications of amateurs who are inexperienced in the declared field, make unconfirmed “stuffing,” try to increase their ratings, “playing” on topical topics, etc. This is especially true if you are prone to panic.
Check out trustworthy doctors, epidemiologists, and medical experts before looking at the imposing clickbait bloggers, inexperienced virologists, and home-grown economists. For the sake of your peace of mind in the short term and wisdom in the long run, please do not build your epistemological diet around fleeting posts on social networks.
Wisdom is, to a lesser extent, a repository of information, and to a greater area – its filter; it is like healthy kidneys that retain nutrients and filter out unnecessary ones. Tozer [AW Tozer] compares wisdom with vitamins: “They do not feed the body by themselves, but if they are not there, nothing will feed the body.”
We don’t have a vaccine yet to boost immunity against COVID-19. But in the face of a multitude of toxins of untruth and epistemological pathogens that undermine our mental and spiritual health, we have a means of strengthening the immune system: wisdom. This is why a healthy, wisdom-based diet of knowledge and information should be a top priority in the modern world of uncertainty.