A strange loop occurs when you move through the levels of a hierarchical system and arrive back where you started.
Douglas Hofstadter uses the concept of self-referential strange loops to explain the emergent property of consciousness in the books – Gödel, Escher, Bach and I Am a Strange Loop.
And yet when I say “strange loop”, I have something else in mind — a less concrete, more elusive notion. What I mean by “strange loop” is — here goes a first stab, anyway — not a physical circuit but an abstract loop in which, in the series of stages that constitute the cycling-around, there is a shift from one level of abstraction (or structure) to another, which feels like an upwards movement in a hierarchy, and yet somehow the successive “upward” shifts turn out to give rise to a closed cycle. That is, despite one’s sense of departing ever further from one’s origin, one winds up, to one’s shock, exactly where one had started out. In short, a strange loop is a paradoxical level-crossing feedback loop. When a system evolves to a certain level of complexity, we have the emergence of a new system that cannot be reduced to the sum of its parts…the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
I think therefore I am…more than a neural network.
I see the Tao symbol (Yin Yang symbol) as an example of a strange loop. We see self-reference because there is Yang in the Yin (white in black) and vice versa. A circular motion is suggested by the symbol which represents a never ending loop of transformation.
In 1906, an Italian economist observed that 80% of Italy’s wealth belonged to 20% of the population. The Pareto Principle is known as the 80-20 rule, because 80% of the output results from 20% of the input. For example, 20% of the customers create 80% of the revenue. This is an example of how most systems are not distributed evenly.
This has been used as a rule in everyday life, including an individual’s output. If you paint a room in your home, you can cover most of the wall with paint relatively quickly using a roller. The smaller area near the edges requires more time and preparation – applying masking tape, carefully manipulating the paint brush. Also, if you try to do a “perfect” job it can take more time and effort – applying the paint evenly, getting edges straight, applying more than one coat of paint. In this case, a good strategy would be start your day with the paint edging, if that is when you are at your peak energy level.
Can you identify other ways of applying the Pareto Principle in your everyday life?
The notion of multitasking is derived from the apparent ability of multitasking computers to do several things at once. However, to complete a task properly we must concentrate on it fully. What is going on in your mind while you are combining activities such as watching TV, listening to your iPod or using the computer?
A state of happiness is the benefit of being able to focus on the moment. If a task is complex , it is best to break it down into mini-tasks that can be completed before moving on to the next task.
Extreme relaxation achieved by meditation requires the mastery of abilities that can be seen as the total opposite of mental process of multitasking.
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