The Ensō of Everything, Everywhere
It’s 12:01 AM EST.
You know what day it is.
The rain sounds like a symphony tonight. Seven buckets for each note, A to G - some red, blue and day glow green. Thunder and lightning lurk as additional percussion, not Santana @ Woodstock, but more a minimalist Bill Bruford hanging out with the London Philharmonic - produced by Phillip Glass. The lightning brings its own electric show.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, welcome to the Back Again on Sundays Mini Novella Edition of Ensōnomics.
Ok. You’re not just imagining it. It’s a thing. It has a name.
Epistemic overload.
It’s everywhere.
Epistemic overload refers to the cognitive strain that occurs when individuals encounter more information than they can effectively process, evaluate, or integrate into coherent understanding - where the volume of available information far exceeds human cognitive capacity.
Distilling truth isn’t always easy in an infosphere of uncertainty - where does factual knowledge end, and opinion or manipulation begin?
Somewhere in the vicinity of a Jasper Johns grey.
Unlike simple information overload, epistemic overload specifically concerns the ability to distinguish reliable knowledge from unreliable claims, leading to compromised decision making and belief formation.
It’s like trying to find your North Star amidst two colliding galaxy clusters located in the constellation of Eridanus, 4.3 billion light years from Earth.
MACS J0416.1-2403 via NASA
Epistemic overload can lead to analysis paralysis, where individuals defer decisions indefinitely. It may cause people to retreat into familiar echo chamber styled information sources, only serving to reinforce existing biases. Some respond by adopting simplified heuristics or deferring to institution, potentially compromising critical thinking.
There is a path forward. Awareness, as in many things, is an on ramp. Developing information literacy skills, practicing selective attention, and understanding cognitive biases can help individuals navigate hyper dense information flow.
It can also help to look at a handful of ensō photos from earlier this summer while listening to Bill Frisell play three Beatles songs.
Have a lovely Sunday.
The Ensōnomics of an Ensō
Catellani & Smith Ensō Lamp
Arigato, a Sushi Restaurant on Calle Mesones
Self Explanatory. On Aldama in Centro.
A Community in Florida
Zen Inspired Housing in Healdsburg, CA. Of course.
Marc Zaref’s Enso: The Magic of Every Moment, Westport CT.
Bill Frisell @ Tiny Desk
Over a period of 45 years, 41 albums as leader, and appearances on more than 300 recordings, Bill Frisell has established himself as one of the most important and pioneering musicians at work today.
Hope you enjoy.
To View, Click on Watch on YouTube Icon Lower Left
The Ensō of Fat and Butter Colored Light
“Each spice has a special day to it. For turmeric it is Sunday, when light drips fat and butter colored into the bins to be soaked up glowing, when you pray to the nine planets for love and luck.” ― Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
The Endsō
