2. Know how to evaluate (The evaluation)
Once we know how to focus and we are aware what we are focusing, we can compare multiple focuses, and this is how we can evaluate things (and concepts).If we focus on a physical object, for example, we can focus on another object and compare different properties such as size, weight, color, etc.
Without precise enough focus on the subject matter and also on something that is used as a reference/unit, we cannot evaluate. So, a thought/saying like "it's big", "it's good", which lacks the focus on the reference material is silly and useless. These are expressions of one's personal impression (or desire) rather than practical evaluation. And lots and lots of human thought and evaluation fall in this category.
In practice:
- We need to be aware of the primary focus and one (or more) of its property we want to evaluate and the secondary focus we use as the reference or measuring unit, which has the same property as the primary focus.
If we are not clear about what we are thinking about, we need to go back to the first step and clarify what we are interested in.
- Then we need to clarify which aspect of the subject matter we are interested in.
- And finally, we can pick up reference matter to compare/evaluate.
Once we are proficient in evaluating, it's interesting to evaluate many different things of opposing extremes with the same reference materials and/or about the same properties. This gives a "perspective" in the sense of wider view about the properties or references. This kind of evaluation is different from the common form of useless evaluations, which is nothing other than foggy and hazy expression of fear/hope/frustration/desire so common.
At first, we may continuously find that we are presuming that we are evaluating something, either by simply declaring the value/estimate/etc, by presuming that it's obvious, by believing in what others said, and so on, rather than focusing on different things and comparing/measuring.If we are well aware of our evaluation process, we should be able to indicate focuses used and and the property. Thus, the evaluation can be expressed in "A is greater compared to B in terms of the property X", for example, instead of "A is better" type of expression, which often indicate (near total) lack of awareness on the focuses and the property.
It may feel tedious to think/express like this, but we can get used to it. The time and effort to get used to varies depending on different factor, and it may take several years or even more. And some of us may never get used to. But it can be adopted in a short period by some others, as well. It's just a matter of breaking some old habits and installing a new one. And the addictive need for the certainty and moreover absolute certainty (at any cost) can be strong enough to slow us down or block us, too. It feels good to be sure, in general.
Yet, this can be used for our advantage by understanding that following the relative nature of evaluation is more straight/honest/integral for the desire of our mind to be correct/right/certain. I mean, by being certain in well aware and well limited/conditional manner, in the potentially reasoning/logical part of our mind, it can be emotionally very satisfying, as well, because we are not committing the mistake of silly delusional pseudo logical wishful thinking, at least, even though we do not have any positive/affirmative absolute certainty.
In other words, we can have limited and conditional certainty at reasoning mind, while feeling absolute emotional certainty ABOUT the way we are thinking, as we are not mixing up reasoning and emotion/preferences and we are not confusing relative matter and the desire for absolutes.
So, just like focusing on what we are interested in can be satisfying, evaluating in relative/conditional manner can also be contributing to satisfaction of our desires.
Exercises:
- Check and find evaluation without clear focuses and/or the property on which evaluation is made in your thought and and in the thought of others.
Note: Sometime, or very often, focuses and property are implied (probably because the person isn't very conscious about them) and we have to guess.
But there can be not much to be guessed, as well.
Ask yourself and others to clarify and confirm if your guess is correct or not.
This and other exercises can help us to cultivate the ability to follow focuses/perspectives of others.
- While trying to evaluate something, notice how uncertain many things are. I mean, even setting a focus isn't easy and definitive.
Actually, I don't think there is any absolutely precise focus, for the matter, as I don't there is any absolute division/separation. So, we are setting hypothetical focus of hypothetical and possibly practical precision for given evaluation purpose, to be very precise.
I didn't mention this, intentionally, in the first step, so that we can concentrate in focusing. But once we are well aware of limited and conditional nature of evaluation (with this second step), the hypothetical nature of focus would not bother setting/holding focuses.
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