Stating the Obvious | Value of the Obvious | Stepping Outside the Flow

Stepping Outside the Flow

If things are as Ricard describes; if we are frequently victim to the rapid flow of our thoughts; and, if having our attention centred on something we already know can be a way of stepping outside of this flow, then it would seem that stating the obvious can also have value as a method for controlling time.

A statement like, ‘that monument is really big’ could function as a way of channelling vision – to point out something like this, is, amongst other things, to centre the flow of thoughts upon something. It may be that the next moment our thoughts have already forgotten about the monument and are onto something else, but the statement affords us to the opportunity to alight for a while.

It is, of course, possible that we may have thought about the monument without having it brought to our attention; and indeed, we may have meditated upon it of our own volition. But stating the obvious implies a social function, a subject to state the obvious to, and in this sense a truism like this can have value as a flow-altering device, both for the person saying it (as a reminder to themselves) and the person receiving the information.