StreetLight Effect

The spate of terrorist attacks and senseless killings in the news media makes one feel like the world is really upside down. It brought to my mind the story of the 'streetlight key'.

The story goes that a man was looking for his car keys under a street lamp. An officer helped him but after a fruitless search asked him whether he was sure he dropped it at that spot where they were searching. The man replied he actually dropped it at the lot opposite the street. The officer was aghast and asked for an explanation to which the man replied "No but the light is much better here". This is now termed the "streetlight effect" where people search for whatever they are searching in the easiest way possible. Of course there are many versions of this story amended to suit different cultures or context and open to many interpretations.

Last week I met up with 2 sets of friends and I somewhat walk away with this feeling which I shared with my family "I think as we become older we become more opinionated". This is after seeing how some of my friends spoke so vehemently against LGBT and and even calling Obama a devil reincarnate. I don't support the pink dot movement either but I do not want to hold judgement if I do not know enough of their side of the story.

It seems to me Muslims who are advocating for a Caliphate maybe under the 'streetlight effect' to achieve their Utopia devoid of western decadence. But so is everyone who grasps onto their doctrines or religious teachings rigidly and is judgmental about other beliefs or systems without first trying to explore and understand a bit more. It is of course easier to hold onto the belief you have embraced all your life and cling onto them rigidly to fence off whatever doubts that may rear their ugly heads.

Alas I find the world is getting more and more polarized.

Now onto another version of the streetlight parable:
 One day a neighbor passing the Mullah's house saw him in his yard on his hands and knees searching for something.
"What is wrong? What are you looking for?"
"I have lost my keys!" Said the Mullah.
"Let me help you look." Offered the neighbor.
Nasrudin gladly accepted the neighbor's assistance.
Soon other helpful neighbors joined the search, and although the yard was rather small the search went on for nearly an hour. Finally the first neighbor to arrive said "Mullah, we have combed the yard thoroughly. Are you sure you lost the keys here?"
"No," replied the Mullah. "I lost them in the house."
Astonished and a little angry the helpful neighbor asked "Why on earth are we looking for them in the yard?"
The Mullah replied in exasperation, "Because you fool, there is more light here."

An interpretation I like about this version is that the key is inside our very own house; yet we search outside because it is dark and very difficult to search inside.