On one world, the ruling class consisted of brilliant analysts who could diagnosis anything -anything but themselves. Surprisingly, in spite of their brilliance they did not recognize this shortcoming, and in fact kept up a running farce of presenting proclaimed, objective self-diagnoses. In that they were the planet’s supreme authority, there was no voice they found creditable to draw their attention to this flaw.
Exempting this noted blind spot, their ability to determine the structure, purpose, and relationships of things was superb. Equally so was their diagnostic skill in identifying and solving, “problems” in their lives.
So it was not without reason that their talents impressed even themselves – which led them, (being creatures given naturally to analysis), to eventually turn their inquiring eye to the matter of this faculty so imposing and singular to them. And within the confines of the situation as described, there is no one to objectively say that they did not give it their best effort…and yet, they failed miserably – nay – doubly so, for from an outsider’s view not only did they not reach their intended goal, but they also seemed oblivious to the fact.
Amongst themselves, as they carried on continuing experiments, and compiled the resulting data, they spoke endlessly of the great progress they were making in the diagnosis of their own analytic capacity. They saw not the reality of what was occurring.
They had ever expanding libraries of theories, anecdotes, speculations, and statistics concerning the subject, all of which they accepted, to varying degrees, and under sundry conditions, as being reasonably indicative of the essential nature of this formidable ability, vouchsafed in them. But all of their conclusions about this unique talent of theirs were fatally flawed, and never realized to be so.
J.