Are you a full time constructivist? Hell.... no!!!!

I owed Rocio this post, as an elaboration of our discussion in a previous class (we were discussing about epistemology if you remember as an introduction to Piaget theoretical model).

She asked me if I was 100% constructivist and I answered that yes. At least in that moment, I was sincere. However that question continued with me the following days because it was not so clear the answer I had given.

I consider I am constructivist when I see myself as the creator of my own interpretations to the world. Then I am not so much reacting to the world than actively making sense of it.  And this is not happening all the time, only when I am aware of me being aware of me and the situation I am into. If I am not aware then I am not acting from a constructivist point of view, but just acting as a realist or empicist one. This may sound strange so I will give an example.

A couple of years ago I was driving in Madrid and got into to a small traffic circle. As I know the general rule that says that you have preference when you are in a traffic circle I took for granted that was the case at that moment. So I didn't stop although a taxi was approaching the traffic circle. I assumed he had to let me pass. The next thing is that the taxi driver began to shout to me, insulting me in a very angry way. He placed the taxi on my right side while he was shouting. My reaction, much more being "right", was to shout him back also in a furious way. We spent ten seconds  screaming and insulting each other. Then suddenly I realized the nonsense of the situation.  It was as if I could see the whole situation from outsided. And frankly it didn't worth the risk. Fortunately nothing serious had really happen so what reason we had of being so angry? So I just calmed down and watched the taxi driver shouting to me even more desperate than before. I probably had a smile in my face while I watched at him, smiling because of the stupid situation. Of course I still thought I was right, so what reason I had to discuss? Anyway I was aware of  my assumption at that point and decided I had to verify if I was right or wrong. But at that moment the main point was to finish the situation, much more because the taxi driver still was shouting and insulting me angrier than ever. So as he expected I was going to go on straight on through a main street I changed fast my direction taking another street on my right (he was already in front of me at that moment) so I could miss him. After four hours when I was again driving in the part of Madrid close to my home I went to the traffic circle to verify that the taxi driver was right. I had a give way sign I had ignored completely. However neither him nor me were right of loosing our own's control.

This brief story exemplifies my point. Only when I realized about the situation and my understanding of it I became a constructivist, but not before. I was subjected to my unconscious interpretation of the situation (I was right and he had to give me the way) and reacting to that in a violent way, because not only I was right, even more I had  to bear his insults and screams. No this is funny (or not) but it could have had worse consequences.

So in conclusion I am constructivist depending on the extent I am aware of myself in relation to others and the whole situation I live. And this does not happen all the time.

Thanks Rocío for giving me this time to reflect on this.

Bye

Alejandro