Don Quixote Effects
Don Quixote, the character created by Miguel de Cervantes, was a tragic warrior. His struggle was with reality, rude and hostile, which he tried to replace. He wanted to turn it into an ideal that he knew was unattainable. There are different metaphors that arise from this character. This has led to an effect named after his adventure – the Don Quixote effect.
The Don Quixote effect occurs in different fields. It is the analogy of the man who fights against wind turbines and believes that they are giants. We can find this in war between countries. And we can also find it in everyday life. When we believe that things are in one way, but in reality they are in another, we fall into this effect. We end up diving with our heads first towards the windmill.
The Don Quixote effect in war
One of the implications of the Don Quixote effect is on international relations. More specifically, this is related to war among countries. In history we can find various examples, such as the US-Vietnam War . In these wars, countries immerse themselves in wars they cannot win. Although the countries cannot take control of the territory, they throw themselves into battle.
Unfortunately , the number of deaths caused by these wars is not justifiable. This is independent of the benefits they can get from them. These wars can be started with the excuse of saving another country. They can say they are spreading democracy or overthrowing a dictator. In any case, these impossible ideals are like those that are characteristic of Don Quixote. Let’s not forget the Iraq war. It was launched by the United States with the aim of implanting democracy in the Middle East.
The Don Quixote effect as hysteresis
From a sociological point of view, the Don Quixote effect in wars is equivalent to “hysteresis”. Hysteresis occurs when the cause and effect are delayed. This means that the reason for creating the change is displayed, but the change takes longer than expected. It may not even appear at all. Applied to sociology, history teaches us lessons about how events happen. They give us experience. Yet, as much as we expect, the past does not always repeat itself. For example, when we move, we expect to adapt to a new lifestyle after a short while. Sometimes this does not happen.
Being influenced by literature and history at the expense of other sciences can lead you to have wrong ideas about what might happen. Your brain uses cognitive disorders and mental shortcuts (heuristics). These can make you trust your hopes more than rationality. This Don Quixote effect can be seen when you think about things while in a fog. This fog is amplified by foresighted old ghosts. Somehow they are the giants of history. They never take real shape and end up dissolving.
The Don Quixote effect in habitus
For Pierre Bourdieu, the Don Quixote effect is found within his theory of habitus. Habitus is a system through which we act, think and feel in a certain way. Habitus is determined by our social class. This in turn consists of the interplay between cultural knowledge, education and economic capital, among other things.
The systems in habitus lead people living in similar environments to have very similar lifestyles. For example, people from the same neighborhood have a similar taste in the form of books, movies, sports, art, etc. In the same way, the behavior of these people will also be similar. But we can change habits when we act in a different way than our typical behavior.
Therefore, habitus sets limits for us – it tells us what is possible and what is impossible. Despite this, as we have said before, we can overcome these limits. Because what habitus tells us is impossible is not always so, strong changes in our environment can force a change in habitus. If, when faced with these changes, the habitus changes favorably, it has undergone a good adaptation.
On the other hand, when this does not happen, “habitus hysteresis” occurs. This is the Don Quixote effect. When this happens, your thoughts, your feelings and your actions are inappropriate in the current situation. This is due to the fact that habitus is in the past. It does not change even when changes occur in the environment. Fortunately, you can have good friends like Sancho Panza who, although very different from you, can help you. Such friends can join you in your adventures and give you a different perspective. It may be one that is closer to reality.
