On one world the ruling class consisted of 
brilliant analysts who could diagnosis anything --
--  anything but themselves,
and 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,
and 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 & 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,
but 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 was fatally flawed, and never realized to be so,   and again, from an outsider’s perspective,
it is clearly understandable.
Their analytic, and diagnostic skill functioned perfectly when directed to matters outside of themselves;
they were incomparable in their ability to analyze things of which they could be sensually aware,
a distinction which clearly did not include 
their own internally based, ability to analyze --
except --  ‘twas ne’er obvious to them --  it couldn’t be! They had no backup analytic operation to 
analyze their main one.
In this regard, they were like a man in the dark
whose neck wouldn’t  turn to allow him to 
look over his shoulder, and thus he could only 
guess at the nature of his backside.
Upon hearing this allegorical picturization, 
someone immediately suggested that 
the problem would have been solved if only they had developed mirrors,
but right there IS the problem:
when these astounding beings used their 
analytic power on matters outside themselves --  
--  it performed flawlessly --  but --
when they turned it inward ON themselves --
it became nothing BUT a mirror, 
and a mirror never has anything of its own TO reflect.
That is why, no matter how brilliant,
and sincere they were, 
they could never “see,” and diagnosis themselves.
 

Okay --  everyone who’s finally beginning to get even a whiff of what’s going on --  raise your hand  --
               and you can go on out for recess early.
 

                                         J