DOOR OF WISDOM AND MINDSET AND A SOFT STRICT METHOD TO SECCED.
HOW MANY FKN COMMANDMENTS?
- BY
DAVID GIOVANNI SCHWARZKOP FITZGERALD RAUGH LOMBARDI KAROUM.
self-enlightning.
GET FREE
HOW’S BASIC AVERAGE LOOKS LIKE ?
I QUIT IT’S BEEN YEARS TO BE REEALISTIC , BUT 2 YEARS AGO I TURNED 180 DEGREES, I USED TO HATE COLLEGE NOW I’M BOSSIN AND PLANNING, WHY ?
BECAUSE I WOKE UP OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT ‘ MATRIX OR INCEPTION ‘ OR WHATEVER, WHO AM I ? WHAT ARE MY NEEDS , WHAT I WANNA BE ? WHAT AMOUNT OF MONEY I WANNA REACH,MILLIOS BILLIONS,TRILLIONS… ?
I LIVED TWO LIVES , I WS A HALF NONE EDUCATED AND THE STREETS AND YOU KNOW, BUT NOW I’M WORLDWIDE, OFFICES, LUXURY, BUT THE THING IS WHO THE F AM I ? TO AVOID NARCISSIM AND STUFF,
I SEE ONLY FEY MAYBE AROUND HALF A BILLION ARE AWAKEN NOW THST’S JUST TO CLARIFY THINGS IN A FUNNY WAY BUT ONLY FEW BRAIN ARE UP, AND WHAT’S NEXT ? PRODUCTIVITY AND CREATING A BETTER PLACE A LET A LEGACY. WE NOT DONE YET, PERSONALLY I HAVE A LOT TO DO AND IT’S FUN, HOW’S YOUR REACTION IF YOU WERE ME ? TIRED OR EXCITED ?
SO LET’S TAKE A LITTLI JOUNER AS THE FIRST IN MY NOVEL ‘ YOUR COMPASS OF SUCCESS’ IT’S KIDA CHAIN OF INFORMATION OR A SERIE, ANYWAYS, LET’S GET SERIOUS, AN HOLD UP, I AM THE CAPTAIN OF MY SHIP, BECAUSE I’M NOT A SHEEP.
NOW WE ALSO GONNA INTEGRATE SUBJECTS AND CHAPTERS WITHNOTES & CONCLUSIONS AND STORIES EVENTUALLY.
LET’S START GUYS !
LET’S NAIL IT « SAYS A GUY » !! o.O
PERIODT.
THAT’S THE SPIRIT.
SUBJECTS ARE SURPRISING SOMEHOW
Honestly, how’s world going ? removing the internet
How ?
Think it over !
Tiny advice :
First of all learn at least 2 strange languages and a combat sport and another at least sports music instrument, because as a pianist I GOT A WISDOM FROM PIANO AND I MENTIONED IT IN MY PREVIOUS NOVEL, BE ALVE SPIRITUALLY AND PHYSICALLY, LEEP SHINING BUDDY ( BEAUTIFUL SOUL), WE MEANT TO LIVE AND ENJOY AS ONE,THAT THE PURPOSE, WE HELP EACH OTHER AS WE CAN. MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY. THAT’S THE REAL HUMANITY NOT STUPIDITY AND BEING GREEDY , THIS IS PSYCHOLOGICALLY TOXIC AND IN EVERY DIRECTION.
LET’S GO TO ANOTHER LEVEL.
The basics : of course :
Always set a reminder, wether a book or good videos and many other thing, but nothing can be better than a book or books.
We’re the real best successors of the creator GOD ( the creative energy ) or whatever u believe in a creator, making fun of it it’s for us, wether by actions or sayings, the price is awful and you gonna be a baby man/woman til death and there’s no other similar life ( YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE) MAKE IT GOOD AND BE BRAVE AND HONEST AND GOOD NOT EVIL, THINK IT OVER.
EVEN AS AN AGNOSTIC, I LOVE THE CREATOR.
CHAPTER 1 : KNOW YOURSELF AND THE HUMAN NATURE.
START IT BY A GREAT BOOK, CREDIT TO MR. ROBERT GREENE ( The laws of human nature )
The Laws Of Human Nature helps you understand why people do what they do and how you can use both your own psychological flaws and those of others to your advantage at work, in relationships, and in life.
“If you had given me the choice of not writing the book and never having this physical problem, I would have chosen writing the book.” The book is The Laws Of Human Nature. And the physical problem? A stroke. Robert Greene would choose one of life’s scariest health problems over not sharing his latest work. That’s how important it is to him. Wow!
You might think such a big health sacrifice is over the top, but it’s not like Greene set out to have a stroke. In fact, he lives a very healthy, active lifestyle. And yet, he’s not fazed by the fact that it happened.
Greene’s dedication to writing shows in other ways too. All of his books have been multi-year projects, which is why he published “only” six times over the past 20 years. The 48 Laws of Power took three years, so did Mastery, and The Laws Of Human Nature even took six! He reminds me of Jim Collins, who spent six to nine years on Built To Last, Good To Great, and Great By Choice each.
For now, here are 3 lessons from Greene’s latest work about the nature of human behavior:
1. It’s usually not other people that stop us from succeeding, but ourselves. To combat this, we must stay positive.
2. Each of us has both a feminine and a masculine side and we must accept both to be our best self.
3. A cycle of four trends shapes human generations and there’s a high chance yours is influenced by one as well.
Let’s learn from one of the world’s most dedicated writers how to get along with others and yourself.
Lesson 1: Self-sabotage is the most common way we ruin our lives. To prevent it, have a positive attitude.
Historically acclaimed playwright Anton Chekhov had every reason not to become the legend he is today. His father beat him and forced Anton to skip school to work for him. Ultimately, his bad business dealings even forced the family to flee from their hometown. Worse still, they left Anton behind at the ripe age of…sixteen.
The core of human behavior Greene gets to in the book is patterns and with such a childhood, you’d naturally expect bad patterns, like alcoholism, aggression, or others, to follow in Chekhov’s life. But they didn’t. Chekhov had developed a strong sense of empathy, which allowed him to see his father as the troubled man that he was. He pitied him and was able to let go of his anger.
Forgiving his father and letting go of these negative emotions was the ultimate personal freedom for Anton Chekhov, which allowed him to create the life he wanted to live – a life as a writer.
In The Big Leap, Gay Hendricks talks about self-inflicted upper limits, ceilings, that prevent us from getting to the next level. Having a positive baseline attitude towards life, no matter how bad your circumstances, is the number one way to keep yourself from subconsciously establishing them.
Lesson 2: We all have both feminine and masculine traits and we should embrace them both.
In what Greene calls The Law of Gender Repression, he tells the story of Caterina Sforza, a powerful Italian noblewoman from the 15th century. Thanks to the wealth of her family, she was able to explore all her passions. These included fashion and arts, but also physical combat. Refusing to succumb to gender stereotypes made her one of the most fascinating public figures of her time.
There’s no denying our biology. Men and women are different. Us males are usually better at focusing, zeroing in on something, and going after it. We want to separate the world into categories that make sense and neatly file everything in our brains.
Women, on the other hand, tend to be more pattern-focused. They like to collect, not just things, but information too, and weave it into a coherent web that connects.
And yet, only when we embrace both our male and female tendencies as people can we reap the benefits of these different mental characteristics. Both have value on their own and we’ll always lean more towards one than the other, but their combination is the most powerful way to process and make sense of the world.
Lesson 3: Generational values shape our lives without us realizing how big their impact is.
Arab 14th-century scholar Ibn Khaldun was one of the world’s first sociologists. He was one of the earliest people to speak of things like “a generation,” “tribalism,” and “group dynamics.” Even back then, he developed a rather coherent theory of generational cycles.
Khaldun saw four types of generations, which repeat over and over. They are all defined by certain trades and attitudes:
1. The revolutionaries, who upend an established system causing great change.
2. The orderlies, who bring organization and structure to the new system.
3. The pragmatists, who enjoy the comforts of this new order.
4. The skeptics, who question their parents’ lives of leisure.
The order of these isn’t fixed and sometimes, the traits mix, but if you think back to the traditional, Silent Generation of WWII, the Baby Boomers’ 9-to-5, white picket fence lives, and the get-rich-quick momentum of Generation X, these patterns are clearly visible. Future generations might even be global, as the world is more and more connected.
What generation are you a part of? How does it shape your life? They’re questions worth reflecting. They might not just change how you behave, but define the outcomes of your life.
Rationality is the ability to counteract these emotional effects, to think instead of react, to open your mind to what is really happening, as opposed to what you are feeling. It does not come naturally; it is a power we must cultivate, but in doing so we realize our greatest potential.” – ROBERT GREENE-
YOU MUST KNOW YOURSELF AND YOUR ENVIRONMENT.
-DOOR OF PSCYCHOLOGY
CHAPTER 2 :
Introducing Psychology
Psycho-Cybernetics ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS FOR MEby Maxwell Maltz ,Book Summary AND CONCLUSION: IN A TRADITIONAL WAY, LET’S SEE
Any good plastic surgeon is and must be a psychologist. When you change a man’s face you almost invariably change his future. Change his physical image and nearly always change the man – his personality, his behavior – and sometimes even his basic talents and abilities.
Maxwell Maltz was a plastic surgeon (†1975). And he was a psychologist. He discovered that when he changed a man’s face, he often also changed his personality and life. When he altered a person’s face, then the person changed for better after the operation. Yet, this was not always the case. In some cases the plastic surgeon Maltz adjusted a certain disfigurement of a patient’s face, and still that person’s life did not change after surgery.
That’s what struck him most!
He realized that the mere reconstruction of the physical image itself was not the real key to changes in personality. And this realization was the key reason why a plastic surgeon did significant research in human psychology.
So, Maltz was interested in psychology, more precisely, he was interested in why some people’s lives changed after plastic surgery and some’s didn’t. In the search for an answer he came across the then-popular science of “Cybernetics” (the book Psycho-Cybernetics was published in 1960).
What the heck is Cybernetics?
The word “Cybernetics” comes from a Greek word which means literally, “the steersman.” Servo-mechanisms are so constructed that they automatically “steer” their way to a goal, target, or “answer.” When we conceive of the human brain and nervous system as a form of servo-mechanism, operating with Cybernetic principles, we gain new insight into the why and wherefore of human behavior. I choose to call this new concept “Psycho-Cybernetics”: the principles of Cybernetics as applied to the human brain.
“The steersman” – That’s what Cybernetics originally meant in Greek. Now, you can understand that a servo-mechanism is a cybernetic system which steers automatically to a pre-chosen target. Think of a guided missile. You start by setting a target/goal and then you launch it. From now on, the missile works automatically! It uses its mechanical “senses” (it may be radar or sonar or heat or whatever) to stay on track. These mechanical senses give positive or negative feedback depending on whether the missile is still on target or not. When it’s not on target anymore (negative feedback) it simply adjusts its course until it gets positive feedback when it’s back on target.
That’s cool stuff. You set a target, launch, and then the missile stays on target automatically.
And now it gets SUPER interesting!
If we look at the human brain and the nervous system together as a form of servo‑mechanism, we gain new insight into the human behavior. This concept is called “Psycho-Cybernetics!”
The basic idea is this: Whatever goal we have in mind, our brain and nervous system will guide us there automatically… (Crazy idea?!)
We’ll learn about how and why it works that way. And we’ll definitely learn how to use it for good in our own lives. Maxwell Maltz tells us how to set our life goals and how we can achieve what we want to achieve. That’s what the book is basically about: How can we add more years to life – and more life to our years.
Let’s get started set our target on SUCCESS!
Chapter 1 The Self Image: Your Key to a Better Life
Chapter 2 Discovering the Success Mechanismwithin You
Chapter 3 Imagination - The First Key to YourSuccess Mechanism
Chapter 4 Dehypnotize Yourself from False Beliefs
Chapter 5 How to Utilize the Power of Rational Thinking
Quick Recap
You act, and feel, not according to what things are really like, but according to the image your mind holds of what they are.
Chapter 6 Relax and Let Your Success MechanismWork for You
Chapter 7 Acquire the Habit of Happiness
Chapter 8 Ingredients of the Success-Type Personality and How to Acquire Them
Chapter 9 Tranquilize Yourself and Get Peace of Mind
What Next?
You will act like the sort of person you conceive yourself to be.
(1-Chapter 1
The Self Image: Your Key to a Better Life
The “self-image”, the individual’s mental and spiritual concept or “picture” of himself, was the real key to personality and behavior. Change the self-image and you change the personality and the behavior.
Do you remember that Maltz was looking for the reason why some patients changed their lives after surgery and some didn’t?
Well, he found the reason! It is the SELF-IMAGE!
Many patients changed in personality after surgery because they also changed their self-image. The ones that didn’t change their self-image stayed the same after surgery. So, depending on whether or not the patient changed his self-image after surgery he also changed his personality.
So, what exactly is the self-image and why is it the key to a better life?
Let’s find out!
Whether we realize it or not, each of us carries about a mental blueprint or picture of ourselves.
This self-image is our own conception of the “sort of person I am.” It has been built up from our own beliefs about ourselves.
Cool.
Each of us carries a mental blueprint of ourselves. That is, we all have a mental picture of “what sort of person we are” in our mind. That’s our self-image.
For example, you might feel like “I’m just the kind of person who forgets things” or “I always wake up once a night” or “I’m just a person who gains muscles easily” or “I’m just a very clumsy person.”
Whatever you think to know about yourself is part of your self-image. That’s what you think you are and you carry that with you – all the time.
There are also many things about your self-image that you are not aware of. This could include that deep inside you don’t feel worthy or you feel weak or whatever it might be. These beliefs about yourself have been formed from past experiences.
Most of these beliefs have unconsciously been formed from our past experiences, our successes and failures, our humiliations, our triumphs, and the way other people have reacted to us, especially in early childhood.
Wow! Most of our beliefs about ourselves come from experiences in the early childhood!
These experiences form a picture of self – our self-image.
Let’s say, as a small kid you failed in catching a baseball. The other kids, or the older brother or whoever then made fun of you – they humiliated you. You then concluded that you suck at baseball or you suck in sports or you’re a failure. Maybe deep inside the humiliation formed a belief that you’re not worthy. Obviously, these conclusions would not have been justified. And it is well possible that after that experience you thought of yourself as bad in sports. And you probably still think like that. From that ONE experience you formed the part of your self-image that you suck in sports.
Sounds crazy, right?
This example may be a bit exaggerated, yet that’s exactly how it works!
It’s also possible that you reacted completely differently. Maybe you would have continued playing and tried again, and succeeded. In that case you’d maybe have concluded that you’re good at baseball or that you never give up or that you’re a great catcher. And then this experience would have become part of your self-image.
Okay, let’s recap! We all carry a mental picture of ourselves with us. These are the things we think about us to be true, some consciously (e.g. “I’m a great catcher”) and some unconsciously (e.g. deep inside you don’t feel worthy). These mental pictures have been formed from passed experiences mainly in early childhood. It is very well possible that we don’t even remember those experiences.
So, we know what the self-image is and how it forms.
Now, let’s further look at why it is so important and why it holds the key to a better life.
To completely understand the importance of our self-image, we need to understand how our subconscious mind works.
The new science of “Cybernetics” found proof:
The so-called “subconscious mind” is not a “mind” at all, but a mechanism – a goal-striving “servo-mechanism” consisting of the brain and the nervous system, which is used by, and directed by mind. Man does not have two “minds,” but a mind, or consciousness, which “operates” an automatic, goal-striving machine.
Cool stuff!
Our subconscious mind works like a goal-striving machine!
Do you remember how the guided missile works? You set a target and launch the missile. Then it keeps on track automatically thanks to positive and negative feedback it receives from its “senses”.
And that’s how our subconscious mind works!
Our subconscious mind is our goal-striving machine and works automatically to achieve any goals we set for it.
What?! Yes! Our subconscious mind works automatically on achieving the goals we set for ourselves. The goals are, and that’s important, the mental pictures we have in mind. And these pictures we have in mind come from our self-image! This is exactly why our SELF-IMAGE is so crucial! (Read that again…)
The key goal-image is our Self-Image.
That’s mind-blowing!
Our self-image is the main target of our goal-striving machine!
Our self-image that we built up mainly from childhood experiences (!) is our main goal we automatically strive for! Our self-image creates mental pictures in our mind that are interpreted as our targets or goals in life! And our subconscious mind automatically tries to achieve these goals!
This is MASSIVE!
Let that sink for a second.
Again, we built up our self-image mainly from early childhood experiences. This self‑image gets interpreted as our main goals in life and our automatic goal-striving machine (our subconscious mind) tries to achieve them!
With that in mind it becomes clear that all your actions, feelings, behavior – even your abilities – are always consistent with your self-image. Because your goal-striving machine automatically guides you there.
If you conceive yourself as a great catcher, you will always find some ways to verify that self-image. When you catch a ball, it’s clear that you caught the ball because you’re a great catcher. It verifies your self-belief. Also, your goal-striving machine will lead you there; it will basically catch the ball for you. On the other hand, if you don’t catch the ball, you’ll find a way to still see yourself as a great catcher. Maybe there was some wind or it was a tough ball or you didn’t focus or whatever. Your feelings and actions will still be consistent with your image of being a great catcher.
No matter what your self-image may be, you will always automatically act upon it.
If you think of yourself as a poor mathematician, you will always act accordingly. Your automatic goal-striving machine interprets that as your goal and will lead you there (!) – being poor at maths. Even if you just fail one test, it will strengthen your self-image of being poor at maths. It becomes a vicious cycle: You think of yourself as bad à your goal-striving machine will get you there à this will strengthen your self-image … and so on and on and on…
Your self-image is a sort of foundation upon which your personality and your behavior are built. As you act upon that self-image you experience things that seem to verify and thereby strengthen that self-image.
The “self-image” sets the boundaries of individual accomplishment. It defines what you can and cannot do.
Your self-image or what you consciously or unconsciously think about yourself to be true, defines who you are and sets the boundaries. What you think to be true about yourself becomes true. You automatically act upon your self-image.
Hopefully that’s clear. We automatically act upon our self-image! It defines what we can and cannot do. Our self-image determines our actions, feelings and behavior.
We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world. – Buddha
And now comes the GOOD NEWS!
The self-image can be changed. Numerous case histories have shown that one is never too young nor too old to change his self-image and thereby start to live a new life.
FANTASTIC! The self-image can be changed!
To change our behavior and personality, we need to change our self-image.
Once the concept of self has changed, other things consistent with the new concept of self, are accomplished easily and without strain.
Alright, when we change our self-image, we change our feelings, actions and behavior. This explains why some patients changed their life after surgery – because their self-image changed due to surgery.
It now becomes clear why our self-image is the key to a better life. The self-image defines who we are, and we actually can change it – without surgery! A change in self-image can turn failure into success!
The book helps us to develop an adequate self-image and to use our goal‑striving mechanism to bring success and happiness into our lives. Basically, the book helps us to add more years to our lives and more life to our years.
Let’s find out how to change our self-image in the next chapters!
(1-Chapter 2
Discovering the Success Mechanism
within You
A bird does not need to take lessons in nest-building. Nor does it need to take courses in navigation. Yet birds do navigate thousands of miles, sometimes over open sea. They have no newspapers or TV to give them weather reports, no books written by explorer or pioneer birds to map out for them the warm areas of the earth. Nonetheless the bird “knows” when cold weather is imminent and the exact location of a warm climate even though it may be thousands of miles away.
Impressive! I used to watch a lot of animal documentaries – I love animals! They certainly have more native instincts than we have. Such instincts assist animals to successfully cope with their environment and help them survive. Let’s call that “success instinct.”
Man too has a success instinct, much more marvelous and much more complex than that of an animal.
Man’s built-in “Success Mechanism” also is much broader in scope than an animal’s. In addition to helping man avoid or overcome danger, and the “sexual instinct” which helps keep the race alive, the Success Mechanism in man can help him get answers to problems, invent, write poetry, run a business, sell merchandise, explore new horizons in science, attain more peace of mind, develop a better personality, or achieve success in any other activity which is intimately tied to his “living” or makes for fuller life.
So, man’s “success instinct” is much more a “Success Mechanism”. The success mechanism in man (and obviously women, too!) helps to get answers to problems, write poetry, run a business, attain more peace of mind, develop a better personality or catch a ball in baseball. Basically, our human success mechanism helps us living a better life.
Do you remember the automatic goal-striving mechanism that we all have built-in? You know, the subconscious mind which works automatically to achieve our self‑image (goals). Well, THAT’S our success mechanism!
The brain and nervous system constitute a marvelous and complex “goal-striving mechanism,” a sort of built-in automatic guidance system which works for you as a “success mechanism,” or against you as a “failure mechanism,” depending on how “YOU,” the operator, operate it and the goals you set for it.
That’s interesting!
We’ve already learned that our brain and nervous system together build a marvelous goal‑striving machine that automatically strives for our main goal-image – our self‑image. It’s like a built-in satnav that leads us automatically to our self-image.
Now, if the mechanism works for us it’s called success mechanism. If it works against us it’s called failure mechanism. It fully depends on the operator, which is us! That’s important! YOU ARE THE OPERATOR! Everything that you achieve or don’t achieve in life is because of you! As you operate your goal-striving mechanism everything depends on the goals you set for your machine. You yourself set the goals for it. Depending on these goals the goal-striving mechanism works for or against you. And always keep in mind that your main goal is your self-image!
(And by the way: Psycho-Cybernetics does not say that man is a machine. Rather, it says that man has a machine which he uses.)
Let’s say you think of yourself as a great catcher. When you try to catch a ball, your success mechanism does most of the work for you. For example, you see the ball flying high. What now happens is quite impressive. You see the ball; then you just run. Yet, how to run and why and how far happens automatically. You don’t stand there and think about what to do next. You don’t go “Wow, that ball comes fast. I need to turn around and then move my left leg and then my right and then jump two meters and then reach out with my left arm and catch the ball.” This is impossible. It all happens automatically. It happens unconsciously. That’s your success mechanism that works for you! It only needs your senses (you see the ball) and stored information from previous experiences.
If you felt that you’re a bad catcher you wouldn’t catch the ball. Even if you tried. Your automatic goal-striving mechanism would work against you as a failure mechanism. It sees your goal-image of being a bad catcher and tries everything so you don’t catch the ball. You may try consciously to catch the ball, but that’s just not going to work out as your failure mechanism automatically works to achieve your goal-image which is to not catch the ball.
Do you see how this works?
So, it’s not that you’re a bad catcher but that you set the wrong goal! Even if you say “I want to catch the ball” and try to set the right goal, unconsciously you don’t set the right goal because your self-image is that you’re a bad catcher. And that’s what’s interpreted by your goal-striving mechanism as your main goal. Your self-image is a stronger goal than what you just say. Basically, it’s your self-image that works for or against you.
Again, we see the importance of our self-image. We also know that our built-in goal‑striving mechanism works either for or against us. And the cool thing is that we’re not like animals whose goals are pre-set (survival and reproduction), but we have the power to select our own goals! We have the power to choose our goals!
Man has something animals haven’t – Creative Imagination. Thus man of all creatures is more than a creature, he is also a creator. Man alone can direct his Success Mechanism by the use of imagination, or imaging ability.
The human being has Creative Imagination. We can create! By the use of our imagination we can set new goal-images. These goal-images then get interpreted as our main goals and are strived for automatically! That’s how we can use our machine within us! Remember, you operate that machine!
Imagination is IMMENSELY powerful!
Imagination rules the world. – Napoleon Bonaparte
We’ll look into imagination in chapter 3, where we’ll also learn how to set our goal-images.
Before that, let’s look at the main principles by which your success mechanism operates.
You do not need to be an electronic engineer, or a physicist, to operate your own servo-mechanism, any more than you have to be able to engineer an automobile in order to drive one, or become an electrical engineer in order to turn on the light in your room.
Again, we are not a machine, but we have a machine that we can operate. To do that successfully we don’t need to know how it works exactly, yet we need to know the following basic principles:
1. Your automatic mechanism works with end goals. So, you need to have a clear goal or target in mind. And it must be conceived as already in existence – now. Your self-image is your main end goal!
2. Don’t be afraid of mistakes. All servo-mechanisms achieve a goal by negative feedback, or by going forward, making mistakes, and immediately correcting course. You can call this trial and error. Your mechanism will only remember the successful response and act accordingly in the future.
3. Let your mechanism do its work. It works automatically, so don’t jump in consciously. Let it work rather than make it work.
4. You still need to take actions. And only then you can correct course along the way. You must not wait to act until you have proof – you must act as if it is there, and it will come through.
Basically, HAVE END RESULTS IN MIND. These are the goals your success mechanism will shoot for! It’s your self-image if you don’t consciously think of other end goals. Start taking action and your desired end results will come through automatically if you let your machine do its work. It will correct course along the way.
Cool! Now, you understand the main principles of your success mechanism. That’s important as everything that follows is based on this! That’s the main idea! That’s what you need to understand in order to understand the book!
Just as a short recap: You built your self-image mainly upon experiences from the early childhood. This self-image now is the main goal your automatic goal-striving mechanism shoots for. Depending on your self-image your mechanism works either as a success mechanism or as a failure mechanism. In the following chapters you’ll learn how to use this principle for you. You’ll learn how to achieve any goals by changing your self-image! à Curious? Learn how right now!
(1-Chapter 3
Imagination - The First Key to Your
Success Mechanism
A human being always acts and feels and performs in accordance with what he imagines to be true about himself and his environment. This is a basic and fundamental law of mind. It is the way we are built.
Whatever you imagine to be true about yourself will determine your feelings and actions. This is a law of mind!
Whatever you imagine to be true about yourself will determine your feelings and actions. (Did I repeat myself? Yes, because it’s important!)
You will automatically act upon your imagination, about what you believe to be true about yourself. Your self-image is the most important picture you have about yourself. Therefore you feel and perform in accordance with it. This is crucial!
Again, this happens automatically. It’s your goal-striving machine that acts upon what you imagine to be true about yourself. So, your self-image equals an imagination about yourself and determines your actions!
When you have in mind that you are a great catcher, then you will feel and act accordingly. So, you IMAGINE yourself as a great catcher, you see yourself catching the ball and that will actually happen.
There was an interesting experiment with college students: They were asked to imagine that one hand is immersed in ice water. Thermometer readings showed that the temperature actually did drop in the “treated” hand! Amazing!
Your nervous system cannot tell the difference between an imagined experience and a “real” experience. In either case, it reacts automatically to information which you give to it from your forebrain.
This is BIG!
Your nervous system cannot tell the difference between an imagined experience and a real experience…
WOW!
There was a study that tested the power of mental practice in basketball free throws. There were three groups:
1. Group: They actually practiced 20 minutes a day for twenty days throwing free throws.
2. Group: No sort of practice.
3. Group: They spent 20 minutes a day imagining that they were throwing the ball at the basket. When they missed they would imagine that they corrected their aim accordingly.
The first group which actually practiced 20 minutes a day improved in scoring by 24%. The second group which had no sort of practice showed no improvement. The third group which practiced in their imagination improved in scoring by 23%!
CRAZY!!!
Again, your nervous system cannot tell the difference between a real experience and one vividly imagined.
You act, and feel, not according to what things are really like, but according to the image your mind holds of what they are. You have certain mental images of yourself, your world, and the people around you, and you behave as though these images were the truth, the reality, rather than the things they represent.
You don’t feel and act according to what things are really like, but you feel and act according to the image your mind sees. What you interpret. This happens automatically.
Let’s say you’re jogging though a forest and come across a bear. You’d probably run for your life, you’d focus and your heart would beat faster. All this would happen automatically. What if the bear was not real? You would still react in exactly the same way, because you imagined the bear to be real. So, what you imagine to be true determines your feelings and behavior.
How does that knowledge now help you?
Because of your automatic goal-striving mechanism! With imagination you can create the desired end result and your success mechanism will lead you there! It only needs a target to shoot at.
So, how can you do that?
Maxwell Maltz encourages us to exercise our imagination for 30 minutes a day. You should close your eyes. Let’s say you want to improve your catching in baseball. Now, imagine the desired pictures as vivid and detailed as possible. Pay attention to the small things, sights, sounds, objects. Basically, you see yourself acting and reacting appropriately, successfully, ideally. You imagine yourself acting as you want to act, and as if it was already true. You see it in front of your mental eyes, you can feel it, it feels as if it was true! You see yourself catching ball after ball, you see the details, you see yourself celebrating and hear your teammates shouting your name. And so on. This will be built into your automatic mechanism and stored as positive thoughts and experiences.
Basically, if you vividly imagined yourself as a great catcher, your subconscious mind will think it’s real and start to believe that you’re a great catcher à This will change your self-image! From thinking about yourself as a bad catcher to thinking about yourself as a great catcher! You will then act accordingly…
You can do that with anything you have in mind. When you’re preparing for an exam, it certainly helps imagining yourself celebrating after the successful result has been published. You see the end goal in mind and your automatic mechanism will guide you there. You will automatically do what’s necessary to get there!
Again, your nervous system cannot tell the difference between a real experience and a vividly imagined experience.
That’s what you should take away from this chapter. That’s the key!
Let’s repeat it again: Your nervous system cannot tell the difference between a real experience and a vividly imagined experience!
Now, let’s jump right into chapter 4 and learn how you can dehypnotize yourself from false or negative beliefs.
(1-Chapter 4
Dehypnotize Yourself from False Beliefs
The important thing for you to remember is that it does not matter in the least how you got the idea or where it came from. But if you have accepted an idea – from yourself, your teachers, your parents, friends, advertisement – or from any other source, if you are firmly convinced that idea is true, it has the same power over you as the hypnotist’s words have over the hypnotized subject.
You’ve probably heard or seen how a hypnotized subject behaved like a chicken. That’s the classic example. The subject believes to be true that he is a chicken. And then he acts like a chicken…
Maxwell Maltz described some examples of a professional hypnotist at work – A weight-lifter who couldn’t lift a pencil off a table because he believed he was too weak. Or a man that was told that he was stronger now and then he actually increased his strength!
You see, people can get hypnotized either negatively or positively.
The most fascinating thing about this is that the actual strength of the subjects was not affected. It was only the belief that changed! So, the basic abilities do not change, it’s only the belief that changes. It is your belief that sets limits to the things you can or cannot do! And that’s the power of our subconscious mind that is so powerful that when we believe something to be true, it will make it happen in absolutely unbelievable ways!
It does not matter where that idea comes from, but if you believe it to be true, if you are convinced that it is true, you act as if it was true. You act like a chicken if you believe you are a chicken. Yet you also act like an F-student if you believe you are an F-student. You act like an A-student if you believe you are an A-student. You act like a great catcher if you believe you are a great catcher. And you will NEVER catch a ball if you believe you can’t. Never? Well, you know: “A blind man may perchance hit the mark.” You know what I mean: If you believe you can’t, you most certainly can’t…
Believe you can succeed and you will. – David J. Schwartz
Within you, whoever you may be, regardless of how big a failure you may think yourself to be, is the ability and the power to do whatever you need to do to be happy and successful. Within you right now is the power to do things you never dreamed possible. This power becomes available to you just as soon as you change your beliefs.
WHAT A MESSAGE! I suggest you read it again.
Do you see how important our beliefs are? They are part of our self-image. They determine our actions. And strong beliefs make themselves come true.
Think about this: If you are firmly convinced that an idea is true, it has the same power over you as the hypnotist’s words have over the hypnotized subject!
This is HUGE!
Just imagine the power of true belief…!
And interestingly…
It is no exaggeration to say that every human being is hypnotized to some extent, either by ideas he has uncritically accepted from others, or ideas he has repeated to himself or convinced himself are true.
We are all HYPNOTIZED! At least to some extent.
Let’s look at the example we used earlier. Do you remember the situation when you couldn’t catch the baseball and others humiliated you? Now, let’s say they said that you can’t play baseball or that you can’t catch a ball. When you just took what they said as truth, then you will never be able to catch a ball. Because that’s a belief you have and you think it’s true. Yet actually it’s just a stupid idea from the others! It’s not true as long as you don’t believe it to be true.
We’ve probably all been hypnotized in a similar way.
The author states that about 95% of the people have feelings of inferiority. This is a handicap to success and happiness. AND it is not true! NOBODY is an inferior person!
That’s what Maltz means when he says that we are hypnotized. Many people think they are inferior… which is BS!
These feelings of inferiority do not originate in our experiences but in our comparison to others. We judge ourselves, and measure ourselves, not against our own “norm” but against some other individual’s “norm.” When we do this, we always, without exception, come out second best.
We are probably not the best at anything, which is completely fine. Yet we think that we’re inferior just because someone else is better at something…
When I see my friend dancing like Michael Jackson it makes me an inferior dancer, BUT it does not make me an inferior person! When I see Cristiano Ronaldo playing soccer it makes me an inferior soccer player, but not an inferior person. When I see Ronnie Coleman lifting weights it makes me an inferior weight-lifter, but it does not make me an inferior person!
When I want to compete with these guys then I’ll just feel miserable and not worthy. I CANNOT compete with them! And neither can they compete with me…
Stop measuring yourself against “their” standards. You are not “them” and can never measure up. Neither can “they” measure up with yours – nor should they. Once you see this simple, rather self-evident truth, accept it and believe it, your inferior feelings will vanish.
You are simply YOU. You are an individual. You are unique.
So, I don’t need to compete with anybody. It’s better when I don’t.
Realize that you are YOU and not “them!” You are already good how you are!
So, how can you dehypnotize yourself from inferior/limiting beliefs that already exist within you?
Maltz advises us to use physical relaxation.
Physical relaxation has a powerful influence in “dehypnotizing” us from negative attitudes and reaction patterns.
We should sit comfortably or lie on our back and just “let go.” Then we can use mental goal‑pictures and let our automatic mechanism realize those images.
I share with you my favorite mental goal-picture that helps me relax (I got it from the author Maxwell Maltz himself).
Imagine that your body is made of concrete. See yourself lying there with a heavy concrete body. Feel how your heavy concrete legs and arms are sinking down in your bed. And you cannot lift them up as they are so heavy. Your body sinks down and down and you get relaxed and relaxed.
Beliefs are hyper POWERFUL! So, start dehypnotizing yourself from limiting beliefs by relaxing your body. And stop comparing yourself to others. You are not “them”, you are simply YOU. And YOU have the power to re-program your mind with the beliefs you want to have!
(1-Chapter 5
How to Utilize the Power of Rational Thinking
Your automatic mechanism, or what the Freudians call the “unconscious,” is absolutely impersonal. It operates as a machine and has no “will” of its own. It always tries to react appropriately to your current beliefs and interpretations concerning environment. It always seeks to give appropriate feelings, and to accomplish the goals which you consciously determine upon. It works only upon the data which you feed it in the form of ideas, beliefs, interpretations, opinions.
This is important!
Your automatic goal-striving mechanism has no will of its own. It’s a machine. It tries to act as good as possible upon what YOU tell it in form of your beliefs, interpretations, thoughts etc. Again, you are the operator of your subconscious machine! And it works only with the material you feed it.
It is conscious thinking which is the “control knob” of your unconscious machine. And it is by conscious rational thought that the automatic reaction patterns can be changed.
YOU, and only you, have the power to control your machine! You can consciously choose your thoughts so you can change the reactions of your machine. Therefore you need to control your present thinking. That’s crucial. It’s called “conscious thought control.”
Let’s say you’re new in college and you’re asked whether you’d like to play baseball in the college team. You immediately go “No. I can’t play baseball, I’m a horrible catcher.” This is an automatic response and you can even feel it in your guts that you don’t want to play because you’re afraid of failure or whatever. This is still your belief because of this ONE bad experience when you got humiliated as a kid…
The author suggests asking yourself “WHY?”
“Why do I believe I can’t? Is this belief based upon an actual fact – or upon an assumption – or a false conclusion?”
Ask yourself the following four questions:
1. Is there any rational reason for such a belief?
2. Could it be that I am mistaken in this belief?
3. Would I come to the same conclusion about some other person in a similar situation?
4. Why should I continue to act and feel as if this were true if there is no good reason to believe it?
This is a POWERFUL exercise! Think hard about it! Get emotional! (You can do that with any negative belief you have.)
What you’re doing now is conscious present/rational thinking. That’s how you can change your negative beliefs! You probably see that your belief of being a bad catcher is stupid. You may conclude that you never really tried and that there’s no reason for your belief. Even the best catchers in the world could not catch ALL the balls. Unless you’ve really, really tried you cannot say for sure that you can’t do it. You always need to try first. So, rather than saying “No, I’m a bad catcher.” you could say “Yeah. I’ll give it a try!”
The minute that we change our minds, and stop giving power to the past, the past with its mistakes loses power over us.
Change your mind! You have the power to consciously change what you believe. Lead your machine! You’re the operator! With the help of rational thought you’ve got the power!
We are not doomed or damned by the past. Because we did have unhappy childhood experiences does not mean that our patterns of behavior are “set,” predetermined and unchangeable. Our present thinking, our present mental habits, our attitudes towards past experiences, and our attitudes toward future – all have an influence upon old recorded engrams. The old can be changed, modified, replaced, by our present thinking.
Yes! We are not doomed by the past! Just because we once got humiliated does not mean that we still need to feel how we felt back then. The old can be changed by the present thinking.
No longer can you derive sickly comfort from blaming your parents, society, your early experiences, or the injustices of “others” for your present troubles.
The past explains how you got here. But where you go from here is your responsibility.
This is MASSIVE!
The past explains how you got here. Not more. And it certainly does not decide on where you’re going! This is your very own responsibility!
As soon as you realize that the old can be modified, you no longer can blame your past. Ask yourself right now “Why?” “Why exactly do I think that I’m a bad catcher?” “Is there any rational reason for that belief?” “Did I really try?” “Why should I be a bad catcher if I never tried?” “Maybe I’m a great catcher!” à “Let’s try!”
Think NOW and you can change your beliefs! This is your duty!
It is the task of your rational thought to “inform” your machine with true facts concerning the environment: to know the truth, to form correct evaluations, estimations, opinions. In this connection most of us are prone to under-estimate ourselves and over-estimate the nature of the difficulty facing us.
Analyze the situation. Don’t give in to your first feelings, but try to inform your machine as good as possible. You’ll see that what you’re facing is much less of a problem than what you might have thought first. Don’t underestimate yourself. If you’re unsure, ask yourself “WHY?” Ask the four questions we looked at and think about them. It will help immensely.
Always think of what you have to do as easy and it will become so.
– Emile Coué
In short, conscious rational thought selects the goal, gathers information, concludes, evaluates, estimates and starts the wheel in motion. It is not, however, responsible for results. We must learn to do our work, act upon the best assumptions available, and leave results to take care of themselves.
That’s the BASIC idea of this book!
You can consciously set your goals and imagine what you want to achieve and where and how you want to end up. You can focus on what you want. Yet, you cannot control the process. This is up to your machine! So, inform your machine as good as possible with unbiased facts rather than old beliefs. Also, YOU start the machine, you set it in motion, you launch the missile! Then it will take care of itself. Then keep feeding information about the environment so the automatic mechanism can take corrective actions. Leave the results to take care of themselves.
Do you remember that when you consciously try to catch a ball, it gets super difficult and in most situations impossible. You need to let your unconscious machine work on results. All you can do consciously is feeding information: Gather knowledge/information, evaluate and estimate the situation. That’s it! Your automatic goal-striving machine will take care of the rest.
Relax and let your subconscious work…
Quick Recap
You act, and feel, not according to what things are really like, but according to the image your mind holds of what they are.
The plastic surgeon Maxwell Maltz discovered that when he altered someone’s face he often changed that person’s personality and life!
He found out that the SELF-IMAGE was the key to the human personality and to a better life.
The self-image works subconsciously as a goal-picture. Our subconscious mind which works as an automatic goal-striving mechanism sees this goal-picture as the No. 1 goal! Our self-image defines our lives! Our Creative Mechanism tries everything to achieve this self- or goal‑image! Even if it is a negative picture we have about ourselves! In that case it works as a Failure Mechanism. Yet, when we know how this works we can choose our goal-images by conscious choice – that’s how we can activate our Success Mechanism!
We can use imagination to set our desired goals and to change our self-image.
Remember, our nervous system cannot tell the difference between a real experience and a vividly imagined experience! If you completely understand that, you know how powerful it is…
The fantastic thing is that we can change our self-image and our beliefs by conscious choice. Right now, we can think about our beliefs and ask ourselves “Why do we hold these beliefs?” Maybe, when we think rationally, we’ll realize that some of these beliefs are stupid and completely irrational – and we can change them!
We are where we are because of our past, yet where we go is in our own responsibility. We shall not blame our past for how we live right now.
Right now, we can set our Mechanism for Success! Right now, we can change who we are. Right now, we can change our self-image and become who we want to be!
(1-Chapter 6
Relax and Let Your Success Mechanism
Work for You
Our trouble is that we ignore the automatic creative mechanism and try to do everything and solve all our problems by conscious thought, or “forebrain thinking.”
It is the job of the forebrain to pose problems and to identify them – but by its very nature it was never engineered to solve problems.
Yet that is precisely what modern man tries to do – solve all his problems by conscious thought.
That’s clear.
We learned in the previous chapter that we can consciously choose our thoughts, beliefs and opinions, yet we cannot consciously get to the results. We consciously recognize and pose the problem, but we have it solved by our machine. We let our automatic goal-striving mechanism do its job.
Creative ideas are not consciously thought out by forebrain thinking, but come automatically, spontaneously, and somewhat like a bolt out of the blue, when the conscious mind has let go of the problem and is engaged in thinking of something else.
You’ve probably heard about that phenomenon: The masters of the past and the present have always found their specific “something” when they were not actively engaged in it. They always spent hours, days or even years consciously working on the problem, figuring out everything they could (gathering knowledge), but they came to the solution when they were not engaged in it. That’s when their creative mechanism did its job – solving a creative problem. This phenomenon is called serendipity – the occurrence of something we are not expecting.
For example, Albert Einstein worked for ten long years on the problem of general relativity until one evening he decided to give up! He went to bed early and when he awoke the solution suddenly came to him… when he was not engaged in the topic anymore.
That’s interesting… So, how can you awaken your creative mechanism? How can you have your creative mechanism do the work for you? How can you find a solution just coming to you?
Maxwell Maltz shares five rules for freeing your creative machinery:
1. Do your worrying before you place your bet, not after the wheel starts turning. (Roulette Metaphor)
If you make a decision, then stop worrying afterwards. The decision is made. When you choose to go to the dentist, don’t worry or feel annoyed because you have to go. You’re going because you chose so. Period.
I remember the time when I had university exams: At the exam itself I wasn’t worrying at all because I did my best preparing for it. Yet, there were many others worrying about everything; the questions, the possible answers, whether it’s easy or tough and so on. They were worrying the hell out of them. But what for? They couldn’t do anything about it, it was too late to worry…
2. Form the habit of consciously responding to the present moment.
Your creative mechanism can only react appropriately and spontaneously when you pay attention to the “NOW.” It cannot react to what may happen – but to what is happening. You can plan and prepare everything for tomorrow, but don’t worry about how you will react tomorrow. Focus on the here and now. Give feedback to your creative mechanism about the here and now and not about tomorrow or yesterday. It needs quality information about the here and now if you want it to react appropriately and spontaneously. Respond to the present.
3. Try to do only one thing at a time.
Your creative machinery can only handle one job at a time. Don’t study and watch TV, don’t read this summary and listen to the radio, don’t work on two fronts at the same time. Don’t multitask. That will only make you nervous as you’re trying to do the impossible. The simple and obvious truth is that we can only do one thing at a time. One job after another. Step by step.
4. Sleep on it.
In sleep, the creative mechanism has an ideal opportunity to work independently of conscious interference, if you have previously started the wheels turning. Work on your problem during the day and when you’re stuck pose questions before you go to bed and your subconscious will help you solving your problem. In sleep, you cannot think consciously so you don’t disturb or interfere with your creative mechanism doing its job. Let it work while you sleep. When you have BIG decisions to make, it is very wise to sleep on it. You’ll most likely know how to decide in the morning.
5. Relax while you work.
Remember relaxed feelings you’ve experienced (maybe from the mental exercise in chapter 4) while you work. Tell yourself “I feel more and more relaxed” while you’re working. This will reduce fatigue, tension and anxiety and help your creative machine do its job. My brother often actively (and loudly) yawns and stretches during work; this reduces stress and provides energy.
Basically, let your creative mechanism work. You gather the knowledge and imagine your desired end result, but you leave the main work to your subconscious. Therefore you need to relax from time to time and let the mechanism work for you. Try to implement the five rules one by one: Don’t worry. Respond to the present moment. Do only one thing at a time. Sleep on it. Relax while you work.
That’s the only way how your creative mechanism can work independently and successfully – you need to relax, trust and let it do its job.
(1-Chapter 7
Acquire the Habit of Happiness
Dr. John A. Schindler’s definition of happiness: A state of mind in which our thinking is pleasant a good share of the time.
Thinking pleasantly for a good share of the time…
That’s happiness. And I like it!
Nobody is 100% happy ALL THE TIME! There’s always some moments of feeling down at least a little tiny bit.
Yet, we can think pleasantly for a good share of the time, can we? Yes, we can!
There’s a bunch of reasons why being happy is what you want to be.
We think better, perform better, feel better, and are healthier when we are happy.
Unhappiness is the sole cause of all psychosomatic ills and happiness is the only cure. – Dr. John A. Schindler
So, why are so many people unhappy then?
The author states that popular thinking is about becoming happy solely if certain other needs are fulfilled first. “Be good, and you will be happy.”
· “I would be happy, if… something was fulfilled first…”
· “I would be happy, if I was successful and healthy”
· “I would be happy, if I had a lot of money”
· “I would be happy, if I was on holiday”
· “I would be happy, if I had a great body”
THIS is opposite thinking! Be happy first, then you’ll be healthy, successful and good!
Be happy first, then you’ll be healthy, successful and good!
We are never living, but only hoping to live; and, looking forward always to being happy, it is inevitable that we never are so. – Pascal
Being happy has nothing to do with whether we have something or not. Being happy has nothing to do with what’s happening. Being happy has nothing to do with what you’ve achieved. Being happy has to do with habit! It can be learned!
Happiness is a mental habit, a mental attitude, and if it is not learned and practiced in the present it is never experienced.
How can it be that the exact same situation makes someone happy and someone else unhappy?
Let’s say two people walk along a street and suddenly a car drives by and soaks them (the car drives through a puddle). Now, you have two options: Option A: You can grouch and swear and be angry and completely pissed (unhappy). Option B: You can … laugh and be happy. It’s over anyway, and maybe the driver is a douche, and maybe you’re dirty and wet and cold, but, what should you do but be happy and take it as it is? You can’t change the situation, you can only control your feelings about it.
My point is: It’s always better to be happy rather than pissed… and this happy‑reaction to whatever happens should become habitual (automatic and unthinking).
Men are disturbed, not by things that happen, but by their opinion of the things that happen. – Epictetus
So, how can you become habitually happy or happy for a good share of the time?
Let’s say that you’ve learned the following reaction pattern: If something does not work out exactly how you’ve wished, you feel blue, unhappy and mad. For example, you learn for an exam and imagine yourself to get an A. You get a B only and you react unhappy and mad… This reaction happens automatically, it’s learned. It’s a learned behavior. Of course, most people understand that you’re unhappy now, yet what does it help you? Nothing! It’s better if you feel good instead. You can analyze the situation and say, “Alright, I wanted an A, I prepared for an A, but I got a B, which is still above average. Next time I’ll do even better. I’m going to learn from my mistakes. Let’s look forward.”
So, this habit of an unhappy reaction to an unwished situation can be changed, or reversed by making a conscious decision – and then by practicing the newly wished response (being happy even if something does not work out perfectly). It does require constant watchfulness and practice until the new behavior pattern is thoroughly learned.
You need to keep watching yourself and observing your reactions. Maxwell Maltz advises us to practice the new behavior for 21 days in a row. A simple trick is to consciously decide each morning when you put your shoes on, how you put them on (left or right first, how to tie them; this usually happens habitually). Take this as a reminder to change your wished happy-response. For example: Each morning when you deliberately put on your shoes say to yourself: Regardless of what happens, today, I will react as calmly and intelligently as possible.
This simple exercise will help you reacting habitually calmly and intelligently no matter what happens. You just need to stick with it for the next 21 days.
What helps is generally observing yourself and your reaction patterns. You’ll discover that you don’t always react how you think would be ideally. The more you observe yourself the more you’ll find out about yourself. You’ll find reaction patterns that really don’t delight you. Again, the good thing is that such habitual reaction patterns can be changed by conscious choice. So, consciously decide that you want to react calmly no matter what happens. Now, always when something happens and you react in a certain way, you’ll become aware of it and can react how you wish to à calmly in our example.
The truth is, being happy is your conscious choice…
(1-Chapter 8
Ingredients of the Success-Type Personality and How to Acquire Them
Just as a doctor learns to diagnose disease from certain symptoms, failure and success can also be diagnosed. The reason is that a man does not simply “find” success or “come to” failure. He carries their seeds around in his personality and character.
Cool!
Maxwell Maltz is sure that there are reasons for why someone is successful or not. He found the “seeds” of a SUCCESS personality.
A good personality is one which enables you to deal effectively and appropriately with environment and reality, and to gain satisfaction from reaching goals which are important to you.
With the following character seeds you will deal effectively with environment and reach your goals:
· S–ense of direction
· U–nderstanding
· C–ourage
· C–harity
· E–steem
· S–elf-Confidence
· S–elf-Acceptance
Sense of direction
This is all about having goals in life. Imagine you’re driving a bicycle. You’re driving because you have a sense of direction, and it’s easy to keep the balance. As soon as you lose direction and you come to a stop, you lose balance and fall! It’s the same in life: As long as you’ve got a clear sense of direction, it’s easy to keep in balance, yet when you have no idea where to go, you lose balance. You become unfulfilled, unhappy and certainly not successful!
Do you remember that we are a goal-seeking mechanism? Well, what if there are no goals we’re striving for? Simply, we’re living a meaningless life, respectively; we are not really living at all! We are built to conquer environment, solve problems, achieve goals, and we find no real satisfaction or happiness in life without obstacles to conquer and goals to achieve.
Nothing to strive for = no sense of direction = no real living!
So, get some goals! What do you want to achieve? How do you want to look like? How do you want to feel? What job do you want? How much do you want to earn? When do you want to finish your project? Who do you want to be? Check out the bonus goal‑setting guide.
Understanding
This is about communication and feeding our creative mechanism with truthful information. To stay on track of our direction we need to understand our environment so we can feed our mechanism with the right information. The mechanism won’t work with faulty information. So, analyze your environment and find out the truth. Adopt the motto: “It doesn’t matter who’s right, but what’s right”.
Be honest with yourself and admit your mistakes but don’t cry over them. Correct them and go forward. In dealing with other people try to see the situation from their point of view as well as your own.
Courage
Having a goal and understanding the situation are not enough. You must have the courage to act, for only by actions can goals, desires and beliefs be translated into realities.
Imagine yourself back on the bike. When you act, you keep driving. Maybe you make a mistake and drive in the wrong direction, but you can still correct along the way. This is much better than not acting and standing still and losing balance. When you’re standing still there will be bikers driving around you ten times (making mistakes after mistakes) and they are still faster at the destination than you...
Be willing to make a few mistakes.
Charity
It is a psychologic fact that our feelings about ourselves tend to correspond to our feelings about others. When a person begins to feel more charitably about others, he invariably begins to feel more charitably toward himself.
Don’t judge others. Respect them and feel that they are worthy. They are unique personalities. Appreciate them. And act as if other people are important. You will develop a better and more adequate self-image.
Esteem
Appreciate others. And appreciate yourself.
Is not man himself the most marvelous creation of all? This appreciation of your own worth is not egotism unless you assume that you made yourself and should take some of the credit. Do not downgrade the product merely because you haven’t used it correctly. Don’t childishly blame the product for your own errors like the schoolboy who said, “This typewriter can’t spell.”
This is BRILLIANT!
Don’t downgrade yourself. Use your typewriter correctly, use your Success Mechanism correctly.
The biggest secret to more self-esteem is to appreciate others more. Practice treating other people as if they had some value – and surprisingly enough your own self‑esteem will go up.
Self-Confidence
Confidence is built upon an experience of success. Yet, what do most of us do? We destroy our self-confidence by remembering past failures and forgetting all about past successes.
What is wrong with us?
We want to do the opposite! Use failures and mistakes as a way to learn, and then forget about them! Everybody fails, all that matters is that you get back up and try again and again and again. Fail better next time. Cherish your little successes and practice. Practicing is all about failing and trying again. And fail BETTER next time. Making the same mistakes over and over again won’t help you either…
Self-Acceptance
No real success or genuine happiness is possible until a person gains some degree of self-acceptance.
Self-acceptance means accepting and coming to terms with ourselves now, just as we are, with all our faults, weaknesses, shortcomings, errors, as well as our assets and strengths. Self-acceptance is easier, however, if we realize that these negatives belong to us – they are not us.
Accept yourself. Yes, accept yourself! You are who you are, with your weaknesses and your strengths. You make mistakes, but you are not a mistake! It’s only what you have done. Nobody is or will ever be perfect. We all make mistakes. It’s part of the game. Throughout life it is always moving toward an ideal goal, but never arriving.
I may not be perfect, I may have faults and weaknesses, I might have gotten off the track, I may have a long way to go – but I am something and I will make the most of that something.
Simply. Accept. Yourself. – YOU ARE.
Cool! These are the 7 seeds of a successful character: Sense of direction, Understanding, Courage, Charity, Esteem, Self-confidence and Self-acceptance.
Start with moving. Get that bike rolling. As long as you’re not standing still you’re living! Ask yourself where you want to go and what you want to achieve. And then act accordingly. Be respectful to others and accept them as they are. Then you will accept yourself and gain confidence with your actions. Failures only make you better, they don’t make “You”. Keep on rolling. And keep on living!
(1-Chapter 9
Tranquilize Yourself and Get Peace of Mind
Tranquilizers do not change the environment. The disturbing stimuli are still there. We are still able to recognize them intellectually, but we do not respond to them emotionally.
Tranquilizers work because they greatly reduce, or eliminate, our own response to disturbing stimuli.
I love this idea!
Tranquilize yourself.
Let’s look at a situation together. You just sat down to relax for a few minutes. Then suddenly, the telephone rings (external stimulus)… Do you answer the phone? Yes, you probably answer it. This happens (almost) automatically. We’re all conditioned to our environment in certain ways.
For example, many people learn to fear strangers because of parental admonitions to have nothing to do with strange people; “do not accept candy from a stranger,” “do not get into a car with a stranger,” etc. This is good for small children, yet many adults continue to feel uncomfortable in the presence of strangers. This is a learned response, it happens unconsciously. We are conditioned that way!
Back to the ringing telephone. You’ve probably learned the automatic response of answering the telephone when it rings. The idea of a tranquilizer now is that you reduce or eliminate your response. In that case you would choose to answer or not so that the response does not happen unconsciously. You do not have to answer the phone; you can refuse to respond to the signal. Basically, you uncondition yourself.
Although you are aware of it you no longer mind or obey it. Also, get clearly in your mind the fact that the outside signal in itself has no power over you; no power to move you.
Try to recognize the external stimulus but don’t respond to it emotionally. Don’t let yourself move by the ringing phone, you only move yourself if you wish/choose to. The signal itself shall have NO POWER over you!
It is a good idea to delay the response. This makes you r e l a x e d. . .
Delaying the response breaks up and interferes with the automatic workings of conditioning.
So, if the phone rings, just count to 5. This will relax you. You can still choose to answer, nobody just calls you for one second and then hangs up. You don’t miss anything if you wait a few seconds and take a deep breath. Consciously decide whether or not you want to answer. This counts for all external stimuli! If you’ve just learned about something, before you react, take a deep breath and delay your response.
Other external stimuli may be your mum shouting at you or your friend saying something to you which you don’t like at all. Also the weather, the traffic and the song on the radio are external stimuli. So, before you shout back at your mum, take a deep breath and choose your response. Also, think about how you want to react to your friend talking BS. If it suddenly starts to rain, relax and take it as it comes. The same holds true for the traffic jam and the song on the radio. Before you respond to those stimuli, wait a few seconds. Maybe you’ll realize that you don’t need to respond at all. The traffic jam doesn’t care whether you like it or not. Neither does the rain. If you don’t get affected by such trivialities you’ll simply have more peace of mind…
It is well to get clearly in your mind the fact that our disturbed feelings – our anger, hostility, fear, anxiety, insecurity, are caused by our own responses – not by externals. Response means tension. Lack of response means relaxation. Tension in muscles is a “preparation for action” – or a “getting ready to respond.” Relaxation of muscles brings about “mental relaxation,” or a peaceful “relaxed attitude.” Thus, relaxation is nature’s own tranquilizer, which erects a psychic screen or umbrella between you and the disturbing stimulus.
That’s cool! As we can choose our own responses we can choose how we feel. Tension versus relaxation! No decision has ever been so easy!
Relax and become peaceful. This protects you against disturbing stimuli such as the ringing telephone.
So, this is an easy tip: Just delay your response and it will bring peace of mind, less tension, less disturbed feelings such as anger, fear and insecurity. You are still aware of the signal yet it has no power to move you – physically and emotionally. Only you have the power to choose your response!
What Next?
You will act like the sort of person you conceive yourself to be.
What now?
We’ve learned a lot from Maxwell Maltz. We shall not waste that knowledge and start acting right now! In my eyes, this is hugely important. As soon as you delay the use or implementation of that knowledge, you lose! That’s called procrastination. And most likely, you’ll never implement any of Maltz’s strategies if you don’t start immediately.
I suggest you go back to the beginning of this summary and read again the first three chapters. Then you can start with imagination (chapter 3). That’s the first step. Then you can implement other things you like step by step. You can for example acquire the habit of happiness (chapter 7) or you can dehypnotize yourself from false beliefs (chapter 4).
(Alternatively, you can schedule the start of the life-integration of what you’ve learned from Maxwell Maltz. So, if you don’t start right now, I highly recommend you write down the exact date and time when you want to start with e.g. re-reading the first three chapters. If you just say “Right. I’ll just do it tomorrow,” you most likely won’t do it… You can write it in your agenda: “Saturday so and so at 9 a.m. I will re-read the first three chapters of the Psycho-Cybernetics summary and determine how exactly I will start implementing the principles described there.”)
Remember you will not always win. Some days, the most resourceful individual will taste defeat. But there is, in this case, always tomorrow – after you have done your best to achieve success today
LEARN FROM MISTAKES! All masters have failed many times, but they learned from them and failed better the next time and again better the next time. To learn from mistakes, you need to make mistakes.
The greatest mistake a man can make is to be afraid of making one.
Remember, you are not your mistakes! You can learn from mistakes and then forget about them. That’s how you will improve yourself at anything!
We age not by years but by events and our emotional reactions to them.
How do you react when you fail?
Well, depending on your reaction you will either succeed or you will age (and lose) … Remember, it is never about what happens but about your reaction to what happens. You can always choose how you want to react. If you fail an exam you can either be angry and mad or you can be calm, analyze your mistakes and look forward. You have the choice.
You can always find the sun within yourself if you will only search.
You can always find the sun within yourself… What a lovely message! Even in the ugliest storm you can see the sun if you only look for it. You can be happy even if the circumstances do not seem great. And no matter what happens, think about these wise words:
Man maintains his balance, poise, and sense of security only as he is moving forward.
Keep on moving.
No matter how often you fall, as long as you get up you will succeed. Do you remember the man on the bike? As long as he’s moving forward he doesn’t fall – even when he’s driving in circles…
Personally, I see failing as a good sign, it tells me that I’m still moving even if not always straight forward and at full speed. The more you fail the easier it gets to get up again. And again. And again. Failing will never end. That’s how you keep growing and getting better. So, be willing to make mistakes. At some point you will catch the ball… and you will succeed!
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behaviour. The word “psychology” comes from the Greek words “psyche,” meaning life, and “logos,” meaning explanation. Psychology is a popular major for students, a popular topic in the public media, and a part of our everyday lives. Television shows such as Dr. Phil feature psychologists who provide personal advice to those with personal or family difficulties. Psychological television crime dramas such as Cracked, Criminal Minds, Psyche, CSI, and others feature the work of forensic psychologists who use psychological principles to help solve crimes. And many people have direct knowledge of psychology because they have visited psychologists, such as school counsellors, family therapists, and religious, marriage, or bereavement counsellors.
Because we are frequently exposed to the work of psychologists in our everyday lives, we all have an idea about what psychology is and what psychologists do. In many ways I am sure that your conceptions are correct. Psychologists do work in forensic fields, and they do provide counselling and therapy for people in distress. But there are hundreds of thousands of psychologists in the world, and most of them work in other places, doing work that you are probably not aware of.
Most psychologists work in research laboratories, hospitals, and other field settings where they study the behaviour of humans and animals. For instance, my colleagues in the Psychology Department at the University of Maryland study such diverse topics as anxiety in children, the interpretation of dreams, the effects of caffeine on thinking, how birds recognize each other, how praying mantises hear, how people from different cultures react differently in negotiation, and the factors that lead people to engage in terrorism. Other psychologists study topics such as alcohol and drug addiction, memory, emotion, hypnosis, love, what makes people aggressive or helpful, and the psychologies of politics, prejudice, culture, and religion. Psychologists also work in schools and businesses, and they use a variety of methods, including observation, questionnaires, interviews, and laboratory studies, to help them understand behaviour.
This chapter provides an introduction to the broad field of psychology and the many approaches that psychologists take to understanding human behaviour. We will consider how psychologists conduct scientific research, with an overview of some of the most important approaches used and topics studied by psychologists, and also consider the variety of fields in which psychologists work and the careers that are available to people with psychology degrees. I expect that you may find that at least some of your preconceptions about psychology will be challenged and changed, and you will learn that psychology is a field that will provide you with new ways of thinking about your own thoughts, feelings, and actions.
Chapter 3 :
2- The Psychopathology of Everyday Life, 1901 by Freud
The book Psychopathology of Everyday Life by Sigmund Freud was first published in 1901. A.A Brill did its translation into English in the year 1914. It is without a doubt one of Freud's most widely discussed and influential works. The work is not as technical as Freud's other works and draws on everyday experiences. In the book, he tries to give a concise explanation behind everyday actions. These include such things as forgetting a person's name, common slips of the tongue and others.
This work by Sigmund was a further advancement into works he had already published. Essentially, he was furthering the idea of the subconscious. He believed that dreams were part of the subconscious. Freud suggests that no matter how far out a dream may seem, it is related to some aspect of everyday life. Freud came to this conclusion after careful analysis of mental patients suffering hysteria and other related illnesses. He suggested that subtle things as forgetting dates of important occasions and meaningless accident were all due to this subconscious. In short, Freud suggested that there was meaning behind even the most meaningless human actions. He stated that he believed that all random acts of a person were preconceived in the subconscious without a person's awareness.
Freud postulated that the main driving force of the subconscious developed over many years. He believed that society and the moral education of an individual were key parts of the subconscious. However, a person can consciously suppress these states. This suppression is not always successful, according to Freud. Every once in a while, the suppressed subconscious will find a way out. The resultant act is thus in fact an interference by the subconscious on the conscious. For instance, Freud suggests that when one forgets a name, it is not merely a random act. In fact, it is because of a conflict in the mind between the conscious and subconscious. The name, which is pronounced in place of the original name, is thus a compromise made by these two conflict states.
In his book, Freud puts forth many such examples, giving a detailed analysis in each case. He first suggests a random, everyday act and then gives a detailed interpretation of the same. All Freud explanations follow a basic three-step pattern; in the first step, there is an unknown urge for an individual to forget a name. In the second step, suppression by the subconscious takes place. Lastly, Freud demonstrates the relationship that exists between the forgotten name or other action and the individuals past experience. In his book, Freud shows an undeniable influence that the subconscious has on our lives. Freud then suggests that all human activity is controlled. For instance, he suggests that it is impossible for someone to mention a random name or number without being driven by the subconscious. Fred thus suggests that dreams and everyday life are quite alike.
In that same manner, Freud suggests that the tendency to forget important events is due to subconscious suppression. Freud suggests that there is universally common for individuals to forget traumatizing experiences. For his explanation, he gives a personal experience. He tells of a story where he was unable to recall a former patient despite her name appearing in his books of accounts. It was only after much labored thought that he finally remembered who she was. However, the child had died due to a misdiagnosis of the real cause of her symptoms. What was thought to have be a mental illness was in fact the physical manifestation on of a deadly illness. Naturally, this incident must have deeply troubling for him. He suggests that his subconscious thus reacted by suppressing any memory of the incident from his conscious mind.
Freud mostly applied his research in treating mental patients. Thus, he suggested that psychosis were just exaggerated manifestations of the subconscious. Consequently, he suggested that the difference between the normal and mentally ill was no clearly discernible. Instead, he suggested it was a gradual process where the subconscious would gain too much control over the conscious.
More than one hundred years after it was published, Freud's work has continued to generate much controversy. Most criticism directed towards the work is due to the use of anecdotal evidence. Critics argue that the work was not based on any scientific method. Instead, Freud made mere observations and used his own earlier works as evidence. This book however contains many flaws. Thus, it is not recommended for patients who may suffer from mental problems. Most of the conclusions are clearly erroneous. It is also of interest to note that the book is one of Freud's works that is the least sexualized.
Despite much criticism of the book, Sigmund Freud greatly contributed to development of psychoanalysis. His techniques, though rudimentary at the time of conception helped to redefine psychoanalysis. Throughout his life, Freud helped to develop the concept of the subconscious mind. He suggested that the mind was like an iceberg, the conscious part of the mind being the tip of the iceberg. However, what lies underneath has the greatest influence on our lives. Freud called this hidden part of our minds the subconscious.
Despite the fact that most of his early works have been proven wrong, he did still make an important contribution to psychology. His contributions include areas such as the early onset of adult personality during formative years, the significance of ambivalent tendencies, the different stages in development of the mind, and most significantly the discovery of the subconscious mind. It is quite clear that his works will continue to generate much interest in the years to come. Modern scientific advances for instance, suggest a completely different source of speech from what Freud Suggested. Studies have shown that simple acts such as forgetting words may have nothing to do with repressed memories. However, Freud demonstrated is that there is a way to cure mental problems such as hysteria. By helping patients gain a deeper understanding of themselves, they can effectively rid of themselves of any illness.
What Is Hysteria? The Past and Present
Hysteria is a term used to describe emotional excess, but it was also once a common medical diagnosis. In layman's terms, hysteria is often used to describe emotionally charged behavior that seems excessive and out of control.
When someone responds in a way that seems disproportionately emotional for the situation, they are often described as hysterical. During the Victorian era, the term was often used to refer to a host of symptoms that were generally observed only in women.
While it was once considered a diagnosable condition, hysteria was removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in 1980. Today, those exhibiting hysterical symptoms might be diagnosed with a dissociative disorder or a somatic symptom disorder.
Hysteria can be defined as a feature of some conditions that involve people experiencing physical symptoms that have a psychological cause.
Symptoms
Symptoms of hysteria included partial paralysis, hallucinations, and nervousness. Other symptoms often ascribed to hysteria include:
Shortness of breath
Anxiety
Fainting
Nervousness
Insomnia
Sexual forwardness
Irritability
Agitation
The term is thought to have originated from the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, who associated these symptoms with the movement of a woman's uterus throughout different locations in the body. Ancient thinkers believed that a woman's uterus could travel freely through different areas of the body, often resulting in different symptoms and ailments based upon its travels.1
The term hysteria stems from the Greek hystera, which means "uterus."
Hysteria may not be a valid psychiatric diagnosis today, but it is a good example of how concepts can emerge, change, and be replaced as we gain a greater understanding of how human beings think and behave.
The History of Hysteria
During the late 1800s, hysteria came to be viewed as a psychological disorder. French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot utilized hypnosis to treat women suffering from hysteria.2
The mystery of hysteria played a major role in the early development of psychoanalysis. The famed Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud had studied with Charcot, so he had first-hand experience observing patients who had been diagnosed with the ailment as well as Charcot's treatment methods.
It was Freud's work with colleague Josef Breuer on the case of Anna O., a young woman experiencing the symptoms of hysteria, that helped lead to the development of psychoanalytic therapy. Anna had found that simply talking about her problems with her therapist had a major impact on her well-being. She dubbed this treatment the "talking cure" and it is still referred to as talk therapy to this day.
Carl Jung, a colleague of Freud's, treated a young woman named Sabina Spielrein who was also thought to suffer from hysteria. Jung and Freud often discussed Spielrein's case, which had an impact on the theories they developed. Spielrein herself trained as a psychoanalyst and helped introduce the psychoanalytic approach in Russia before she was murdered by Nazis during World War II.
How Psychoanalysis Influenced Psychology
Hysteria In Modern Psychology
In 1980, the American Psychological Association changed their diagnosis of "hysterical neurosis, conversion type" to that of "conversion disorder."3 Today, psychology recognizes different types of disorders that were historically known as hysteria, including dissociative disorders and somatic symptom and related disorders.
Dissociative Disorders
Dissociative disorders are psychological disorders that involve an interruption (a dissociation) in aspects of consciousness, including identity and memory. These types of disorders include dissociative fugue, dissociative identity disorder, and dissociative amnesia.
Somatic Symptom Disorder
In the most recent update of the DSM, the DSM-5, symptoms that were once labeled under the broad umbrella of hysteria fit under what is now referred to as somatic symptom disorder.4 There are several related conditions:
Illness anxiety disorder (formerly hypochondriasis)
Conversion disorder (functional neurological symptom disorder)
Other specified somatic symptom and related disorder
Psychological factors affecting other medical conditions
Factitious disorder
Unspecified somatic symptom and related disorder
Somatic symptom disorder involves having a significant focus on physical symptoms such as weakness, pain, or shortness of breath. This preoccupation with symptoms results in significant distress and difficulties with normal functioning. The individual may or may not have a medical condition. It is important to note that this does not involve faking an illness; whether the person is sick or not, they believe that they are ill.
introduction to Psychoanalysis or Introductory Lectures on Psycho-Analysis (German: Vorlesungen zur Einführung in die Psychoanalyse) is a set of lectures given by Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, in 1915–1917 (published 1916–1917). The 28 lectures offer an elementary stock-taking of his views of the unconscious, dreams, and the theory of neuroses at the time of writing, as well as offering some new technical material to the more advanced reader.
The lectures became the most popular and widely translated of his works. However, some of the positions outlined in Introduction to Psychoanalysis would subsequently be altered or revised in Freud's later work; and in 1932 he offered a second set of seven lectures numbered from 29–35—New Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis—as complement (though these were never read aloud and featured a different, sometimes more polemical style of presentation).
Contents
· In his three-part Introductory Lectures, by beginning with a discussion of Freudian slips in the first part, moving on to dreams in the second, and only tackling the neuroses in the third, Freud succeeded in presenting his ideas as firmly grounded in the common-sense world of everyday experience. Making full use of the lecture-form, Freud was able to engage in a lively polemic with his audience, constantly engaging the reader/listener in a discussion, so as to take on their views and deal with their possible objections. The work allows the reader acquainted with the concepts of Freud to trace the logic of his arguments afresh and follow his conclusions, backed as they were with examples from life and from clinical practice. But Freud also identified elements of his theory requiring further elaboration, as well as bringing in new material, for example on symbolism and primal fantasies,taking up with the latter a train of thought he would continue in his re-working of "The Wolf Man".
· In the New Introductory Lectures, those on dreams and anxiety/instinctual life offered clear accounts of Freud's latest thinking, while the role of the super-ego received an update in lecture 31.[ More popular treatments of occultism, psychoanalytic applications and its status as a science helped complete the volume.
Appraisals
· Karl Abraham considered the lectures elementary in the best sense, for presenting the core elements of psychoanalysis in an accessible way.
· G. Stanley Hall in his preface to the 1920 American translation wrote:
These twenty-eight lectures to laymen are elementary and almost conversational. Freud sets forth with a frankness almost startling the difficulties and limitations of psychoanalysis, and also describes its main methods and results as only a master and originator of a new school of thought can do. These discourses are at the same time simple and almost confidential, and they trace and sum up the results of thirty years of devoted and painstaking research. While they are not at all controversial, we incidentally see in a clearer light the distinctions between the master and some of his distinguished pupils.
· Freud himself was typically self-deprecating about the finished work, describing it privately as "coarse work, intended for the multitude".
Influence
· Max Schur, who became Freud's personal physician, was present at the original 1915 lectures, and drew a lifelong interest in psychoanalysis from them.
· Karl Jaspers turned from a supporter to opponent of psychoanalysis, after being especially struck in the Introductory Lectures by Freud's claim that his technique could be applied to mythology and to cultural study, as much as to the neuroses.
General
PSYCHOANALYTICAL CRITICISM aims to show that a literary or cultural work is always structured by complex and often contradictory human desires. Whereas New Historicism and Marx-inspired Cultural Materialism analyze public power structures from, respectively, the top and bottom in terms of the culture as a whole, psychoanalysis analyzes microstructures of power within the individual and within small-scale domestic environments. That is, it analyzes the interiority of the self and of the self's kinship systems. By analyzing the formation of the individual, however, psychoanalysis also helps us to understand the formation of ideology at large—and can therefore be extended to the analysis of various cultural and societal phenomena. Indeed, for this reason, psychoanalysis has been especially influential over the last two decades in culture studies and film analysis.
Psychoanalysis is complicated by the fact that it has undergone numerous transformations at the hands of highly influential individual psychoanalysts. It is therefore necessary, as with many of the theories currently influencing scholarship and teaching, to differentiate between individual thinkers. For the purposes of studying literature and culture, the most influential theorists today are Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), Jacques Lacan (1901-1981), and Julia Kristeva (1941-?). The links on the left will lead you to modules explaining in more detail specific concepts by these individual thinkers; however, you might like to begin with a quick overview:
THE PLAYERS
Most people are familiar with at least some of FREUD's ideas given the important influence he has had on the literature and culture of the twentieth century. Indeed, many of Freud's key terms have now entered common parlance, terms such as repression, libido, superego, fetishism, and so on; for this very reason, however, it is important to take the popular definitions of such terms with a grain of salt, which is to say that the terms were often much more complex in Freud's thinking than pop culture tends to acknowledge.
LACAN has proven to be an important influence on contemporary scholarship as well, particularly for feminists, film theorists, and cultural critics. Although Lacan used some of the general premises of Freudian psychoanalysis, he re-thought elements of Freudian theory and also came up with his own terms and ideas to explain various psychiatric phenomena. Whereas Freud tended to hew closely to issues of sexuality in a biological sense, Lacan argued that "the unconscious is structured like a language." For this reason, he eschewed terms that suggested a "natural" or "essential" reason for psychic processes (EEG, instincts, appetites) and opted instead for terms that underlined how psychic processes are always artificially constructed, like language or ideology. Following this general premise, Lacan broke from the Freudian school and established his own complex set of structures to explain the functioning of ideology and thought in general.
KRISTEVA began her own studies under Roland Barthes and was heavily influenced by the structuralists associated with the Tel Quel group (including Michel Foucault, Philippe Sollers, and Roland Barthes himself). Her interest in psychoanalysis was also inspired by Jacques Lacan's structuralist re-interpretation of Freud, although Kristeva has also carefully distinguished her own ideas from those of Lacan. Kristeva was particularly critical of what she saw as an inherent misogyny in Lacan's and Freud's theories; her own system of thinking therefore attempts to rethink sexual development in such a way as to value the importance of the feminine. For this reason, she has been especially influential on theories of gender and sex. Each individual book by Kristeva has tended to concentrate on and rethink a specific concept and has thus often influenced critical understandings of the terms under discussion. The concepts that she has been most influential in rethinking include horror and the abject; mourning and melancholia; and the understanding of faith.
Types of Psychology
Psychology is a broad and diverse field that encompasses the study of human thought, behavior, development, personality, emotion, motivation, and more. As a result, some different subfields and specialty areas have emerged. The following are some of the major areas of research and application within psychology:
Abnormal psychology is the study of abnormal behavior and psychopathology. This specialty area is focused on research and treatment of a variety of mental disorders and is linked to psychotherapy and clinical psychology.
Biological psychology (biopsychology) studies how biological processes influence the mind and behavior. This area is closely linked to neuroscience and utilizes tools such as MRI and PET scans to look at brain injury or brain abnormalities.
Clinical psychology is focused on the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental disorders.
Cognitive psychology is the study of human thought processes including attention, memory, perception, decision-making, problem-solving, and language acquisition.
Comparative psychology is the branch of psychology concerned with the study of animal behavior.
Developmental psychology is an area that looks at human growth and development over the lifespan including cognitive abilities, morality, social functioning, identity, and other life areas.
Forensic psychology is an applied field focused on using psychological research and principles in the legal and criminal justice system.
Industrial-organizational psychology is a field that uses psychological research to enhance work performance and select employees.
Personality psychology focuses on understanding how personality develops as well as the patterns of thoughts, behaviors, and characteristics that make each individual unique.
Social psychology focuses on group behavior, social influences on individual behavior, attitudes, prejudice, conformity, aggression, and related topics.
What Are the Branches of Psychology?
Uses
The most obvious application for psychology is in the field of mental health where psychologists use principles, research, and clinical findings to help clients manage and overcome symptoms of mental distress and psychological illness. Some of the additional applications for psychology include:
Developing educational programs
Ergonomics
Informing public policy
Mental health treatment
Performance enhancement
Personal health and well-being
Psychological research
Self-help
Social program design
Understanding child development
It is difficult to capture everything that psychology encompasses in just a brief definition, but topics such as development, personality, thoughts, feelings, emotions, motivations, and social behaviors represent just a portion of what psychology seeks to understand, predict, and explain.
The Major Goals of Psychology
Impact of Psychology
Psychology is both an applied and academic field that benefits both individuals and society as a whole. A large part of psychology is devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues, but that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the impact of psychology.
Some of the ways that psychology contributes to individuals and society include:
Improving our understanding of why people behave as they do as well
Understanding the different factors that can impact the human mind and behavior
Understanding issues that impact health, daily life, and well-being
Improving ergonomics to improve product design
Creating safer and more efficient workspaces
Helping motivate people to achieve their goals
Improving productivity
Psychologists accomplish these things by using objective scientific methods to understand, explain, and predict human behavior. Psychological studies are highly structured, beginning with a hypothesis that is then empirically tested.
Potential Pitfalls
There's a lot of confusion out there about psychology. Unfortunately, such misconceptions about psychology abound in part thanks to stereotyped portrayals of psychologists in popular media as well as the diverse career paths of those holding psychology degrees.
Sure, there are psychologists who help solve crimes, and there are plenty of professionals who help people deal with mental health issues. However, there are also psychologists who:
Contribute to creating healthier workplaces
Design and implement public health programs
Research airplane safety
Help design technology and computer programs
Study military life and the psychological impact of combat
No matter where psychologists work, their primary goals are to help describe, explain, predict, and influence human behavior.
History of Psychology
Early psychology evolved out of both philosophy and biology. Discussions of these two subjects date as far back as the early Greek thinkers, including Aristotle and Socrates.
The word "psychology" itself is derived from the Greek word psyche, literally meaning "life" or "breath." Derived meanings of the word include "soul" or "self."
The emergence of psychology as a separate and independent field of study truly came about when Wilhelm Wundt established the first experimental psychology lab in Leipzig, Germany in 1879.
Throughout psychology's history, various schools of thought have formed to explain the human mind and behavior. In some cases, certain schools of thought rose to dominate the field of psychology for a period of time.
The following are some of the major schools of thought in psychology.
Structuralism: Wundt and Titchener's structuralism was the earliest school of thought, but others soon began to emerge.
Functionalism: The early psychologist and philosopher William James became associated with a school of thought known as functionalism, which focused its attention on the purpose of human consciousness and behavior.
Psychoanalysis: Soon, these initial schools of thought gave way to several dominant and influential approaches to psychology. Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis centered on how the unconscious mind impacted human behavior.
Behaviorism: The behavioral school of thought turned away from looking at internal influences on behavior and sought to make psychology the study of observable behaviors.
Humanistic psychology: Later, the humanistic approach centered on the importance of personal growth and self-actualization.
Cognitive psychology: By the 1960s and 1970s, the cognitive revolution spurred the investigation of internal mental processes such as thinking, decision-making, language development, and memory.
While these schools of thought are sometimes perceived as competing forces, each perspective has contributed to our understanding of psychology.
A Word From ME :
As you can see, while psychology may be a relatively young science it also has a tremendous amount of both depth and breadth. The assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental illness are central interests of psychology, but psychology encompasses much more than mental health.
Today, psychologists seek to understand many different aspects of the human mind and behavior, adding new knowledge to our understanding of how people think as well as developing practical applications that have an important impact on everyday human lives.
Psychology works to help people improve their individual well-being and thrive in an increasingly complex world.
What Is Fear?
Fear is a natural, powerful, and primitive human emotion. It involves a universal biochemical response as well as a high individual emotional response. Fear alerts us to the presence of danger or the threat of harm, whether that danger is physical or psychological, and having less information and capacities.
Sometimes fear stems from real threats, but it can also originate from imagined dangers. Fear can also be a symptom of some mental health conditions including panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, phobias, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Fear is composed of two primary reactions to some type of perceived threat: biochemical and emotional.
Biochemical Reaction
Fear is a natural emotion and a survival mechanism. When we confront a perceived threat, our bodies respond in specific ways. Physical reactions to fear include sweating, increased heart rate, and high adrenaline levels that make us extremely alert.1
This physical response is also known as the “fight or flight” response, with which your body prepares itself to either enter combat or run away. This biochemical reaction is likely an evolutionary development. It's an automatic response that is crucial to our survival.
Emotional Response
The emotional response to fear, on the other hand, is highly personalized. Because fear involves some of the same chemical reactions in our brains that positive emotions like happiness and excitement do, feeling fear under certain circumstances can be seen as fun, like when you watch scary movies.2
Some people are adrenaline seekers, thriving on extreme sports and other fear-inducing thrill situations. Others have a negative reaction to the feeling of fear, avoiding fear-inducing situations at all costs.
Although the physical reaction is the same, the experience of fear may be perceived as either positive or negative, depending on the person.
Symptoms
Fear often involves both physical and emotional symptoms. Each person may experience fear differently, but some of the common signs and symptoms include:
Chest pain
Chills
Dry mouth
Nausea
Rapid heartbeat
Shortness of breath
Sweating
Trembling
Upset stomach
In addition to the physical symptoms of fear, people may experience psychological symptoms of being overwhelmed, upset, feeling out of control, or a sense of impending death.
Diagnosis
Talk to your doctor if you are experiencing persistent and excessive feelings of fear. Your doctor may conduct a physical exam and perform lab tests to ensure that your fear and anxiety are not linked to an underlying medical condition.
Your doctor will also ask questions about your symptoms including how long you've been having them, their intensity, and situations that tend to trigger them. Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may diagnose you with a type of anxiety disorder, such as a phobia.
Phobias
One aspect of anxiety disorders can be a tendency to develop a fear of fear.3 Where most people tend to experience fear only during a situation that is perceived as scary or threatening, those who live with anxiety disorders may become afraid that they will experience a fear response. They perceive their fear responses as negative and go out of their way to avoid those responses.
A phobia is a twisting of the normal fear response. The fear is directed toward an object or situation that does not present a real danger. Though you recognize that the fear is unreasonable, you can't help the reaction. Over time, the fear tends to worsen as the fear of fear response takes hold.
How to Tell the Difference Between a Fear and a Phobia
Causes
Fear is incredibly complex.4 Some fears may be a result of experiences or trauma, while others may represent a fear of something else entirely, such as a loss of control. Still, other fears may occur because they cause physical symptoms, such as being afraid of heights because they make you feel dizzy and sick to your stomach.
Some common fear triggers include:
Certain specific objects or situations (spiders, snakes, heights, flying, etc)
Future events
Imagined events
Real environmental dangers
The unknown
Certain fears tend to be innate and may be evolutionarily influenced because they aid in survival. Others are learned and are connected to associations or traumatic experiences.
Types
Some of the different types of anxiety disorders that are characterized by fear include:
Agoraphobia
Generalized anxiety disorder
Panic disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Separation anxiety disorder
Social anxiety disorder
Specific phobia
Social anxiety disorder
Misconceptions and Facts About Phobias
Treatment
Repeated exposure to similar situations leads to familiarity, which can dramatically reduce both the fear response. This approach forms the basis of some phobia treatments, which depend on slowly minimizing the fear response by making it feel familiar.5
Phobia treatments that are based on the psychology of fear tend to focus on techniques like systematic desensitization and flooding. Both techniques work with your body’s physiological and psychological responses to reduce fear.
Systematic Desensitization
With systematic desensitization, you're gradually led through a series of exposure situations. For example, if you have a fear of snakes, you may spend the first session with your therapist talking about snakes. Slowly, over subsequent sessions, your therapist would lead you through looking at pictures of snakes, playing with toy snakes, and eventually handling a live snake. This is usually accompanied by learning and applying new coping techniques to manage the fear response.6
Flooding
This is a type of exposure technique that can be quite successful. Flooding based on the premise that your phobia is a learned behavior and you need to unlearn it. With flooding, you are exposed to a vast quantity of the feared object or exposed to a feared situation for a prolonged amount of time in a safe, controlled environment until the fear diminishes. For instance, if you're afraid of planes, you'd go on up in one anyway.
The point is to get you past the overwhelming anxiety and potential panic to a place where you have to confront your fear and eventually realize that you're OK. This can help reinforce a positive reaction (you're not in danger) with a feared event (being in the sky on a plane), ultimately getting you past the fear.6
While these treatments can be highly effective, it's important that such confrontational approaches be undertaken only with the guidance of a trained mental health professional.
Coping
There are also steps that you can take to help cope with fear in day to day life. Such strategies focus on managing the physical, emotional, and behavioral effects of fear. Some things you can do include:
Get social support. Having supportive people in your life can help you manage your feelings of fear.
Practice mindfulness. While you cannot always prevent certain emotions, being mindful can help you manage them and replace negative thoughts with more helpful ones.
Use stress management techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and visualization.
Take care of your health. Eat well, get regular exercise, and get adequate sleep each night.
A Word From me
Fear is an important human emotion that can help protect you from danger and prepare you to take action, but it can also lead to longer-lasting feelings of anxiety. Findings ways to control your fear can help you better cope with these feelings and prevent anxiety from taking hold.
If you or a loved one are struggling with fears, phobias, or anxiety, contact
THE DAILY PSYCHOPATHOLOGY :
Sigmund Freud's lively book, The Psychopathology of Everyday Life, has some unique characteristics. Freud discusses psychoanalytic matter in the context of everyday life, sidestepping the experience of neurosis. He abandons his customary process, that of discussing the normal in terms of the pathological. Everyday psychopathology is discussed with few allusions to infantile sexuality and its impact on adult pathology. The theoretical aspect is practically nonexistent, although Freud does compare the interpretation of everyday life to dream theory, another banal psychopathological phenomenon familiar to everyone. He emphasizes the importance in life of displacement, condensation, over-determination, and the creation of compromise formations. He makes use of his knowledge and interest in literature to provide many examples by writers, poets, and dramatists, reinforcing his position by emphasizing their intuitive understanding of the meaning of parapraxis.
The book contains twelve chapters on forgetting (proper names, words belonging to foreign languages, series of words, impressions, and projects); childhood memories and screen memories; slips of the tongue (spoken and written); mistakes, clumsiness, symptomatic acts, errors, associations of several "parapraxes"; and the determinism of the unconscious, the belief in chance and superstition.
All these forms of behavior are grouped under the heading of "slips of the tongue": "I almost invariably discover a disturbing influence [in slips of the tongue] . . . which comes from something outside the intended utterance; and the disturbing elelment is either a single thought that has remained unconscious... or it is a more general psychical motive force which is directed against the entire utterance" (p. 61). To belong to this category they must not exceed "the limits of the normal state" and they must "have been previously accomplished correctly."
Freud's description emphasizes various aspects of these phenomena: These are mental functions that "cannot be justified by an explanation of the representation of the goal toward which they are directed." This demonstrates the importance of the psychic determinism associated with unconscious desire and rejection. He notes, for example, the forgetting of a proper name, which is linked with a disturbance of a thought, due to an internal contradiction, arising from a repressed source (the name of the painter Signorelli replaced by the names Botticelli and Boltraffio). The use of free will assumes a distinction between conscious and unconscious motivation; accordingly, some motor acts are disturbed on account of the unconscious—for example, the loss or destruction of an object that has meaning either in terms of the person who has given it to us or because a symbolic association with something else has been shifted toward this object. Our errors of judgment acquire a sense of certainty and remain convincing for us, precisely to the extent that they express a repressed content. This is, at the very least, the same reasoning used by the paranoiac who rejects any accidental element in the psychic manifestations of other people, such as incorrect statements.
The meaning of symptomatic actions is sometimes difficult to determine; repressed ideas and tendencies remain hidden from the individual, as internal resistance presents an opposing force. Technically, slips of the tongue and bungled actions are made possible by the shifting of nervous excitation. In the example of the lapsus linguae, there can exist, between the intended word and the spoken word, a phonetic resemblance (a "contamination") or psychological associations connected with the person's history. As in dreams there is a disturbing element (which is repressed) that makes itself felt through "deformations, mixed formations, or compromise formations," or, again as in dreams, a word may be replaced by its opposite. These phenomena reveal two factors simultaneously: a positive one (free association) and a negative one (relaxation of the inhibitory action of attention).
What mental factors are thus expressed? The disruptive idea arises from innate tendencies and should not be confused with the intentional idea, or an association exists between the two, or the disruptive idea is unconscious and comes into play when activity is undertaken, thus revealing itself by indirectly disturbing the intentional idea. This is the case with slips of the pen, where there can exist, in a waking state, a phenomenon of condensation, in which conscious and unconscious ideas overlap as in dreams. This is also the case when we forget past events that are associated with a memory likely to awaken a painful sensation from a different time (in keeping with the idea that the "unconscious is outside time"); or when we forget certain things because of a conflict associated with an opposing wish; or likewise when we make a mistake, or a strange impulse is manifested that contradicts an intended action. This is equally true of other kinds of acts, which are often symbolic representations of dreams or desires.
The Psychopathology of Everyday Life, one of Freud's best known works, is an excellent introduction to psychoanalysis. His observation of the psycho-pathology of normal life has not, however, had the subsequent theoretical development it deserves. Work on orality, anality, feminism, or sibling relations in everyday life would benefit from new investigations of metapsychology.
Chapter 4 :
1- Emotional and Psychological Trauma
When bad things happen, it can take a while to get over the pain and feel safe again. But with these self-help strategies and support, you can speed up your recovery.
What is emotional and psychological trauma?
Emotional and psychological trauma is the result of extraordinarily stressful events that shatter your sense of security, making you feel helpless in a dangerous world. Psychological trauma can leave you struggling with upsetting emotions, memories, and anxiety that won’t go away. It can also leave you feeling numb, disconnected, and unable to trust other people.
Traumatic experiences often involve a threat to life or safety, but any situation that leaves you feeling overwhelmed and isolated can result in trauma, even if it doesn’t involve physical harm. It’s not the objective circumstances that determine whether an event is traumatic, but your subjective emotional experience of the event. The more frightened and helpless you feel, the more likely you are to be traumatized.
Emotional and psychological trauma can be caused by:
·One-time events, such as an accident, injury, or a violent attack, especially if it was unexpected or happened in childhood.
·Ongoing, relentless stress, such as living in a crime-ridden neighborhood, battling a life-threatening illness or experiencing traumatic events that occur repeatedly, such as bullying, domestic violence, or childhood neglect.
·Commonly overlooked causes, such as surgery (especially in the first 3 years of life), the sudden death of someone close, the breakup of a significant relationship, or a humiliating or deeply disappointing experience, especially if someone was deliberately cruel.
Coping with the trauma of a natural or manmade disaster can present unique challenges—even if you weren’t directly involved in the event. In fact, while it’s highly unlikely any of us will ever be the direct victims of a terrorist attack, plane crash, or mass shooting, for example, we’re all regularly bombarded by horrific images on social media and news sources of those people who have been. Viewing these images over and over can overwhelm your nervous system and create traumatic stress. Whatever the cause of your trauma, and whether it happened years ago or yesterday, you can make healing changes and move on with your life.
Childhood trauma and the risk of future trauma
While traumatic events can happen to anyone, you’re more likely to be traumatized by an event if you’re already under a heavy stress load, have recently suffered a series of losses, or have been traumatized before—especially if the earlier trauma occurred in childhood. Childhood trauma can result from anything that disrupts a child’s sense of safety, including:
·An unstable or unsafe environment
·Separation from a parent
·Serious illness
·Intrusive medical procedures
·Sexual, physical, or verbal abuse
·Domestic violence
·Neglect
Experiencing trauma in childhood can result in a severe and long-lasting effect. When childhood trauma is not resolved, a sense of fear and helplessness carries over into adulthood, setting the stage for further trauma. However, even if your trauma happened many years ago, there are steps you can take to overcome the pain, learn to trust and connect to others again, and regain your sense of emotional balance.
Symptoms of psychological trauma
We all react to trauma in different ways, experiencing a wide range of physical and emotional reactions. There is no “right” or “wrong” way to think, feel, or respond, so don’t judge your own reactions or those of other people. Your responses are NORMAL reactions to ABNORMAL events.
Emotional & psychological symptoms:
·Shock, denial, or disbelief
·Confusion, difficulty concentrating
·Anger, irritability, mood swings
·Anxiety and fear
·Guilt, shame, self-blame
·Withdrawing from others
·Feeling sad or hopeless
·Feeling disconnected or numb
Physical symptoms:
·Insomnia or nightmares
·Fatigue
·Being startled easily
·Difficulty concentrating
·Racing heartbeat
·Edginess and agitation
·Aches and pains
·Muscle tension
Healing from trauma
Trauma symptoms typically last from a few days to a few months, gradually fading as you process the unsettling event. But even when you’re feeling better, you may be troubled from time to time by painful memories or emotions—especially in response to triggers such as an anniversary of the event or something that reminds you of the trauma.
If your psychological trauma symptoms don’t ease up—or if they become even worse—and you find that you’re unable to move on from the event for a prolonged period of time, you may be experiencing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). While emotional trauma is a normal response to a disturbing event, it becomes PTSD when your nervous system gets “stuck” and you remain in psychological shock, unable to make sense of what happened or process your emotions.
Whether or not a traumatic event involves death, you as a survivor must cope with the loss, at least temporarily, of your sense of safety. The natural reaction to this loss is grief. Like people who have lost a loved one, you need to go through a grieving process. The following tips can help you cope with the sense of grief, heal from the trauma, and move on with your life.
Trauma recovery tip 1: Get moving
Trauma disrupts your body’s natural equilibrium, freezing you in a state of hyperarousal and fear. As well as burning off adrenaline and releasing endorphins, exercise and movement can actually help repair your nervous system.
Try to exercise for 30 minutes or more on most days. Or if it’s easier, three 10-minute spurts of exercise per day are just as good.
Exercise that is rhythmic and engages both your arms and legs—such as walking, running, swimming, basketball, or even dancing—works best.
Add a mindfulness element. Instead of focusing on your thoughts or distracting yourself while you exercise, really focus on your body and how it feels as you move. Notice the sensation of your feet hitting the ground, for example, or the rhythm of your breathing, or the feeling of wind on your skin. Rock climbing, boxing, weight training, or martial arts can make this easier—after all, you need to focus on your body movements during these activities in order to avoid injury.
Tip 2: Don’t isolate
Following a trauma, you may want to withdraw from others, but isolation only makes things worse. Connecting to others face to face will help you heal, so make an effort to maintain your relationships and avoid spending too much time alone.
You don’t have to talk about the trauma. Connecting with others doesn’t have to involve talking about the trauma. In fact, for some people, that can just make things worse. Comfort comes from feeling engaged and accepted by others.
Ask for support. While you don’t have to talk about the trauma itself, it is important that you have someone to share your feelings with face to face, someone who will listen attentively without judging you. Turn to a trusted family member, friend, counselor, or clergyman.
Participate in social activities, even if you don’t feel like it. Do “normal” activities with other people, activities that have nothing to do with the traumatic experience.
Reconnect with old friends. If you’ve retreated from relationships that were once important to you, make the effort to reconnect.
Join a support group for trauma survivors. Connecting with others who are facing the same problems can help reduce your sense of isolation, and hearing how others cope can help inspire you in your own recovery.
Volunteer. As well as helping others, volunteering can be a great way to challenge the sense of helplessness that often accompanies trauma. Remind yourself of your strengths and reclaim your sense of power by helping others.
Make new friends. If you live alone or far from family and friends, it’s important to reach out and make new friends. Take a class or join a club to meet people with similar interests, connect to an alumni association, or reach out to neighbors or work colleagues.
If connecting to others is difficult…
Many people who have experienced trauma feel disconnected, withdrawn and find it difficult to connect with other people. If that describes you, there are some actions you can take before you next meet with a friend:
Exercise or move. Jump up and down, swing your arms and legs, or just flail around. Your head will feel clearer and you’ll find it easier to connect.
Vocal toning. As strange as it sounds, vocal toning is a great way to open up to social engagement. Sit up straight and simply make “mmmm” sounds. Change the pitch and volume until you experience a pleasant vibration in your face.
Tip 3: Self-regulate your nervous system
No matter how agitated, anxious, or out of control you feel, it’s important to know that you can change your arousal system and calm yourself. Not only will it help relieve the anxiety associated with trauma, but it will also engender a greater sense of control.
Mindful breathing. If you are feeling disoriented, confused, or upset, practicing mindful breathing is a quick way to calm yourself. Simply take 60 breaths, focusing your attention on each ‘out’ breath.
Sensory input. Does a specific sight, smell or taste quickly make you feel calm? Or maybe petting an animal or listening to music works to quickly soothe you? Everyone responds to sensory input a little differently, so experiment with different quick stress relief techniques to find what works best for you.
Staying grounded. To feel in the present and more grounded, sit on a chair. Feel your feet on the ground and your back against the chair. Look around you and pick six objects that have red or blue in them. Notice how your breathing gets deeper and calmer.
Allow yourself to feel what you feel when you feel it. Acknowledge your feelings about the trauma as they arise and accept them. HelpGuide’s Emotional Intelligence Toolkit can help.
Tip 4: Take care of your health
It’s true: having a healthy body can increase your ability to cope with the stress of trauma.
Get plenty of sleep. After a traumatic experience, worry or fear may disturb your sleep patterns. But a lack of quality sleep can exacerbate your trauma symptoms and make it harder to maintain your emotional balance. Go to sleep and get up at the same time each day and aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night.
Avoid alcohol and drugs. Their use can worsen your trauma symptoms and increase feelings of depression, anxiety, and isolation.
Eat a well-balanced diet. Eating small, well-balanced meals throughout the day will help you keep your energy up and minimize mood swings. Avoid sugary and fried foods and eat plenty of omega-3 fats—such as salmon, walnuts, soybeans, and flaxseeds—to give your mood a boost.
Reduce stress. Try relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga, or deep breathing exercises. Schedule time for activities that bring you joy such as your favorite hobbies.
When to seek professional therapy for trauma
Recovering from trauma takes time, and everyone heals at their own pace. But if months have passed and your symptoms aren’t letting up, you may need professional help from a trauma expert.
Seek help for trauma if you’re:
·Having trouble functioning at home or work
·Suffering from severe fear, anxiety, or depression
·Unable to form close, satisfying relationships
·Experiencing terrifying memories, nightmares, or flashbacks
·Avoiding more and more anything that reminds you of the trauma
·Emotionally numb and disconnected from others
·Using alcohol or drugs to feel better
Working through trauma can be scary, painful, and potentially re-traumatizing, so this healing work is best undertaken with the help of an experienced trauma specialist. Finding the right therapist may take some time. It’s very important that the therapist you choose has experience treating trauma. But the quality of the relationship with your therapist is equally important. Choose a trauma specialist you feel comfortable with. If you don’t feel safe, respected, or understood, find another therapist.
Ask yourself:
·Did you feel comfortable discussing your problems with the therapist?
·Did you feel like the therapist understood what you were talking about?
·Were your concerns taken seriously or were they minimized or dismissed?
·Were you treated with compassion and respect?
·Do you believe that you could grow to trust the therapist?
Treatment for trauma
In order to heal from psychological and emotional trauma, you’ll need to resolve the unpleasant feelings and memories you’ve long avoided, discharge pent-up “fight-or-flight” energy, learn to regulate strong emotions, and rebuild your ability to trust other people. A trauma specialist may use a variety of different therapy approaches in your treatment.
Somatic experiencing focuses on bodily sensations, rather than thoughts and memories about the traumatic event. By concentrating on what’s happening in your body, you can release pent-up trauma-related energy through shaking, crying, and other forms of physical release.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps you process and evaluate your thoughts and feelings about a trauma.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) incorporates elements of cognitive-behavioral therapy with eye movements or other forms of rhythmic, left-right stimulation that can “unfreeze” traumatic memories.
Helping a loved one deal with trauma
When a loved one has suffered trauma, your support can play a crucial role in their recovery.
Be patient and understanding. Healing from trauma takes time. Be patient with the pace of recovery and remember that everyone’s response to trauma is different. Don’t judge your loved one’s reaction against your own response or anyone else’s.
Offer practical support to help your loved one get back into a normal routine. That may mean helping with collecting groceries or doing housework, for example, or simply being available to talk or listen.
Don’t pressure your loved one into talking but be available if they want to talk. Some trauma survivors find it difficult to talk about what happened. Don’t force your loved one to open up but let them know you are there to listen if they want to talk, or available to just hang out if they don’t.
Help your loved one to socialize and relax. Encourage them to participate in physical exercise, seek out friends, and pursue hobbies and other activities that bring them pleasure. Take a fitness class together or set a regular lunch date with friends.
Don’t take the trauma symptoms personally. Your loved one may become angry, irritable, withdrawn, or emotionally distant. Remember that this is a result of the trauma and may not have anything to do with you or your relationship.
To help a child recover from trauma, it’s important to communicate openly. Let them know that it’s normal to feel scared or upset. Your child may also look to you for cues on how they should respond to trauma, so let them see you dealing with your symptoms in a positive way.
How children react to emotional and psychological trauma
Some common reactions to trauma and ways to help your child deal with them:
·Regression. Many children need to return to an earlier stage where they felt safer. Younger children may wet the bed or want a bottle; older children may fear being alone. It’s important to be understanding, patient and comforting if your child responds this way.
·Thinking the event is their fault. Children younger than 8 tend to think that if something goes wrong, it must be their fault. Be sure your child understands that he or she did not cause the event.
·Sleep disorders. Some children have difficulty falling asleep; others wake frequently or have troubling dreams. Give your child a stuffed animal, soft blanket, or flashlight to take to bed. Try spending extra time together in the evening, doing quiet activities or reading. Be patient. It may take a while before your child can sleep through the night again.
·Feeling helpless. Being active in a campaign to prevent an event from happening again, writing thank you letters to people who have helped, and caring for others can bring a sense of hope and control to everyone in the family.
Source: Sidran Institute
Overview - Phobias
A phobia is an overwhelming and debilitating fear of an object, place, situation, feeling or animal.
Phobias are more pronounced than fears. They develop when a person has an exaggerated or unrealistic sense of danger about a situation or object.
If a phobia becomes very severe, a person may organise their life around avoiding the thing that's causing them anxiety. As well as restricting their day-to-day life, it can also cause a lot of distress.
2- Phobia symptoms
A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder. You may not experience any symptoms until you come into contact with the source of your phobia.
But in some cases, even thinking about the source of a phobia can make a person feel anxious or panicky. This is known as anticipatory anxiety.
Symptoms may include:
unsteadiness, dizziness and lightheadedness
nausea
sweating
increased heart rate or palpitations
shortness of breath
trembling or shaking
an upset stomach
If you do not come into contact with the source of your phobia very often, it may not affect your everyday life.
But if you have a complex phobia, such as agoraphobia, leading a normal life may be very difficult.
Types of phobia
There are a wide variety of objects or situations that someone could develop a phobia about.
But phobias can be divided into 2 main categories:
specific or simple phobias
complex phobias
Specific or simple phobias
Specific or simple phobias centre around a particular object, animal, situation or activity.
They often develop during childhood or adolescence and may become less severe as you get older.
Common examples of simple phobias include:
animal phobias – such as dogs, spiders, snakes or rodents
environmental phobias – such as heights, deep water and germs
situational phobias – such as visiting the dentist or flying
bodily phobias – such as blood, vomit or having injections
sexual phobias – such as performance anxiety or the fear of getting a sexually transmitted infection (STI)
Complex phobias
Complex phobias tend to be more disabling than simple phobias. They usually develop during adulthood and are often associated with a deep-rooted fear or anxiety about a particular situation or circumstance.
The 2 most common complex phobias are:
agoraphobia
social phobia
Agoraphobia is often thought of as a fear of open spaces, but it's much more complex than this.
Someone with agoraphobia will feel anxious about being in a place or situation where escaping may be difficult if they have a panic attack.
The anxiety usually results in the person avoiding situations such as:
being alone
being in crowded places, such as busy restaurants or supermarkets
travelling on public transport
Social phobia, also known as social anxiety disorder, centres around feeling anxious in social situations.
If you have a social phobia, you might be afraid of speaking in front of people for fear of embarrassing yourself and being humiliated in public.
In severe cases, this can become debilitating and may prevent you carrying out everyday activities, such as eating out or meeting friends.
What causes phobias?
Phobias do not have a single cause, but there are a number of associated factors.
For example:
a phobia may be associated with a particular incident or trauma
a phobia may be a learned response that a person develops early in life from a parent or sibling (brother or sister)
genetics may play a role – there's evidence to suggest that some people are born with a tendency to be more anxious than others
Diagnosing phobias
Phobias are not usually formally diagnosed. Most people with a phobia are fully aware of the problem.
A person will sometimes choose to live with a phobia, taking great care to avoid the object or situation they're afraid of.
But if you have a phobia, continually trying to avoid what you're afraid of will make the situation worse.
Ask a GP for help if you have a phobia. They may refer you to a specialist with expertise in behavioural therapy, such as a psychologist.
Treating phobias
Almost all phobias can be successfully treated and cured.
Simple phobias can be treated through gradual exposure to the object, animal, place or situation that causes fear and anxiety. This is known as desensitisation or self-exposure therapy.
You could try these methods with the help of a professional or as part of a self-help programme.
Treating complex phobias often takes longer and involves talking therapies, such as:
counselling
psychotherapy
cognitive behavioural therapy
Medication is not usually used to treat phobias. But it's sometimes prescribed to help people cope with the effects of anxiety.
Medicines that may be used include:
antidepressants
tranquillisers
beta blockers
How common are phobias?
Phobias are the most common type of anxiety disorder.
They can affect anyone, regardless of age, sex and social background.
Some of the most common phobias include:
arachnophobia – fear of spiders
claustrophobia – fear of confined spaces
agoraphobia – fear of open spaces and public places
social phobia – fear of social situations
3- Social Trauma
1 History of the Concept
Although the term trauma had been used in medical contexts before, its origin as a distinctly psychological concept is commonly attributed to Sigmund Freud. In their studies on hysteria Freud and Breuer characterized the memory of the psychic trauma as ‘a foreign body which long after its entry must continue to be regarded as an agent that is still at work’ (Freud and Breuer 1955 (1893–1895), p. 6). Very early Freud noticed the time delay and the possible disparity between the cause and the traumatic response: ‘In traumatic neurosis the operative cause of the illness is not the trifling physical injury but the effect of fright’ (Freud and Breuer 1955 (1893–1895), pp. 5–6). Freud did not yet conceive traumatic memory as a social or collective response. Instead, he refers to processes within the psychic system, in particular to the fundamental tension between instinctive drives and defensive controls. An overwhelming and threatening experience results in an indelible anxiety that is coped with by various defense mechanisms like denial, reversal of cause and effect, or projection of the evil to others.
Psychoanalysis prepared the ground, but the rise of the notion to its current use is due to its relation to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD) that were clinically studied and professionally treated after the First World War (shell shock) and, increasingly, after the Second World War (Holocaust survivors, war experiences, rape, violence). During the 50 years since the wars the range of possible traumatizing experiences as well as the symptomatology of trauma vastly expanded—turning ‘trauma’ into a key concept for the analysis of individual and collective phenomena that before had been studied under the conceptual labels of ‘crisis,’ ‘neurosis,’ ‘anomie,’ and ‘disorder.’
Hysteria
R.E. Kendell, in International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 2001
Hysteria is one of the oldest concepts in medicine, but since the 1950s it has become increasingly muddled, ambiguous, and discredited, and no longer appears in the nomenclatures of either the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual or the International Classification. The term hysteria comes from the Greek word hystera for womb, reflecting the belief of ancient Egyptian physicians that the phenomena of the disease were due to ‘wandering of the womb.’ Hippocrates and Galen both accepted this assumption and until the late nineteenth century hysteria remained a disease of women and of the body (generally the nervous system). The idea that it was a purely psychological disorder dates from Breuer and Freud's Studies on Hysteria in 1896, which led to the psychoanalytic concept of hysteria—the dominant explanatory theory for the next 60 years. The demise of hysteria was due primarily to the fact that the term came to be used in a variety of ways that were only tenuously related: (a) neurological conversion symptoms; (b) psychophysiological reactions—a wider concept of conversion including pain and visceral symptoms; (c) dissociative reactions—fugues and amnesic episodes assumed, after Janet, to be based on dissociation of consciousness; (d) outbreaks of mass, or epidemic, hysteria; (e) Briquet's syndrome—multiple, unexplained, somatic symptoms and persistent invalid behavior; (f) anxiety hysteria—an obsolete psychoanalytic term for phobic anxiety; and (g) a personality type assumed to be particularly susceptible to develop hysterical symptoms. Contemporary understanding of hysterical behavior has been influenced strongly by the sociological concepts of the ‘sick role’ and ‘illness behavior’ and by learning theory, and attempts to reduce both the attractions of the sick role and influences discouraging healthy behavior now have a central role in management. This conceptual model explains the distribution of hysterical behaviors in populations, including the predominance in young women, and many other clinical observations, but it fails to account either for neurological conversion symptoms or for fugues and other dissociative phenomena.
Psychoanalysis: Overview
1 Freud's Life and Writings
Freud was born of a Jewish family in Freiberg (now in the Czech republic) in 1856. He qualified as a physician at the University of Vienna, becoming early involved in neurological research under the tutelage of the physiologist Ernst Brücke, a positivist and Darwinian. After three years of medical practice at the General Hospital in Vienna, Freud received an appointment as lecturer in neuropathology. A period spent at the Salpêtrière in Paris exposed Freud to the French neurologist Jean Charcot's use of hypnotherapy to treat mental disorder. In 1886 Freud set up in private practice in Vienna, applying Charcot's methods, and in 1893 he published with the Viennese physician Josef Breuer Studien über Hysterie [Studies on Hysteria], an account of the use of hypnosis to effect the cathartic recall of forgotten traumatic experience, underpinned by a schematic theory of mental dissociation. This led Freud to attempt to formulate a general theory of mental functioning in strict neurological terms, his ‘Project for a scientific psychology’ of 1895, which he abandoned without completing. Thereafter, Freud concentrated on the analysis of clinical material provided by his patients and undertook a self-analysis. The explorations of these years led to the publication in 1900 of Die Traumdeutung [The Interpretation of Dreams], Freud's first full statement of psychoanalytic ideas. Here Freud defended the substitution of free association for hypnosis as a clinical method. Over the following decade Freud published Zur Psychopathologie des Alltagslebens [The Psychopathology of Everyday Life] (1904) and Drei Abhandlungen zur Sexualtheorie [Three Contributions to the Theory of Sexuality] (1905), and began to acquire a following, leading to the founding in 1910 of the International Psychoanalytic Association. The spread of psychoanalysis in Europe and the United States was accompanied by internal disagreement and the formation of alternative schools, most notably those of Alfred Adler and Carl Jung. Freud's later writings focused on theoretical questions and the application of psychoanalysis to cultural issues. Forced by the Anschluß to flee Austria, Freud died in London in 1939. (Jones 1953–7 and Gay 1988 are classic intellectual biographies of Freud. Decker 1977 analyses Freud's intellectual historical context.)
Psychoanalysis, History of
2.1 Freud Biographies
Three groups of historical literature about Freud have been described: (a) publications of primary sources, for example Freud's correspondences; (b) publications of historical materials concerning case studies and theoretical works of Freud; and (c) critical-academic studies about psychoanalysis. The history of Freud biography and the psychoanalytic movement began with Freud's autobiographical works On the History of the Psychoanalytic Movement (1914) and An Autobiographical Study (1925), and in his own historical papers, Freud—in his one-sided but coherent story—suggests that the history of psychoanalysis is basically the history of refusals, resistances, and the necessary regroupings of the orthodoxies (ideas, institutions and people/practitioners themselves). His story of psychoanalysis appears to be synonymous with the history of its splits, schisms, and dissidents. But, just as the proliferation of schools and the consequent battles among and splittings within psychoanalytic institutes stimulated abundant polemics, these upheavals also stimulated reworkings of almost every important item in the history of Freud biography.
Dreams from The Interpretation of Dreams, patients from The Studies on Hysteria and later case studies have been analyzed and reanalyzed from new perspectives; all the schisms and quarrels in the history of psychoanalysis were rediagnosed by the latter-day schismatics and schism-haters. Based on newly accessed archival material and historical information, early speculations and widely differing interpretations have been reconsidered. Freud biographies have addressed almost every aspect of Freud's life (profession, social status, political views, culture, religion, affection-emotion), sometimes in a general fashion, sometimes in a very specific manner, and reflecting the time and the standpoint of their authors. To forestall future falsifications in popular biographies and early attempts at studying Freud's biography by his pupils and followers, Freud's daughter Anna Freud felt prompted to authorize Ernest Jones to write a first full-scale biography (Young-Bruehl 1998). Freud studies proper began with the pioneering research of Siegfried Bernfeld; his scholarship was invaluable to Ernest Jones when putting together his trilogy The Life and Work of Sigmund Freud (1953–57), yet, at least some of Bernfeld's findings were suppressed in Jones'. As a member of the first generation of loyal followers, Jones' monumental work became the precipitant for a third type of historical accounts: critiques of Jones's biography, or what might be called second-order biographies.
For a long time, Freud's prominence nurtured the illusion of an isolated, ahistoric development of psychoanalysis. A cultural-historical approach to Freud became more intense as the 1960s unfolded, as biography was in general too role-model-oriented. With Henri Ellenberger's The Discovery of the Unconscious (1970), a mode of Freud biography contextualizing Freud began to flourish, taking the precursors of Freud's ideas more into account than Jones did.
Breathe, Walk and Chew: The Neural Challenge: Part I
François Clarac, in Progress in Brain Research, 2010
Peripheral control of breathing
In contrast to the experiments done in the medulla oblongata centers, several others were conducted on the nerves. Hall (1836) proposed that breathing was driven by intrapulmonary CO2, and that the respiratory centers needed to be fed by sensory inputs. Volkmann was the first to stimulate electrically the vagus nerve in 1838, but he did not accept the inhibition of the heart that he observed. It was only in 1845 when Ernst Weber and his brother Eduard observed that inhibitory response in the frog that the phenomenon was really taken into account. Later, Rosenthal (1862) stimulated the vagus and evoked a contraction of the inspiratory muscles. By contrast, Paul Bert (1833–1886), by stimulating the same nerves, inhibited the respiratory rhythm completely (Bert, 1869). Stimulating the superior larynx and the nasal nerves, Bert demonstrated that the larynx was more sensitive to chemical irritants than the nose. Despite contradictory results, it was admitted that different afferent fibers of the vagus, laryngeal, trigeminal, and other nerves could interrupt breathing, which developed into a new story with the famous Hering-Breuer reflex (1868).
Ewald Hering (1834–1918) who specialized in color vision (his book “theory of binocular vision” was published in 1868) and was named professor of physiology, first in Vienna and then later in Prague. Hering's greatest achievement was to have attracted two medical students and a novice doctor to work with him, although he performed no experiments himself. Within 5 years, he established the foundation of our knowledge of respiratory reflexes. Joseph Breuer (1842–1925) was a clinical student, who in 1867 was awarded the title of Privat-Dozent. He took a sabbatical to do research in the Military Academy in Vienna with Hering. After his work, he published a single paper on “The self-steering of breathing through the vagus nerve” (Breuer, 1868, see Breuer, 1970). Then, he continued his medical studies and became a psychiatrist. The case study of Anna O., treated by Breuer, has been the source of work, leading to publications such as the famous Studies on Hysteria, in 1895. With this, Breuer can be considered the cofounder with Freud of psychoanalysis.
His work on respiration was conducted on various animals, cats, dogs, and rabbits, where he used the intravenous application of opium as an anaesthetic. To monitor the ventilation of the lungs, Breuer used a manometer and measured the pressure in the trachea, which decreased during a normal inspiration and increased during the ensuing expiration. He used natural stimuli, inflation, and deflation of the lungs and showed that an expansion of the lungs inhibits inspiration, with the response being closely related to the stimulation. In contrast, a reduction of the lung volume stopped immediately any expiration and could elicit inspiration. This reflex disappeared with the section of the vagi (see Fig. 3a).
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Florin Kratschmer (1843–1922) also graduated in medicine from the Joseph's Academy in 1869. After a single year on respiration problems, he pursued a career as a military physician. In 1903, he became titular professor of hygiene at the University of Vienna. Kratschmer worked essentially on the upper airways, and used various stimuli like cold air, carbon dioxide…etc., which he applied to the different parts of the upper airways. He recorded a variety of responses and established their nervous pathways by sectioning the relevant nerves. He detailed the mechanisms of respiratory and cardiovascular reflexes from the nose and larynx. Kratschmer's work (1870) has been largely ignored, and was only recently translated into English (Kratschmer, 2001).
Henry Head (1861–1940) was a medical student in Cambridge, who went to work with Hering for 3 years between 1884 and 1886. Afterward, he came back to England and became a famous neurologist known for his work on sensory afferents. He continued the analysis that Breuer had not finished. Working on rabbits, he used a better hypnotic agent; chloral hydrate. He experimented with a manometer connected to the trachea recording respiration in a much better way (Fig. 3b). Head prepared a slip of diaphragm and used this as an indicator of the degree of activation of the respiratory muscles, which did not interfere with the integrity of the thoracic cavity. His two papers describing the technique of blocking the vagus nerves by cold thus enabling the possibility to repeat the experiment on the same animal came up with two essential points (Head, 1889a,b). One experiment demonstrated that the deflation reflex had a separate pathway from that of the inflation reflex. The second described the inspiratory effort due to lung inflation when the vagus nerves were recovering from cold block. At about 10 °C, the classical inflation reflex was replaced by a paradoxical one. The modern explanation is that the afferent signals of the two reflexes are conducted in different populations of vagal fibers. At that temperature, the large sensory fibers are still blocked while the smallest ones can transmit the stimulation.
J. Widdicombe (2006) summarizing this reflex story concluded with this humoristic sentence “When we digest the papers we find that Breuer offers gourmet food, Head a stodgy suet pudding containing a couple of plums and Kratschmer a dogs dinner; but together they provide a wonderful three-course meal.” If this reflex is essential in animals, it is not the case for most adult humans at rest. However, the reflex may determine breathing rate and depth in newborns.
Psychoanalytic theories
Barbara M. Newman, Philip R. Newman, in Theories of Adolescent Development, 2020
What are the origins and intellectual traditions from which psychoanalytic theory emerges?
Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) was born in Freiberg (now Pribor), Czechoslovakia. Both his grandfather and great-grandfather had been rabbis. He was the first son of his father Jacob’s second or third marriage (Jahoda, 1977, p. 5). His family’s business failed when he was 4 years old, and in 1860 his family moved to Vienna. In 1873, he entered the University of Vienna and graduated in 1883 with a medical degree.
In school, he became interested in neurology and studied nerve tracts and the relationship of nerve cells. His early research focused on the functions of the medulla and the conduction of nerve impulses in the brain and spinal cord. He also did pioneering work in the use of cocaine as a local anesthetic, but he did not carry on with this work.
In 1885, Freud went to Paris to work with a French neurologist, Jean-Martin Charcot, who specialized in treating hysteria using hypnosis. During his time in Paris, Freud became less interested in the physiological bases of neurological problems and more interested in their psychological bases. Freud began working on this problem in collaboration with a close friend and colleague, Josef Breuer. Freud and Breuer developed a theory of hysteria in which they attributed certain forms of paralysis to psychological conflict rather than to physiological damage (Breuer & Freud, 1895/1955).
In 1886, Freud returned to Vienna and opened up a private practice. He began using hypnosis as a therapeutic treatment. During this time, he began to develop the idea that the human mind was made up of both conscious and unconscious components. He published A Case of Successful Treatment by Hypnotism in 1892–93 and Studies on Hysteria in 1893–95. In the 1890s he stopped using hypnosis and began using free association as a way of reaching the unconscious mind. In this technique, the patient is encouraged to talk about whatever comes to mind; the thoughts do not need to be coherent or related to a particular topic. In contrast to hypnosis, the freedom to talk about any topic or feeling was thought to allow the person to be aware of what was said. In an article published on the etiology of neuroses, Freud first used the term “psychoanalysis” instead of “suggestion” or “catharsis” to describe his methods (Sigmund Freud Chronology: 1896, 2014). The process of psychoanalysis focused on analyzing the material that was produced through association and areas of resistance to reveal the content of the unconscious.
In 1900, Freud published The Interpretation of Dreams, which includes substantial information from his own self-analysis (Freud, 1900/1953). He believed that dreams gave more direct evidence of the contents of the unconscious mind than free associations even though the dream content was in symbolic form. Thus, free association and dream interpretation became established as two primary techniques of psychoanalysis.
In 1905, Freud published Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality, which articulated his view that sexual conflict and expression of impulses existed in infancy and young childhood and influenced the formation of the adult personality (Freud, 1905/1953). His theory was formulated in part as a critique of the social conventions of the time in which sexual urges and the psychological representations of sexual drives were severely constrained. These ideas were met by a storm of anger, rejection, and protest by many within the medical community. His medical colleagues could not accept the idea of childhood sexuality. They considered his public lectures on the topic to be crude and distasteful. Freud was denied a professorial appointment at the University of Vienna primarily because of these lectures and writings. Even Breuer, his longtime colleague and collaborator, found Freud’s preoccupation with sexual motives offensive and terminated their association.
But, at the same time, the new theory of infantile sexuality led a group of young followers to gather around Freud and pursue the implications of these ideas. Freud helped form the International Congress on Psychoanalysis. There, he developed his psychoanalytic theory and taught the principles of psychoanalysis to his followers. Freud demanded rather strict adherence to the basic principles and concepts of this theory, and some members of the analytic circle broke away to pursue their own versions of the theory. Most notable among these were Carl Jung and Alfred Adler, who broke with Freud in 1912 and founded their own schools of analytic thought that continue to be influential today.
Freud spent the last 25 years of his life lecturing, writing, and teaching his theory to younger physicians, working with patients to gather supporting evidence for his theory, and conducting the business of the International Congress. He remained in Vienna during the rise of Naziism in Germany but was spirited away to England by supporters in 1938 after the Nazis invaded Austria. In 1923, he developed cancer of the jaw, which was very painful. He underwent repeated surgeries and finally died of the disease in 1939.
Marie Jahoda (1977) noted that “there is virtually no aspect of Freud’s work that has escaped becoming the subject of controversy; even some biographical details provided by him or his contemporaries are now open to doubt” (p. 5). Major biographers such as Jones (1953–1957) and Ellenberger (1970) disagree about the facts of Freud’s life and the factors that guided his thoughts and work. Freud was a very prolific writer and over the years he often revisited aspects of his theory and analytic techniques. Thus, when someone asks, “Did Freud believe this or that?” it is possible to find support for a variety of positions depending on which of his writings one consults. This helps perpetuate the controversies over his ideas. However, there is no doubt that his ideas have been influential in determining how we think about the human psyche and the factors that shape it.
Anna Freud (1895–1982) was the youngest of Sigmund Freud’s six children. She was deeply devoted to her father, studying and working with him in the development of psychoanalytic theory and practice. As a young woman, she established an elementary school for children of those who had come to study psychoanalysis with her father in Vienna. Through observing these children, she began to extend the principles of psychoanalysis to children and became one of the leading theorists and practitioners of child psychoanalysis. She published her first paper on child psychoanalysis in 1927. In 1938, she escaped Nazi-occupied Austria with her father and fled to London. After his death in 1939, she established the Child Therapy Course, a training site and treatment facility for emotionally disturbed children and their parents.
Peter Blos (1904–97) is considered to be one of the early specialists in adolescent psychoanalysis. He was born in Karlsruhe Germany. He studied education at the University of Heidelberg and then went on for his doctorate in biology at the University of Vienna. In the 1920s, he became acquainted with Anna Freud who asked him to help her establish a small school for children whose parents were involved in analytic training. He invited his long-time friend, Erik Homburger (later known as Erik Erikson) to join him there. Through his contact with the psychoanalytic circle and exposure to analytic training, Blos became especially interested in the psychological problems of children (Houssier, 2005).
In 1934, Blos fled Vienna to escape rising threats of Nazism and went to the United States, first to New Orleans and then to New York where he continued his analytic training. He became a member of the New York Psychoanalytic Society, where he later served as a supervisor and trainer. His theoretical work focused on clarifying stages of development from latency through adolescence into early adulthood including areas of psychopathology and analytic therapy specifically relevant for adolescents. Influenced by the work of Margaret Mahler (cite), who wrote extensively about the period of infancy, Blos introduced the concept of the second individuation process (cite), a concept that has become foundational to an analytic approach to adolescent development.
Id, Ego, and Superego :
- The Ego and the Id
Sigmund Freud's "The Ego and the Id" (1923) formulates the structural personality model in which Freud offers a revised version of his earlier topographical model of the psyche. The model articulates a map of the different layers which comprise the human soul: the conscious ,unconscious and preconscious which correlate with the faculties of ego, id and super-ego.
The Id - the Id (German: Es) is the primordial part of the psyche, the mental agency which hold the core energy of urges, the libido. The Id is separate from the Ego and external to it. It lacks self awareness and it is in a sense a boiling pot of physical energies aimed at attaining pleasure and avoiding pain (Freud's "pleasure principle"). The Id does not abide by reason and is pure impulse and it is associated with the unconscious.
The Ego - the Ego in Freud's theory splits from the initial Id to from a separate agency associated with the conscious. The Ego is formed as a result of the Id's necessity to negotiate its urges with reality's constrictions ("the reality principle"). The Ego is our aware experience of ourselves and its perceptions are logical and realistic. The Ego has the task of managing the energy arising from the Id and find ways to satisfy its desires in accordance with reality.
The Super-Ego - the Super Ego is formed "on top" of the Ego during Freud's Oedipal Complex. The child's identification with his father includes the internalization of society's rules and proper manners of conduct. Thus a moral conscience develops and a sense of an "ideal" self that one needs to peruse. The super ego is strict and uncompromising and it engages the Ego with moral demands.
In Freud's model the Ego is "stuck" in the middle of three factors: the Id, the Super-Ego and reality. The Ego need to accommodate and balance all the different pressures and demands, a arduous task indeed.
Sigmund Freud - The Interpretation of Dreams -
The Interpretation of Dreams (1899) is one of Sigmund Freud's most notable works. Some of Freud's most important ideas such as the unconscious and the Oedipal complex are manifested in the book which makes it pivotal in any understanding of Sigmund Freud's theory or psychoanalysis in general.
As suggested by its title, The Interpretation of Dreams is primarily devoted to the study of dreams and their role in mental life and therapy. Freud argues that all dreams are subjected to the need for "wish fulfillment" (wunscherfüllung), a notion he will later renounce (see Beyond the Pleasure Principle) but at the time was fundamental to his theory. Dreams, Freud held, are an instrument to maintain sleep and in order to do so must cater for different needs arising in the body and psyche during sleep. In order to prevent these needs from waking us up the mind sets up imagined experiences that offer relief and satisfaction for these urges. Dreams can, for example, hold off the need for peeing by giving you a dream in which you are relived. In a more complex example the dream offers some resolve to a haunting inner conflict by enacting its desired outcomes.
The thing about wish fulfillment is that we don't always want to know what our true wishes are (especially if you take the Freudian view on humans and their objects of desire). This is where the "censor" comes in, blurring the content of the dream and rendering it incomprehensible so that we are not exposed to anything we don't want to acknowledge. In order for information to slip through the censor lines it must be coded. This means that dreams, much like in the biblical or mystic notion of them, have deep symbolic meaning to them.
In The Interpretation of Dreams Freud termed the concept of Dreamwork in order to refer to the mechanisms that take part in the symbolic formation of the dream. Dreamwork includes, as a start, symbolism and the fact the different psychic entities in our soul receive visual representation in the dream. Freud also notes two types of such symbolic mechanism such as displacement which combines two meanings into one object or displacement which moves feeling directed at one object to another. In the end comes what Freud calls secondary revision, the "editing" of the dream by the dreamer in order to apply logic and coherence to it.
In psychoanalysis the dream serves, according to Freud, as "the royal road to the unconscious". The dream provides the therapist with data which is usually not obtainable by the conscious awake self, and by deconstructing its coded meanings one can get a peak at what's happening deep down under.
Although Freud later retracted many of the ideas that appear in The Interpretation of Dreams, the book remains highly influential till this days, maybe because it contains some spectacular demonstrations of dream analysis conducted by Freud that are sure to leave you waiting for next morning.
Sigmund Freud - Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality
Sigmund Freud is famous and infamous for introducing a sexuality based drive theory and model of the psyche. His 1905 Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality is one of first works introduced by Freud regarding this important aspect of his theory.
The first essay on the theory of sexuality regards sexual perversions and aberrations. Here Freud distinguishes sexual aim- a desire - and sexual object- with which one wishes to fulfill that desire. Sexual aberrations are cases in which sexual aim is directed at a certain unaccepted (now) sexual object such as children or animals. Freud thought that we all might have the potential for such dispositions but that a proper course of sexual development would lead our aims away from these abnormal objects and in the direction of acceptable ones. If not, well...
The second essay on the theory of sexuality deals with childhood sexuality and here Freud lays out is famous theory of the psychosexual development track. From the moment we are born we have sexual energy, libido, which is transformed in our early years which shapes its aims and objects. Freud sketches this phases that have physical centers, starting from the oral stage, through the anal stage, on to the phallic stage, the latency stage and finally to genital stage (see other summaries here for elaboration on Freud's psychosexual development theory).
The third and last essay on the theory of sexuality, "The Transformations of Puberty", ties the sexual development of the adolescent with the events of his early childhood which produce his adult sexuality.
Sigmund Freud - Totem and Taboo
Totem and Taboo: Resemblances Between the Mental Lives of Savages and Neurotics, or Totem and Taboo: Some Points of Agreement between the Mental Lives of Savages and Neurotics (we'll just make do with "Totem and Taboo" here, if you don't mind) is Sigmund Freud's first (but not last) attempt at applying psychoanalysis to culture and human history at large. Published in 1913, Totem and Taboo is now considered a classic anthropological text that even if factually dubious is still very inspiring for the manner in which it engages culture and the collective psyche.
In chapter 1 of Totem and Taboo, titled "The Horrors of Incest", Freud engages with Totemism, discussing Australian Aboriginals who practice animistic Totemism. Freud describes how clan differentiation and marriage are organized through the different totem of each clan and prohibition on marrying somebody from your own totem. The Totem, Freud deduces, prevents incest (since paternal identity is usually not particularly clear in tribal societies).
In chapter 2 ("Taboo and emotional ambivalence") Freud points to the relation between Totemism and taboo with the aid of his psychoanalytic terms of "projection" and "ambivalence". Repression of ambivalent feelings towards others results in projecting them outwards, on to the totem (which serves as a kind of "scape goat" for negative feeling towards adjacent people). Freud then compares this dynamic to the relationship of masses and their rulers.
Chapter 3 ( "Animism, Magic and the Omnipotence of Thought") Freud ties the believe in magic to narcissism and the over-belief in the meaning and effect of our actions and thoughts in regards to reality. The "omnipotence of thoughts" projects inner reality onto the world, an animistic practice we can see today in art, for example.
Chapter 4 of Totem and Taboo ("The Return of Totemism in Childhood") sets forth one of Freud's wildest cultural ideas, claiming that Totemism, and therefore taboo, originates in one single event. This is, for Freud, the first prototypical case of the Oedipal Complex in which a band of expelled brothers returned to the clan to kill their revered and feared father. The guilt that followed from this event is the basis for all religion, so holds Freud.
Sigmund Freud - Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious
Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious (1905) is considered to be one of Sigmund Freud's most notable early works. Together with The Interpretation of Dreams and The Psychopathology of Everyday Life, this books forms the basis for the psychoanalytic thought as presented and later developed by Freud.
After discovering that hidden mechanisms operate under the surface of our consciousness Freud was looking for a way to go around or penetrate the walls blocking important information and mental content of patients. Two of his solutions were dreams (suggested in The Interpretation of Dreams) and everyday mistakes and slips of the tongue (suggested in Psychopathology of Everyday Life). In Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious Freud holds that what produces laughter and makes jokes enjoyable to us is the fact that they serve to disguise and cover up more serious matters. Saying it in a joke allows us to utter things that would otherwise be stuck and repressed.
You know how they say that every joke has a kernel of truth? well, Freud thinks that if we listen hard enough to the joke, and not just laugh from it, we might discover something important of what's going on inside the joker. Freud holds that we must learn the techniques which produce jokes in order to understand and trace their hidden origins.
Freud later developed his thoughts in Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious with the introduction of his structural theory (see The Id, Ego and Superego). Freud argued that the superego usually does not inhibit jokes in the same manner that it does regular speech, granting much more freedom for the subconscious to express itself.
Freud - Mourning and Melancholia
In Sigmund Freud's "Mourning and Melancholia" (1917) he offers the notion that melancholy and mourning are two different responses to loss. For Freud, pathological melancholy, unlike normal mourning, is a process in which separation from an object of attachment remained incomplete for some reason. Instead of retracting the libido invested with the lost object and redirecting it to another object, the melancholic person directs its excess libido inwards. As a result a part of the person identifies with the lost person, resulting in a inner division. The internalization of the lost loved one forms a separate faculty in the psyche which is harsh, judgmental, angry and yet attracting. While mourning is associated with conscious thought, melancholia happens in the unconscious.
In his famous and important article "The Ego and the Id" (1923) Freud expanded on "Mourning and Melancholia" arguing that the process is universal and normal and is in fact a part of the Oedipal Phase. The internalization of the parent is, according to Freud, the inner division that forms the "super-ego".
Freud - Beyond the Pleasure Principle
The publication of "Beyond the Pleasure Principle" in 1920 marked a crucial turning point in Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory. Up until then Freud infamously held that all human action is based on the sexual drives (the libido or Eros) and the pleasure principle of perusing pleasure while avoiding pain. In "Beyond the Pleasure Principle" Freud suggested that man is also governed by a competing instinctual drive: the death drive (or Thanatos, the Greek god of death).
It was the horrors of World War 1 which led Freud to hold that inside all of us lies a force which is aggressive, violent and (also self-) destructive. Life and death, Freud realized, are two sides of the same coin and therefore their mutual interaction is at the very core of human existence.
Freud moves from clinical evidence to support his theory to speculation. in sections 1-3 of "Beyond the Pleasure Principle" Freud asks if we can find examples of incidents in which human action moves "beyond the Pleasure Principle", that is not abiding by it. He identifies four such cases: children's games, recurring dreams, self harming and the underlying principle of repetition compulsion (enacting unpleasant events over and over again). Freud could not account for repetition compulsion under the premise of the pleasure principle and he therefore concluded that it must be separate from it.
In sections 4-7 of "Beyond the Pleasure Principle" Freud speculates that repetition compulsion is a form or relieving pressure originating in trauma, granting relief to self destructive forces. He added the example of masochism which he claims precedes sadism, and not the other way around.
The most inspiring point in Freud's "Beyond the Pleasure Principle" is the suggestion that to the same extent we want live and love we also want to die and destroy. The dual nature of man was now brought to the forefront of psychoanalysis.
Freud's Civilization and Its Discontents
Civilization and Its Discontents (1930) is one of Sigmund Freud's most notable and influential books. The book discusses the fundamental tension between the individual and civilization. The basic split between civilization and the individual results from the individual desire for freedom and satisfaction of instinctual needs which collides with society's need for conformity and obedience, manifested in repression. The tragic paradox of humanity, Freud holds, lies in the fact that many of our most basic needs and wants are harmful to our existence as a group if manifested completely. Man has a need to fulfill his sexual or violent drives (see "Beyond the Pleasure Principle" ) that must be contained of society is to function (we can't have people running around f**king and beating the crap out of everyone they want). That's why every civilization creates laws and regulations preventing murder and rape accompanied by severe punishments in order to deter offenders. That's all fine and nice but it also means that we are always left discontent, unsatisfied and repressed. Feeling frustrated isn't an anomaly, it's human nature in civilization.
Freud's Civilization and Its Discontents picks up from where his The Future of an Illusion (1927) leaves off in exploring the nature of human religion. Chapter one of the book is devoted to what Freud calls the "Oceanic Feeling" of being boundless, an early pre-self sentiment associated with Religion. Chapter two of Civilization and Its Discontents expands on the religious theme and suggests that the ego is formed as a need to distance one from external reality, making the pleasure principle work in manners more complex. Chapter three discusses the paradox by which civilization which is designed to protect man from unhappiness is the predominant cause of this unhappiness. This tension if for Freud the cause of many neuroses. In chapter 4 Freud ties in his theory from Totem and Taboo which holds that the development of civilization is connected with a collective Oedipal complex resulting from brothers conspiring to kill their father. In chapters 5 and 6 Freud brings in the death drive as something that unlike the Eros or libido which tie people together is something that drives society apart and therefore needs to be repressed. In the seventh chapter of Civilization and Its Discontents Freud discusses the neurosis associated with the clash between death desires and civilization's repression. The internalized social moral demand in the super-ego which subordinates the ego into fending off its id by means of guilt. In other words, guilt in the prerequisite sentiment for belonging to society.
The Uncanny / Sigmund Freud (summary)
Sigmund's Freud's "The Uncanny" ("Das Unheimliche") was published in 1919 as part of his somewhat dismal account of the modern human condition (the Uncanny was complemented my Freud's "Beyond the Pleasure Principle", published a year later). Freud's notion of the uncanny draws on the lingual origins of the German word "Unheimliche", opposed to "heimlisch" which signifies "homely" in the cozy-intimate sense of the word. Unheimliche, translated as "uncanny" is not exactly the opposite of homely but rather a word that describes a sense of estrangement within the home, the presence of something threatening, tempting and unknown that lies within the bounds of the intimate.
Freud was not the first to tackle the notion of the uncanny, and in fact his article is a response to Earnest Jentsch account on the subject. Both Jentsch and Freud relate to E.T.A. Hoffman's short story The Sandman as an example of the uncanny, though they draw somewhat different conclusions.
At the beginning of "The Uncanny" Freud holds that the uncanny is that type of dread which returns to which is long familiar. The uncanny, in that sense, is something new that exists in something already known. But the uncanny for Freud in not simply something which is unknown that enters our consciousness. After a long lingual discussion, Freud argues that the notion of Heimlich, "homely", relates to something which is known and comfortable on the one hand and hidden and concealed on the other. The home, for Freud, is a type of secret place, and the unhomely, the uncanny, is something which should have been kept a secret but is revealed. This means that the "canny-homely" and uncanny-unhomley are two opposites that bear each other's meaning. To give a concrete example: the mannequin is an example of something which appears to be familiar as a human figure, but is in fact lifeless and therefore a potential cause of dread as a result of this dissonance of not knowing at first glance whether we are looking at a human or a piece of plastic.
For Freud, if psychoanalysis is correct in holding that an emotional effect of any kind can turn into anxiety by means of repression it follows that there must be types of anxiety that are the result of something repressed that has resurfaced. Such a feeling of anxiety is the uncanny, which is something rediscovered only after repression has rendered it strange and unfamiliar – the uncanny, in other words, is something that should have been kept concealed but is discovered. Freud argues that we experience a sense of uncanny when a certain trigger brings back repressed childhood conflicts or primitive beliefs that we have overcome but suddenly, seemingly, receive renewed affirmation.
The Cornerstone of Psychoanalysis
Freud was initially drawn to the dynamics of depth psychology by the inability of the neurological community to come to grips with the problem of hysteria. Hysterics appeared to suffer a host of somatic and physical maladies (e.g., motor paralysis, glove anesthesia) that had no apparent neurological basis. One promising treatment was the use of hypnosis. Josef Breuer, a medical colleague of Freud, claimed to have relieved the hysterical symptoms of a female patient (‘Anna O.’) by such means. In Studies on Hysteria (1895), Breuer and Freud presented a series of case studies and theoretical articles on the etiology of hysteria and the role of hypnosis in treating it. The authors claimed that hysterical symptoms have a symbolic meaning of which the patient had no conscious knowledge. Symptoms are substitutes for mental acts that are diverted from taking their normal course because the affect associated with the mental processes becomes ‘strangulated’ (as a result of trauma) and channeled into physical symptoms (‘conversion’). That is, a strong affect is prevented from being consciously worked out in consciousness, and is diverted instead into ‘the wrong path,’ taking the form of somatic symptoms. Under hypnosis, this strangulated affect can be set free or purged (‘abreacted’), allowed normal discharge into consciousness, thereby leading to a removal of symptoms. This treatment was called the cathartic method. Moreover, patients under hypnosis tended to recall ‘psychic traumas’ from a remote past, extending to early childhood, so that Breuer and Freud could claim that hysterics ‘suffer from reminiscences.’ When these traumas are allowed expression in the hypnotic state, strangulated affect is released and directed into normal consciousness.
One sees in these studies and in the papers that followed the preliminary delineation of some of the foundational notions of psychoanalysis. To observe that traumatic ‘reminiscences’ could be recalled only under hypnosis suggests that their conscious expression is met with certain resistance (defensive repression). These reminiscences, though resisted, continue to exert pathogenic effects (as symptoms), which are suggestive of unconscious mental processes.
Freud was soon to abandon the hypnotic technique for the good reason that not all of his patients were amenable to hypnotic induction. In addition, Freud observed that the amelioration of symptoms seemed to depend more on the nature of the patient–analyst relationship. If this relationship was disturbed, symptoms reappeared. This clinical insight was later reformalized as transference love. Transference describes a phenomenon that emerges during the course of psychoanalytic treatment, whereby the patient comes to involve the analyst as a substitute for a past interpersonal relationship, a finding that some consider being one of Freud's great discoveries. The hypnotic technique was replaced by the method of free association, a method that requires the patient to read off the content of conscious experiences and memories without judgment or embarrassment.
Free association depends on the assumption of strict determinism, which holds that associated ideas and memories are not randomly yoked, but are instead determined by a dominant (and often pathogenically repressed) trend of thought, which is unconscious (but is causally active nonetheless). Given the assumption that symptoms have sense and meaning, and are substitutes for actions that are omitted or repressed, the task of the analyst was to interpret the free associations in a way that successfully deciphered their meaning, a meaning that was otherwise obscured by censorship. To distinguish this technique from the cathartic method, Freud called this treatment ‘psychoanalysis.’ Freud claimed that the transition from catharsis to psychoanalysis yielded two important novelties: the extension of psychoanalytic insights to phenomena associated with normality, and the discovery of the significance of infantile sexuality for understanding the etiology of neuroses.
In The Interpretation of Dreams (1900) and in The Psychopathology of Everyday Life (1901), Freud extended this notion of mental determinism to include not just the symbolic character of neurotic free associations, which of necessity require analytic interpretation, but also the various parapraxes of normal life (‘Freudian slips,’ accidental self-injury, and other putatively ‘haphazard’ acts) and dreams. These too are like neurotic symptoms in that they express a meaning that can be deciphered by analytic interpretation. The difference between normality and neurosis was not as great as had been supposed. Indeed, the interpretation of dreams was to provide important clues to the nature of the unconscious and the process of symptom formation.
Freud distinguished between the manifest and the latent content of dreams. The manifest content was simply the recollected dream, often bizarre and strange. The latent content is provided by analytic interpretation. Latent dream thoughts are distorted and condensed ‘residues’ of the previous day. They are arranged so as to allow pictorial representation and, through ‘secondary revision,’ are given a sense of coherence. The motivation for dream formation is a repressed unconscious wish that seeks satisfaction (‘wish fulfillment’) in the form of the latent material of the dream. Dreams represent, then, a disguised attempt at the fulfillment of an unconscious wish that was denied satisfaction. The attempt is disguised, that is, the manifest content is strange and bizarre, because of the efforts of a restrictive, disapproving agency in the mind (e.g., the ego). Dream censorship, according to Freud, points to the same mental process that kept the wish repressed during the day. So, on the one hand, there is an unfulfilled, repressed wish that is striving for expression. On the other, there is a disapproving, censoring ego that is striving to repress it. The result is a compromise formation that takes the form of dreams, in normality, and of symptoms, in the case of neurosis. Dream formation and symptom formation, then, are the expressions of identical mental dynamics. Both are compromise formations that reflect the conflict between unconscious impulses (wishes) and the censoring ego.
The second novelty revealed by the psychoanalytic method was that the search for pathogenically significant traumatic experiences typically took one back to early childhood. And these experiences were invariably a reflection of a disturbance of infantile sexual life. This remains one of the most controversial aspects of Freud's theory. ‘Infantile sexuality’ refers to the sensations of pleasure that accompany holding, maternal caressing, and oral and anal satisfactions. Freud's use of the term ‘sexuality’ is thus much broader and more general than the common use of the term. Freud claimed that the development of human sexuality was diphasic. There is, first of all, an infantile period when the sexual instincts are sequentially invested in different zones of the body (‘erotogenic zones’), and then a more adult period when the component sexual instincts (oral, anal, phallic) are organized in the service of genital, reproductive sexuality. Intervening between the infantile period and adult period is the latency period of childhood, when the sexual motivations are diverted to other purposes (e.g., skill building, school work).
The sexual instinct is thus an organization of component instincts that takes the adult form only at puberty, and it is decisive for understanding the etiology of neuroses. This is particularly true when libido becomes invested in the phallic region, which gives rise to the ‘Oedipus complex’ (ages 2–5). The Oedipus complex is foundational for the emergence of the superego and more will be discussed about it in the following pages. Suffice it to say here that this emotionally charged complex of family relationships is the source of the neuroses. As Freud noted, normal individuals survive and master their Oedipal feelings; neurotics continue to be mastered by them.
To this point, we have reviewed what Freud called the ‘cornerstones’ of psychoanalytic theory: the discovery of unconscious mental processes, the theory of repression and of transference, and the importance of infantile sexuality and the Oedipus complex for understanding neuroses. No one could be called a psychoanalyst unless one accepted these tenets. Yet, we are still far from articulating the structural features of the personality (id, ego, and, superego). This is best done by further recounting the evolution of his thinking on these important constructs.
Chapter 5 :
Sensation and Perception
What you’ll learn to do: differentiate between sensation and perception
Sensation and perception are two separate processes that are very closely related. Sensation is input about the physical world obtained by our sensory receptors, and perception is the process by which the brain selects, organizes, and interprets these sensations. In other words, senses are the physiological basis of perception. Perception of the same senses may vary from one person to another because each person’s brain interprets stimuli differently based on that individual’s learning, memory, emotions, and expectations.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
· Define sensation and explain its connection to the concepts of absolute threshold, difference threshold, and subliminal messages
· Discuss the roles attention, motivation, and sensory adaptation play in perception
·
Sensation
What does it mean to sense something? Sensory receptors are specialized neurons that respond to specific types of stimuli. When sensory information is detected by a sensory receptor, sensation has occurred. For example, light that enters the eye causes chemical changes in cells that line the back of the eye. These cells relay messages, in the form of action potentials (as you learned when studying biopsychology), to the central nervous system. The conversion from sensory stimulus energy to action potential is known as transduction.
You have probably known since elementary school that we have five senses: vision, hearing (audition), smell (olfaction), taste (gustation), and touch (somatosensation). It turns out that this notion of five senses is oversimplified. We also have sensory systems that provide information about balance (the vestibular sense), body position and movement (proprioception and kinesthesia), pain (nociception), and temperature (thermoception).
The sensitivity of a given sensory system to the relevant stimuli can be expressed as an absolute threshold. Absolute threshold refers to the minimum amount of stimulus energy that must be present for the stimulus to be detected 50% of the time. Another way to think about this is by asking how dim can a light be or how soft can a sound be and still be detected half of the time. The sensitivity of our sensory receptors can be quite amazing. It has been estimated that on a clear night, the most sensitive sensory cells in the back of the eye can detect a candle flame 30 miles away (Okawa & Sampath, 2007). Under quiet conditions, the hair cells (the receptor cells of the inner ear) can detect the tick of a clock 20 feet away (Galanter, 1962).
It is also possible for us to get messages that are presented below the threshold for conscious awareness—these are called subliminal messages. A stimulus reaches a physiological threshold when it is strong enough to excite sensory receptors and send nerve impulses to the brain: this is an absolute threshold. A message below that threshold is said to be subliminal: we receive it, but we are not consciously aware of it. Therefore, the message is sensed, but for whatever reason, it has not been selected for processing in working or short-term memory. Over the years there has been a great deal of speculation about the use of subliminal messages in advertising, rock music, and self-help audio programs. Research evidence shows that in laboratory settings, people can process and respond to information outside of awareness. But this does not mean that we obey these messages like zombies; in fact, hidden messages have little effect on behavior outside the laboratory (Kunst-Wilson & Zajonc, 1980; Rensink, 2004; Nelson, 2008; Radel, Sarrazin, Legrain, & Gobancé, 2009; Loersch, Durso, & Petty, 2013).
DIG DEEPER: UNCONSCIOUS PERCEPTION
These days, most scientific research on unconscious processes is aimed at showing that people do not need consciousness for certain psychological processes or behaviors. One such example is attitude formation. The most basic process of attitude formation is through mere exposure (Zajonc, 1968). Merely perceiving a stimulus repeatedly, such as a brand on a billboard one passes every day or a song that is played on the radio frequently, renders it more positive. Interestingly, mere exposure does not require conscious awareness of the object of an attitude. In fact, mere-exposure effects occur even when novel stimuli are presented subliminally for extremely brief durations (e.g., Kunst-Wilson & Zajonc, 1980). Intriguingly, in such subliminal mere-exposure experiments, participants indicate a preference for, or a positive attitude towards, stimuli they do not consciously remember being exposed to.Another example of modern research on unconscious processes is research on priming. Priming generally relies on supraliminal stimuli, which means that the messaging may occur out of awareness, but it is still perceived, unlike subliminal messaging. Supraliminal messages are be perceived by the conscious mind. For example, in one study, shoppers listened to either French or German music (the supraliminal messaging) while buying wine, and sales originating from either country were higher when music from that same country was played overhead. In a well-known experiment by a research team led by the American psychologist John Bargh (Bargh, Chen, & Burrows, 1996), half the participants were primed with the stereotype of the elderly by doing a language task (they had to make sentences on the basis of lists of words). These lists contained words commonly associated with the elderly (e.g., “old,” “bingo,” “walking stick,” “Florida”). The remaining participants received a language task in which the critical words were replaced by words not related to the elderly. After participants had finished they were told the experiment was over, but they were secretly monitored to see how long they took to walk to the nearest elevator. The primed participants took significantly longer. That is, after being exposed to words typically associated with being old, they behaved in line with the stereotype of old people: being slow.Such priming effects have been shown in other domains as well. For example, Dijksterhuis and van Knippenberg (1998) demonstrated that priming can improve intellectual performance. They asked their participants to answer 42 general knowledge questions taken from the game Trivial Pursuit. Under normal conditions, participants answered about 50% of the questions correctly. However, participants primed with the stereotype of professors—who are by most people seen as intelligent—managed to answer 60% of the questions correctly. Conversely, performance of participants primed with the “dumb” stereotype of hooligans dropped to 40%. Both of these studies have had difficult times replicating, so it is worth noting that the conclusions reached may not be as powerful as originally reported.
Absolute thresholds are generally measured under incredibly controlled conditions i
and situations that are optimal for sensitivity. Sometimes, we are more interested in how much difference in stimuli is required to detect a difference between them. This is known as the just noticeable difference (jnd) or difference threshold. Unlike the absolute threshold, the difference threshold changes depending on the stimulus intensity. As an example, imagine yourself in a very dark movie theater. If an audience member were to receive a text message on her cell phone which caused her screen to light up, chances are that many people would notice the change in illumination in the theater. However, if the same thing happened in a brightly lit arena during a basketball game, very few people would notice. The cell phone brightness does not change, but its ability to be detected as a change in illumination varies dramatically between the two contexts. Ernst Weber proposed this theory of change in difference threshold in the 1830s, and it has become known as Weber’s law: The difference threshold is a constant fraction of the original stimulus, as the example illustrates. It is the idea that bigger stimuli require larger differences to be noticed. For example, it will be much harder for your friend to reliably tell the difference between 10 and 11 lbs. (or 5 versus 5.5 kg) than it is for 1 and 2 lbs.
THINK IT OVER
Think about a time when you failed to notice something around you because your attention was focused elsewhere. If someone pointed it out, were you surprised that you hadn’t noticed it right away?
Perception
While our sensory receptors are constantly collecting information from the environment, it is ultimately how we interpret that information that affects how we interact with the world. Perception refers to the way sensory information is organized, interpreted, and consciously experienced. Perception involves both bottom-up and top-down processing. Bottom-up processing refers to the fact that perceptions are built from sensory input. On the other hand, how we interpret those sensations is influenced by our available knowledge, our experiences, and our thoughts. This is called top-down processing.
Look at the shape in Figure 3 below. Seen alone, your brain engages in bottom-up processing. There are two thick vertical lines and three thin horizontal lines. There is no context to give it a specific meaning, so there is no top-down processing involved.
Now, look at the same shape in two different contexts. Surrounded by sequential letters, your brain expects the shape to be a letter and to complete the sequence. In that context, you perceive the lines to form the shape of the letter “B.”
Surrounded by numbers, the same shape now looks like the number “13.”
When given a context, your perception is driven by your cognitive expectations. Now you are processing the shape in a top-down fashion.
One way to think of this concept is that sensation is a physical process, whereas perception is psychological. For example, upon walking into a kitchen and smelling the scent of baking cinnamon rolls, the sensation is the scent receptors detecting the odor of cinnamon, but the perception may be “Mmm, this smells like the bread Grandma used to bake when the family gathered for holidays.”
Although our perceptions are built from sensations, not all sensations result in perception. In fact, we often don’t perceive stimuli that remain relatively constant over prolonged periods of time. This is known as sensory adaptation. Imagine entering a classroom with an old analog clock. Upon first entering the room, you can hear the ticking of the clock; as you begin to engage in conversation with classmates or listen to your professor greet the class, you are no longer aware of the ticking. The clock is still ticking, and that information is still affecting sensory receptors of the auditory system. The fact that you no longer perceive the sound demonstrates sensory adaptation and shows that while closely associated, sensation and perception are different.
Attention and Perception
There is another factor that affects sensation and perception: attention. Attention plays a significant role in determining what is sensed versus what is perceived. Imagine you are at a party full of music, chatter, and laughter. You get involved in an interesting conversation with a friend, and you tune out all the background noise. If someone interrupted you to ask what song had just finished playing, you would probably be unable to answer that question.
One of the most interesting demonstrations of how important attention is in determining our perception of the environment occurred in a famous study conducted by Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris (1999). In this study, participants watched a video of people dressed in black and white passing basketballs. Participants were asked to count the number of times the team in white passed the ball. During the video, a person dressed in a black gorilla costume walks among the two teams. You would think that someone would notice the gorilla, right? Nearly half of the people who watched the video didn’t notice the gorilla at all, despite the fact that he was clearly visible for nine seconds. Because participants were so focused on the number of times the white team was passing the ball, they completely tuned out other visual information. Failure to notice something that is completely visible because of a lack of attention is called inattentional blindness.
In a similar experiment, researchers tested inattentional blindness by asking participants to observe images moving across a computer screen. They were instructed to focus on either white or black objects, disregarding the other color. When a red cross passed across the screen, about one third of subjects did not notice it (Most, Simons, Scholl, & Chabris, 2000).
Motivations, Expectations, and Perception
Motivation can also affect perception. Have you ever been expecting a really important phone call and, while taking a shower, you think you hear the phone ringing, only to discover that it is not? If so, then you have experienced how motivation to detect a meaningful stimulus can shift our ability to discriminate between a true sensory stimulus and background noise. The ability to identify a stimulus when it is embedded in a distracting background is called signal detection theory. This might also explain why a mother is awakened by a quiet murmur from her baby but not by other sounds that occur while she is asleep. Signal detection theory has practical applications, such as increasing air traffic controller accuracy. Controllers need to be able to detect planes among many signals (blips) that appear on the radar screen and follow those planes as they move through the sky. In fact, the original work of the researcher who developed signal detection theory was focused on improving the sensitivity of air traffic controllers to plane blips (Swets, 1964).
Our perceptions can also be affected by our beliefs, values, prejudices, expectations, and life experiences. As you will see later in this module, individuals who are deprived of the experience of binocular vision during critical periods of development have trouble perceiving depth (Fawcett, Wang, & Birch, 2005). The shared experiences of people within a given cultural context can have pronounced effects on perception. For example, Marshall Segall, Donald Campbell, and Melville Herskovits (1963) published the results of a multinational study in which they demonstrated that individuals from Western cultures were more prone to experience certain types of visual illusions than individuals from non-Western cultures, and vice versa. One such illusion that Westerners were more likely to experience was the Müller-Lyer illusion: the lines appear to be different lengths, but they are actually the same length.
These perceptual differences were consistent with differences in the types of environmental features experienced on a regular basis by people in a given cultural context. People in Western cultures, for example, have a perceptual context of buildings with straight lines, what Segall’s study called a carpentered world (Segall et al., 1966). In contrast, people from certain non-Western cultures with an uncarpentered view, such as the Zulu of South Africa, whose villages are made up of round huts arranged in circles, are less susceptible to this illusion (Segall et al., 1999). It is not just vision that is affected by cultural factors. Indeed, research has demonstrated that the ability to identify an odor, and rate its pleasantness and its intensity, varies cross-culturally (Ayabe-Kanamura, Saito, Distel, Martínez-Gómez, & Hudson, 1998).
Children described as thrill seekers are more likely to show taste preferences for intense sour flavors (Liem, Westerbeek, Wolterink, Kok, & de Graaf, 2004), which suggests that basic aspects of personality might affect perception. Furthermore, individuals who hold positive attitudes toward reduced-fat foods are more likely to rate foods labeled as reduced fat as tasting better than people who have less positive attitudes about these products (Aaron, Mela, & Evans, 1994).
Think about a time when you failed to notice something around you because your attention was focused elsewhere. If someone pointed it out, were you surprised that you hadn’t noticed it right away?
GLOSSARY
absolute threshold: minimum amount of stimulus energy that must be present for the stimulus to be detected 50% of the time
bottom-up processing: system in which perceptions are built from sensory input
inattentional blindness: failure to notice something that is completely visible because of a lack of attention
just noticeable difference: difference in stimuli required to detect a difference between the stimuli
mere-exposure effects: the result of developing a more positive attitude towards a stimulus after repeated instances of mere exposure to it.
perception: way that sensory information is interpreted and consciously experienced
priming: the process by which recent experiences increase a trait’s accessibility.
sensation: what happens when sensory information is detected by a sensory receptor
signal detection theory: change in stimulus detection as a function of current mental state
subliminal message: message presented below the threshold of conscious awareness
top-down processing: interpretation of sensations is influenced by available knowledge, experiences, and thoughts
sensory adaptation: the reduction in sensitivity after prolonged exposure to a stimulus
transduction: conversion from sensory stimulus energy to action potential
Weber’s law: Ernst Weber’s discovery that the difference threshold is a constant fraction of the original stimulus and bigger stimuli require larger differences to be noticed
CHAPTER 6 :
The biology of behaviour: scientific and ethical implications
The human brain is the most complex of all biological organs; it not only gives rise to consciousness—that most fascinating but elusive phenomenon—but also mediates our behavioural responses. The structure of the brain and its higher cognitive functions are the product of evolutionary history, embedded within the genome. One of the great scientific challenges today is therefore to integrate the results from two different lines of investigation into the biology of behaviour—using genes and the brain—with the goal of bringing both to a deeper level of understanding.
Modern biology has taught us how genes and genomes serve as blueprints for all living organisms. Not only physiology, but also some forms of behaviour seem to be innate or predisposed by genes. Today, most scientists agree that genes alone do not cause behaviour, but merely influence how an individual will react to a particular set of environmental and biographical circumstances. Genes are seen as determinants of behaviour insofar as they code for the assembly of the neural circuits that are necessary for the development and survival of the organism. But how does the brain, which owes its functional structure partly to the concerted action of genes, give rise to or cause behaviour? These were some of the questions that were addressed at the seventh European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)/European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) joint science and society conference on ‘Genes, Brain/Mind and Behaviour', held on 3–4 November 2006 at the EMBL in Heidelberg, Germany, which are discussed further in this special issue of EMBO reports.
Basic research on behavioural genetics is thriving. Researchers have developed powerful tools to disentangle the underlying complexity between genes and behaviour, and are amassing a body of knowledge about how phenotypic variation relates to and influences distinct patterns of behaviour. Although researchers recognize the importance of environmental factors in the development of living organisms, they have also produced solid evidence showing how genes are relevant to basic forms of behaviour. Giovanni Frazzetto and Cornelius Gross emphasize the complex relationship between genotypes and phenotypes in their article (pS3). Similarly, Pierre Roubertoux critically reviews some of the overly simplistic assumptions that geneticists have made (pS7). In particular, Roubertoux stresses how pleiotropy, epistasis, interactions between genes and the environment, alternative splicing and neuronal integration give rise to, and contribute to, many aspects of behaviour.
The manifold steps that lead from genes to brains to behaviour are highly complex, but scientists are gradually elucidating the molecular and cellular mechanisms behind brain structure and function. The biggest challenge now is to understand how neurons interconnect to form larger networks, and how these intricate neural structures give rise to consciousness and a sense of self. Neuroscientists are confident that they now have the tools to enable them to solve this mystery. As a background, the essay by Anne Harrington provides an illuminating historical overview of how people in the Western world have perceived the mind–body relationship (pS12).
Even today, there are differing opinions on whether the human mind can be fully elucidated. Whereas many scientists remain wary that we will ever understand human consciousness, optimists claim that the brain sciences will eventually explain how we are constituted from the molecular level up to the cerebral level. Hence, the second main topic at the 2006 conference was neuronal organization and cognitive functioning of the brain, and how basic molecular mechanisms and neural networks give rise to awareness. In his essay, Wolfgang Singer succinctly deconstructs an image of a ‘self' that is seemingly disconnected from the brain (pS16). By explaining how neurons encode information through varying the amplitude and/or adjusting the precise timing of electric discharges, Singer lays out a model of the brain as a complex nonlinear system with emerging properties, which does not need a higher-order controlling structure or res cogitans to create consciousness.
The second group of essays in this special issue focuses on new technologies that have grown out of behavioural genetics and the brain sciences, and on the influence that their application has, or will have, on society. These essays deal with various applications of science to monitor and map the brain, and to influence human behaviour, as well as the ethical questions that many such applications entail.
Stéphanie Perreau-Lenz, Tarek Zghoul and Rainer Spanagel argue that a better understanding of clock genes can pave the way for new therapeutic approaches to treat pathological conditions such as addiction and depression (pS20). These are examples of what has been termed ‘neurotechnology': tools that are designed to analyse, cure and enhance the functions of the human nervous system, especially the brain. At the leading edge of neurotechnologies are various forms of brain imaging and neuropharmacology. These techniques not only have been used for understanding normal brain function, but also provide new insights into the physiological basis of neuropsychiatric disorders. Their future uses might extend to forensic and commercial purposes, such as in marketing or research on consumer preferences.
Clinical depression is the leading cause of disability in the USA and other countries today, and is expected to become the second leading cause of disability worldwide—after heart disease—by the year 2020 (Murray & Lopez, 1997). Klaus-Peter Lesch describes in more detail how variants of the serotonin system give rise to depression and other anxiety disorders (pS24), while Turhan Canli describes how his group has made the link from research on the molecular level of behaviour to clinical psychology, in an approach that he has termed genomic psychology (pS30). The pharmaceutical industry has already responded to the apparent increase in behavioural disorders with new anti-depressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and stimulants to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Although their prescription—to children in particular—is rapidly increasing, there are few clinical studies on young patients who take psychotropic drugs. The article by Ilina Singh therefore provides a unique insight into how children who are subjected to stimulant treatment engage in clinical research as capable and informed actors, and she convincingly refutes protective impulses to exclude children from clinical studies (pS35).
Degenerative disorders of the brain, such as Alzheimer disease and Parkinson disease, are among the largest public-health problems in fast-ageing populations. But intense efforts by the pharmaceutical and biotech industry have produced no cure or treatment to halt or even reverse neurological degeneration in older individuals. Lars Sundstrom describes a new drug-development strategy that might help to provide these much-needed therapies: so-called ‘chemical genomics' (pS40). Instead of identifying possible drug targets and then searching for compounds that interfere with them, numerous compounds are tested on biological material—cells, tissues or model organisms such as Drosophila or zebrafish, for example—to see if they can trigger the desired physiological response.
Future neurotechnologies will not be limited to medical uses alone, as shown by the emerging field of ‘neuroeconomics', which analyses neurological determinants of decision-making as well as their social and economic implications. The essay by Michael Kosfeld provides an interesting introduction to the general approach of neuroeconomics through his case study of the neurobiology of trust (pS44). Kosfeld describes a key experiment that proves the important role of the neurohormone oxytocin in the willingness of individuals to trust others.
The essays in the third and final section of this special issue are concerned primarily with the ethical questions that are raised by the new brain sciences and their applications. One of the main issues is whether philosophical and ethical questions about genetics and genomics acquire an accrued urgency when they are re-examined in the context of neuroscience. Many talks and debates at the Heidelberg conference focused on whether these developments justify the establishment of a new branch within the field of bioethics: neuroethics. This term seems to be used with two distinct meanings: on the one hand, neuroethics concerns itself with the study of moral dispositions, which it assumes are hard-wired in the human brain; on the other hand, neuroethics commonly refers to concerns about the sociocultural repercussions of the new knowledge and technologies of the brain. Kathinka Evers prefers to distinguish between ‘applied neuroethics' and ‘fundamental neuroethics', the latter being geared towards deciphering the network of causal connections between the neurological, sociocultural and contingent historical perspectives that allow moral ‘norms' to be enunciated at a given time (pS48).
Adina Roskies (pS52) and Judy Illes (pS57) both argue for recognizing neuroethics as an emerging field within bioethics. In their view, neuroethicists should monitor how the brain sciences develop, and should critically review new ways of enhancing, controlling and reading the mind. According to these authors, the stakes might be high if new tools become available that allow us to distinguish lies from truth, veridical versus false memories, the risk of future violent crime, styles of moral reasoning, the inclination to cooperate and even specific contents of thought. Erik Parens and Josephine Johnston, by contrast, express reservations about the neuroethical turn in bioethics (pS61). Stressing the underlying commonalities between many different uses of modern-day science and technologies, they argue that dividing bioethics into several branches—each focusing on a separate set of issues—could do more harm than good. In the closing essay, Raymond de Vries provides the perspective of a sociologist on this new field in bioethics (pS65). de Vries proposes that, along with its declared objectives of weighing the ethical implications of imaging, measuring and altering the brain, neuroethics is just as much about the mindset and the interests of it practitioners. His sociological critique focuses on neuroethicists as being engaged in constructing new boundaries, carving out their territory within the academic landscape and ‘colonizing' a new area of bioscience. Together, the last two essays in this special issue of EMBO reports present a critical rethinking of the role that the practitioners of bioethics/neuroethics have assigned themselves.
Time will tell whether the new brain sciences explain human consciousness, or provide the tools needed to analyse and treat neurological and psychiatric disorders. In the meantime, scientists will undoubtedly discover many of the fundamental determinants of animal and human behaviour. Such new knowledge will inevitably be applied, and it is important that this is done for the benefit of both individuals and societies—hence the need for a broad deliberation, well in advance and beyond disciplinary boundaries. The collection of essays in this special issue of EMBO reports should contribute towards those goals.
Reminder :
Short sad story
Struggling with poverty
The first thing that comes to your mind when you enter the tiny seven square meter dark room with muddy floors and a plastic ceiling, with only two small beds inside, is how can a family with five children fit into this room; call this home? Mamuka Turmanidze, the head of family explains that three children sleep on one bed, the other two on the second bed and he with his wife lies on the floor. “When it rains outside, it rains in our room,” he says. “[The] children have to sit on the beds and they even don’t have the space to move.”
For more than 10 years, these are the conditions this family has been facing. There is no place to cook inside. Just outside the door there is a gas stove where Ketevan, Mamuka’s wife, prepares food for the family. “Sitting by the TV is the best entertainment for them, but we can afford switching on the TV only in the evening for a few hours in order not to pay much for the electricity,” says Mamuka.
Over 23 per cent of Georgian kids are living in and suffering from poverty. It infects every aspect of their lives, from family relations, to school friendships, and even their ability dream for the future. Tamar, 11, is the first child in the family. She confesses that sometimes children laugh at her as she is not well dressed. And, for this reason, she prefers sitting home and taking care of her sisters and brothers together with her mom.
“I was raised in an orphanage and I know how difficult it is to live without family,” says Ketevan, 33. “I will do my best to live with my children,” she says. There were days when family had nothing to eat. They suffered from the constant struggle to make ends meet. The government allowance of $140 was the only income for the family when World Vision began working with them.
After the approach of state social worker, World Vision Day care Services for Socially Vulnerable Infants/Toddlers project began evaluating the needs of the family. “Our main purpose was to create the stabile income for the family,” explains Marina Menteshashvili, the project manager. “They had [a] very poor economic situation.” The project began to equip Mamuka with small business development skills to be better able to provide for his family’s needs. At the same time, the emergency services component provided food and hygiene supplies for the family’s youngest member, 9-month-old, Nika.
“I cannot explain what [this meant] for us,” says Ketevan. “I could not breastfeed him anymore. Because of lack of food [for myself], I did not have milk. I was giving him the bread and tea and he was crying all the time. Without World Vision’s assistance I do not know what I would have done.”
For long-term sustainability, World Vision supported Mamuka with agricultural products and rented him a small place in the market to help facilitate income generation. “ It was a big encouragement for me,” he says. “My family’s poor conditions and the trust from this organization did not allow me to be unsuccessful. Thanks to God, from this business I can feed my family now,” he says.
This initial support to start his small business was all Mamuka needed to succeed. After his endeavours in the market, Mamuka, together with his friend, rented a car and began purchasing products in rural areas and selling them in the Tbilisi market. Thanks to his entrepreneurial activities, his family’s income has more than doubled, do 500 Gel ($300) a month.
The lack of food, which was the huge dilemma for the family, is now resolved. Mamuka and Ketevan do not have to worry what to eat and their children no longer go to bed hungry. But, there is still a lot of work to be done. Their living conditions are still dismal and they lack warm clothes and money for proper health care.
“This is a big family and the need is huge,” say Mamuka. He is hopful that through his hard work and with the support from the government, his family’s dream to have their own house can come true and is grateful for the assistance he has received because he knows that without their assistance their dreams would never even be close to coming true.
Chapter 7 : self improvement.
Cleaning yourself ( mentally and physically) toxic friends, and clean the environment and learn skills and to be responsible.
Now those are the basics
-clean yourself tottaly
“Health is created in the home and at the grocery store in the course of day-to-day living. We’re blessed to have a medical system that backs us up, but our health is primarily in our own hands.”
With that in mind, these are some of the best strategies — free, low-cost, or investment-worthy — for taking charge of your health.
FREE
Sleep
Committing to adequate sleep might be the best health investment you can make. Insufficient sleep has been linked to chronic conditions, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. One study found that people who averaged less than seven hours of sleep a night were about three times more likely to develop cold symptoms than those who slept at least eight hours.
Integrative physician Frank Lipman, MD, author of How to Be Well, puts it bluntly: “Lack of sleep can make you fatter, biologically older, and more at risk for heart disease and diabetes.” It can also leave you wired for stress, with a nervous system primed for fight-or-flight reactions to everyday challenges.
It’s not just quantity of sleep that counts: Quality rest with phases of deep sleep allows the brain to protect itself from toxic proteins that accumulate throughout the day. Syncing your natural body clock by establishing a regular sleep and wake schedule, finishing your last meal two to three hours before bedtime, avoiding alcohol before bed, and being mindful of evening light exposure can all help.
Move
We are made to move. “A hundred years ago, humans were up and moving around more than eight hours a day,” says Parker. “Now it’s reversed, and we’re spending that much time sitting.” One recent study found that a quarter of Americans sit for more than eight hours daily.
Sitting and rarely rising is hard on our health, she explains, noting that movement keeps blood and lymph flowing and delivers oxygen and nutrients to our cells.
Incorporate movement into your daily routine by getting out of your chair regularly or using a standing desk or a fitness ball that activates your core while you sit. Park farther from your destination when driving. Choose the stairs over the elevator.
“Design and embed movement into the routine operations of your life,” advises Jonas, who uses a walking desk for his daily work. “Don’t just rely on willpower, or it won’t happen.”
Meditate
Although long bouts of sitting is bad for your health, intentionally sitting still and focusing on your breath can be a powerful tool for improving your well-being, counteracting stress, stimulating the vagus nerve (which affects everything from digestion to heart rate), and inspiring clearer thinking and better decision-making. Meditating for as little as 10 minutes a day can also yield profound cognitive benefits, according to Lipman: It improves memory, attention, and creativity, and it potentially lowers blood pressure and eases anxiety.
Apps such as Insight Timer offer free, guided meditations, as well as tools to track and log your daily practice. (For ideas on other ways to achieve a settled state of mind, see "Beyond Meditation".)
Hydrate
One of the basics of DIY healthcare is simply to drink more water, Parker advises. Hydration helps the heart pump blood to the muscles, facilitates healthy bowel function, and nourishes cells. Aim to drink half your body weight in ounces throughout the day, ideally from a filtered source to avoid any contaminants in your tap water. (This means if you’re 160 pounds, try to consume at least 80 ounces of water each day.)
Try Intermittent Fasting
A growing body of research highlights the power of intermittent fasting to help support healthy insulin levels, blood pressure, and liver function, as well as enhance cellular-repair processes and reduce inflammation.
The most common method involves fasting for about 16 hours between dinner and breakfast, explains Lipman. “This signals your metabolism to burn fat and allows your body to experience a longer-than-normal period of low insulin in the blood, which is a powerful reset.” (To learn more about this practice, see "Everything You Need to Know About Intermittent Fasting".)
Take Digital Breaks
Our devices are designed to tap into the brain’s reward system, triggering the release of tiny hits of dopamine with every notification we receive, leaving us simultaneously hyperstimulated and exhausted. Taking regular time away from screens can boost mental and emotional health, improve sleep, and fend off the physical side effects of constant digital immersion, such as dry eyes and spinal misalignment from hunching over phones and computers.
“Having space and time when you’re not interrupted and can be present in the flow is more and more essential as our digital lives creep out of work and into our home and vacation spaces,” observes Parker.
Lipman advises creating dedicated tech-free periods during commutes, turning off distracting notifications, leaving your phone at home while you go for a walk or run errands, and observing a tech fast for one full day each weekend.
Practice an Elimination Diet
Eliminating certain foods from your diet can be an effective — and informative — strategy when you’re not feeling well and suspect that a food sensitivity or intolerance may be the cause. “Everyone wants a quick, easy answer from a lab, but the gold standard for detecting a food sensitivity is to eat an easy-to-digest basic diet and then progressively add back in various food categories to see if you get a response,” says Parker.
If you discover a sensitivity to a food or ingredient, like gluten, you’ll know enough to temporarily avoid it to relieve your symptoms. And a few months without it might be all you need to fix what was plaguing you.
“If you have celiac, that’s one thing,” says Parker, “but [for others] if you change the health of your bowel, reduce leakiness, and holistically repair the gut and reduce stress, oftentimes your diet can once again be expanded.” (For more on elimination diets, see "The Institute for Functional Medicine’s Elimination Diet Comprehensive Guide and Food Plan".)
Exercise
Just two and a half to three hours a week of moderate to vigorous exercise can help prevent heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular disease, as well as bolster cognitive health.
“We need to regularly work through our reserves, and then restore them,” notes Parker. “Balance, stretching, strengthening, aerobic exercise — they’re all important, and everyone can choose their own combination to focus on at different stages of life.”
Where you fall on the intensity spectrum isn’t as important as exercising in a way that you truly enjoy. Do what you can to stay regularly active, and any additional workouts you can integrate into your weekly routine will be supportive.
Use Health-Supportive Apps
If there’s any upside to our increasingly symbiotic relationship with our smartphones, it may be the potential they hold to nudge us in the direction of desirable behavior changes. Apps such as Smoke Free take a science-backed approach to smoking cessation, using evidence-based techniques to help users manage cravings and kick the habit. Insight Timer and similar apps offer guided meditations of various lengths, focusing on a variety of issues, including fostering sleep, easing anxiety, and increasing self-confidence. (Many apps offer in-app or premium options that come at a cost.)
LOW COST
Eat Whole Foods, Organic When Possible
“Breaking free of the grip of processed food is a must if you want to claim and own your health,” advises Lipman. Processed foods containing sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and flavors, preservatives, and unhealthy fats have been linked to type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
By contrast, organic, non-GMO vegetables and fruits offer essential fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients our bodies need to thrive.
When selecting whole foods — especially produce — opt for organic varieties whenever possible. Pesticides and other agricultural chemicals can be hazardous to both physical and cognitive health. Each year, the Environmental Working Group publishes the Dirty Dozen, a helpful list of the most pesticide-heavy produce, which includes strawberries, apples, spinach, kale, potatoes, and more.
Eating clean becomes more important when you eat high on the food chain, says Lipman, noting that antibiotics, hormones, and pesticides tend to concentrate in conventionally farmed meat, poultry, dairy, and eggs. Though organic foods are often more expensive than their conventionally grown counterparts, think of them as an investment in your health that may help avoid costly medical bills down the road.
Try joining a local CSA (community-supported agriculture) group for locally grown, organic produce, or look into services — such as Imperfect Produce — that deliver affordable, organic, cosmetically marred but nutritionally robust produce right to your door.
Get Bodywork
Massage and hands-on healing techniques energize and rejuvenate us, increasing our sense of well-being while easing stress, says Sheila Patel, MD, chief medical officer for Chopra Global.
“Massage is a very underutilized tool for pain management,” she explains, noting that it can stimulate the release of mood-enhancing neurotransmitters, improve circulation to the muscles and connective tissue, and encourage lymphatic flow and drainage. Studies have demonstrated that it can also reduce stress, pain, and muscle tension. “In addition,” Patel notes, “Ayurvedic massage that incorporates energy work and acupressure can help optimize the body’s internal communication via nerve signals, create energy flow, and enhance immunity.”
To enjoy the benefits of massage in a budget-friendly way, try reaching out to a massage school, where students often offer discounted rates. Or take advantage of DIY approaches, such as foam rollers or Ayurvedic self-massage. (For more on becoming your own massage therapist, see "Be Your Own Massage Therapist".)
Buy the Right Gear
Investing in the proper equipment for your chosen activity will make you more likely to participate and less likely to suffer avoidable injuries. Choosing the best shoes, for example, is a must. You’ll also be more likely to ride your bike on your morning commute if it fits you properly, rides smoothly, and is equipped with lights and a rack. Purchase a sturdy helmet that’s comfortable to wear. And for those days when you can’t make it to the health club or gym, get the best set of kettlebells you can afford so you can maintain your strength-training routine at home.
In short, if you invest in the appropriate gear, you’re likely to use it a whole lot more. (To check out the library of how-to workout videos from Experience Life,
Check Out Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Conventional Western medicine leans heavily on costly pharmaceuticals, but many traditional healing modalities have incorporated herbs and nondrug therapies — considerably more affordable ---— for thousands of years.
“Supporting the body with gentle herbs can be very effective, with fewer side effects than many medications,” says Patel. If you have a complex medical history or are already taking prescription meds, consult with a professional before adding herbs. But if you’re seeking gentle support for better sleep or easing stress, try an adaptogenic herb on your own. (For more on herbal anxiety relief, see “Herbs for Anxiety”.)
“The beauty of herbs is that they’re supportive, not suppressing — they encourage our natural mechanisms for sleep, calming, and healing,” she says, noting that herbs are most effective when used in combination with lifestyle practices, such as healthy eating, meditation, and yoga.
Other complementary approaches, such as acupuncture and reiki, may also help manage pain and address chronic issues like insomnia and depression. Look into community acupuncture (services provided in a group setting, often on a sliding scale) for a more affordable option.
WORTH IT
Invest in a Health-Club Membership
“Strength confers resilience, longevity, and protection against disease,” explains Lipman. Weightlifting and body-weight regimens can reduce risk factors for a variety of chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease. But starting a workout routine from an unconditioned state or without learning proper technique can backfire, causing injury.
Many health clubs have qualified personal trainers who can help design a strength-training program for your level and goals, and most clubs are well stocked with the equipment you need. All the better if you join a club with a sauna; taking saunas has been shown to offer neurocognitive and cardiovascular benefits.
Consider Lab Tests
For the majority of common ailments, diet and lifestyle modifications can put you on the road back to health. But when you have a stubborn set of symptoms and the interventions you’ve tried aren’t working, it may be worth the investment to ask a functional-medicine doctor to run a few lab tests. They can peek under the hood to see if there are any clues to be found in your levels of thyroid hormones, iron, or vitamin D, or if there are other deficiencies or imbalances.
“Testing can be a useful secondary measure if a person is struggling,” notes Jonas. “I always start with the things we know contribute to the vast majority of health and healing, but if I find someone needs an assist in getting there, or there are lingering challenges, then some selective testing might help get them over the hump.”
Stool testing, for example, can be helpful for stubborn GI problems; these tests can detect parasites and other microbial imbalances that may be the culprit. Likewise, comprehensive thyroid testing can reveal hormonal imbalances that contribute to unexplained fatigue, weight gain, and hair loss.
Make Connections
Let’s face it: Fun often isn’t free. The best things in life — love, relationships, leisure, adventure — may not have a price tag, but the things that nurture them often do. Whether it’s family vacations or dinners out with friends, investing time and money in activities that support relationships and our own sense of fun and enjoyment is rarely a bad idea.
Relationships are key to better health, and experiences inspire greater satisfaction than material things. So the next time the check appears after a night out with friends, raise a communal toast to the positive investment you just made in your health.
Seek Out a Health or Nutrition Coach
We often look to our healthcare providers to give us the tools we need to stay well, but medical professionals aren’t always the best sources of actionable insight. “As doctors, we’re trained to tell you what to do but not how,” explains Jonas, noting that advising someone to lose 100 pounds isn’t necessarily helpful.
Health coaches, on the other hand, are often trained in behavior-change science. Whether your goal is adjusting your diet, moving more, or improving your mental well-being, a coach can help you develop skills and achieve successes that you can build on. (Find a science-based health coach at www.wellcoaches.com and a functional-medicine-trained coach at www.ifm.org.)
Nutrition coaches, meanwhile, can pinpoint specific dietary issues and help create a food plan designed to support your particular needs.
Get a Pet
Research has shown that dog owners tend to live longer and experience lower rates of cardiovascular disease than those without a dog. Canines can enhance our microbiomes, improve our immunity, encourage us to exercise, and support our mental health.
But it’s not just dogs that offer benefits for human well-being. Parker likes to watch her pet snake move over her skin. “A pet can be a great way to add stillness and meditation to your life,” she notes. “If you spend five minutes petting any animal, you’ll enhance your parasympathetic balance.” The benefits of the companionship a pet offers can be especially profound for those who live alone.
Live your Purpose
A Harvard study found that the top predictor of a long and healthy life was not whether study subjects smoked or ate a lot of vegetables. It was whether they were regularly engaged in activities they found meaningful. The most powerful health benefits of all came from doing positive things for others.
“Start by figuring out what matters to you in life,” Jonas advises. “Why do you get up in the morning? Why are you here?”
Meanwhile, a purpose-filled life doesn’t always lead to the biggest paycheck — and sometimes a hard-driving career is the thing that’s harming your health the most.
Committing to health may require abandoning a career that’s no longer aligned with your personal mission, or a work schedule that doesn’t allow you to partake in meaningful activities, such as spending time with family, making music or art, or practicing self-care.
If you can afford to take a pay cut but feel afraid to do it, consider reframing the move as a worthwhile investment in your health and
well-being.
After all, you can’t buy back your time in a healthy body, but you can invest in it now.
- clean your environment and your entourage
-learn nes skills or languages (ART…)
- invest in yourself and study,make plans and do, think big, be special, LEARN LANGUAGES, MAKE GREAT FRIENDS.
Chapter 8 :
Do’s and Don’ts for Dealing with Toxic Behavior, avoid toxic people, cut em off.
We all know that person — the one who leaves you feeling worse off after interacting with them. Maybe it’s a manipulative family member or a co-worker who can’t stop complaining about every little thing.
It’s common to refer to these people as being toxic. But it’s important to keep in mind that this term isn’t grounded in psychology and doesn’t have a simple definition.
If you have a hard time dealing with someone in your life, it’s helpful to start by pinpointing problematic behaviors, rather than simply labeling them as being toxic.
Barrie Sueskind, a therapist in Los Angeles who specializes in relationships, shares some key signs of toxicity:
self-absorption or self-centeredness
manipulation and other emotional abuse
dishonesty and deceit
difficulty offering compassion to others
a tendency to create drama or conflict
Sound like familiar? Read on for tips on how to respond to this type of behavior.
Avoid playing into their reality
Some people have a tendency to see themselves as the victim in every situation. If they mess up, they might shift the blame to someone else or tell a story that paints them in a more positive light.
You might feel tempted to nod and smile in order to prevent an angry outburst. This might feel like the safest option, but it can also encourage them to see you as a supporter.
Try respectful disagreement instead. You might say, “I had a different take on the situation,” and describe what really happened. Stick to the facts, without making accusations.
While your disagreement might upset them, it might also lower the chances they’ll try involving you again.
Don’t get drawn in
Dealing with someone’s toxic behavior can be exhausting. The person might constantly complain about others, always have a new story about unfair treatment, or even accuse you of wronging them or not caring about their needs.
Resist the urge to jump on the complaining train with them or defend yourself against accusations. Instead, respond with a simple, “I’m sorry you feel that way,” and leave it at that.
Pay attention to how they make you feel
Sometimes simply becoming more aware of how someone’s toxic behavior affects you can help you better navigate interactions with them.
Most people occasionally say rude or hurtful things they don’t mean. No one feels their best all the time, and being in a bad mood can make you lash out. This isn’t necessarily toxic.
But ask yourself if put-downs, lies, or other types of emotional and verbal abuse characterize most of your interactions. Do they apologize or seem to notice how what they say or do affects you?
Personal struggles don’t excuse abuse, and you don’t have to accept it, either.
Talk to them about their behavior
Someone who gossips, manipulates others, or creates dramatic situations night not realize how their behavior affects you or anyone else. An open conversation may help them realize this behavior is unacceptable.
To keep things neutral, try to stick to “I statements,” which feel less accusatory for the other person, and set boundaries that work for you.
Here are some examples of this in action:
“I feel uncomfortable when I hear unkind things about our co-workers. I won’t participate in those conversations.”
“I value trust in friendship, so I can’t continue this friendship if you lie to me again.
Put yourself first
On the flip side, behavior doesn’t have to be abuse or spiteful to be toxic. Other behaviors can be just as damaging.
Maybe the person in question “desperately needs” your help to get them out of a bind — every time you see them. Or, Sueskind says, “you’re always giving and they’re always taking, or you feel like their emotional stability depends on you.”
You might value your relationship with this person, but don’t offer support at the risk of your own well-being.
“Healthy relationships involve give and take,” Sueskind explains. In other words, you offer support, but you receive support, too.
Taking care of yourself involves making sure you have enough emotional energy to meet your own needs. This may not happen when you’re giving everything to someone who doesn’t offer anything in return.
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Offer compassion, but don’t try to fix them
People can change, but they have to be willing to put in the work to do so.
You might want to help someone you care about instead of writing them completely out of your life. But, while you can always offer compassion and kindness, you likely won’t be able to change them.
At the end of the day, they have to commit to putting in the effort. Trying to help someone change before they’re ready can sap your emotional resources further.
Say no (and walk away)
Have a hard time turning people down? You aren’t alone.
Sticking to a refusal can also be tough, especially when someone tries to guilt trip you into changing your mind.
But if you do decide to say, “No,” don’t back down. This may prove challenging, especially when they use a dramatic outburst to try to get their way. But the more you practice saying “no” to things you aren’t comfortable with, the easier it becomes.
Removing yourself from the situation can help you avoid scenes. If you can’t physically leave, make it clear you’re no longer involved in the discussion. Say “excuse me” and turn away, for example.
Remember, you aren’t at fault
Toxic behavior can make you feel like you did something wrong, even when you know you didn’t.
It’s tough to face attacks from someone who behaves in a toxic manner. They might get personal, try to twist your words, or accuse you of wanting to hurt them. At some point, you might even second guess yourself and rack your brain for something you might’ve done.
But remind yourself their behavior has nothing to do with you. Restate your boundaries and try not to take their spite personally. Take deep breaths to calm yourself or mindfully acknowledge their words so you can let them go without being affected.
Make yourself unavailable
People who act in a toxic way “can often sense who they can manipulate,” Sueskind says. “They may move on when they see their tactics don’t work on you.”
If you’re never available, they might eventually stop trying to engage. This strategy can be particularly helpful at work, where you’re bound to have plenty of honest excuses, like:
“Sorry, I have too much work to chat.”
“Got to prep for that meeting, so I can’t talk!”
You might face some passive-aggressive remarks or outright accusations when you make your excuses. Try not to respond, even if you feel upset. Remember: It’s not about you.
Limit your time together
Do you dread seeing a particular person? Feel anxious or stressed beforehand? Take these feelings as a sign you may want to see them less.
People who behave toxically tend to focus on themselves and what they want. They might blame you or other people for any problems they have and show little interest in your feelings or needs. This can make spending time with them unpleasant.
If you’re dealing with someone who picks fights with your or repeatedly pushes your boundaries, consider scaling back the amount of time you spend with them.
When you can’t avoid the person
If you can’t completely avoid or scale back the amount of time you spend with someone, you still have options.
Set boundaries
“Boundaries are essential,” Sueskind says.
Setting boundaries involves deciding what you will and won’t tolerate. Communicate these boundaries clearly and stick to them.
Maybe you don’t mind listening to your co-worker’s dramatic stories, even the obviously fictional ones. But you draw your line at verbal abuse or gossip.
So when they start mocking another co-worker, say, “like I said, I’m not interested in this type of conversation.” Leave the room if you can or try putting on headphones.
Have an exit strategy
If you’re stuck in a toxic conversation and don’t see an easy way out, you might worry that leaving seems rude, especially if you’re talking to a supervisor.
But it’s entirely possible to leave politely. If it helps, consider coming up with a few go-to lines ahead of time that you can pull out as needed.
Try something like, “I’m sorry, but I have to stop you. I’ve got a lot of work, so I can’t chat right now” or, “Sorry, I’m waiting on an important phone call and can’t get into this right now.”
Change your routine
Does a family member always catch you when you’re studying or hold you up on your way to work? Maybe a co-worker always complains at lunch about how horribly everyone treats them.
Ideally, they’d respect the boundaries you set, but this doesn’t always happen. While it may not seem fair that you’re the one who has to change, it’s often worth it for your own well-being
Switching up your routine can help you avoid getting pulled in to conversations you’d rather skip. Try eating lunch somewhere besides the break room, wearing headphones, or reading a book.
Avoiding family members can be harder. Try having a respectful but firm conversation about needing to focus on your studies. If you’re on the way out the door, practice your quick exit strategy: “Sorry, I’m late!”
Encourage them to get help
It’s often difficult to understand why people behave in toxic ways. But it might help to consider that they might be dealing with some personal challenges that are causing them to lash out. This doesn’t excuse problematic behavior, but it can help explain it.
If you have a close relationship with someone who behaves in a toxic way, consider pointing out some harmful behaviors and explaining how they affect others (if you feel comfortable doing so). If they seem receptive, encourage them to talk to a therapist about why they act the way they do.
“Psychotherapy can help people identify problematic behaviors and learn to manage their emotions and reactions in healthier ways,” Sueskind says.
Don’t get personal
Sueskind recommends keeping interactions with the other person superficial. “Be clear about how you are and aren’t willing to engage,” she suggests.
Toxic behavior can involve gossiping, oversharing personal details, or using personal information to provoke reactions.
If you know someone who does these things, keep your conversations light and insignificant. Shut down attempts at prying or oversharing with, “Actually, I prefer not to talk about my relationship at work.”
Maintain calm
You might wonder how it’s possible to stay calm around the other person when just thinking about crossing paths makes your heart pound.
Stay grounded
Next time you feel anxious in an interaction, try grounding yourself with these tips:
Breathe slowly and deeply.
Try relaxing your muscles instead of tensing them.
Let the words wash over you and silently repeat a calming mantra.
Distract yourself if the situation allows. Doodle, fidget with an object, or close your eyes and visualize your favorite place.
Work with a therapist
If you have to stay involved with the person, consider getting help from a mental health professional. Therapists are trained to help people work through difficult situations like these and can offer compassionate, judgment-free support that fits your circumstances.
The bottom line
Sometimes, cutting people out of your life may seem like the only way to escape their toxic behavior. But this isn’t always feasible.
If you have to spend time with someone who exhibits toxic behavior, remind yourself their actions aren’t your fault nor your responsibility. It’s important they know what you’re not willing to tolerate.
-When a space is cluttered, be it physical or mental, it’s hard to find what you’re looking for quickly. You likely feel frustrated with yourself if it’s a fact or important detail lost in your cluttered mind. If you’re looking for something specific at home or in your office and you can’t find it, you probably swear that you’re going to tidy up the space as soon as you get a chance. Clutter slows you down and keeps you from attaining what you want.
I never want my physical or mental spaces to limit my most precious resource: time.
The time you waste searching for misplaced things can’t be regained. Additionally, the time you spend working on your mental thoughts to “get a clear head” is lost. We all occasionally allow clutter to pile up in our lives, but I have found that routinely and purposefully tidying up allows me spend more time doing what I love. Consequently, this equals less time feeling frustrated with myself and my environment. Here are some techniques you can implement to keep your physical and mental spaces orderly and functional.
In all societies, some degree of waste is inevitable; dealing with this effectively and appropriately is essential to ensuring a clean and healthy environment. This means ensuring that hazardous pollutants do not pose a risk to human or environmental health.
Our first responsibility
The Eurits membership are pivotal in making sure this does not happen. They have the expertise to deal safely with (potentially) hazardous or harmful waste, from sectors such as the chemical and pharmaceutical industries or from medical faculties. In addition, the specialist waste sector can help deal with environmental issues such as contaminated soil, from abandoned sites or accidental spillage.
The knowledge and experience of the sector is essential in treating any waste from these key strategic sectors. This avoids health and environmental risks and allows the mentioned industries to continue to operate safely in the EU.
Encouraging and promoting safe and sustainable hazardous waste treatment
Ensuring that hazardous waste is managed correctly requires technical knowledge and understanding of the available processes, both for recovery and treatment of waste. It is vital that each waste stream is directed to the correct treatment.
Eurits member companies provide expert advice in this domain, plus specially-trained staff and purpose-built facilities with state-of-the-art fluegas cleaning systems, a gold standard in dealing with hazardous wastes.
They make sure that strict procedures are in place and transport and treatment licenses are being respected. They also provide a “safe sink” in terms of specialised after-treatment and landfill facilities.
Finally, they ensure the traceability of hazardous waste, tracking its processing and reporting meticulously on its whereabouts.
Physical Space Cleaning
Home: Everything in my home has a place. “A place for everything and everything in its place,” is my philosophy. During the hectic workweek, things can easily be picked up and set down where they don’t belong in the rush to get out the door. Every weekend, I put everything in my home back in its proper place. I have found this routine to be very calming when I clear off the kitchen counter, throw away the old mail, clean up the desk in my office, and force myself to deal with all the things I let pile up during the week.
Car: I do this with my car every Friday night on my drive home from work. I fill up my car with gas, no matter how full the tank is because I never want to be late to a meeting because I ran out of gas. I clean out, wash and vacuum my car to make sure it’s ready for the week ahead.
Workspace: When I get to the office on Monday morning, I clean my desk, file anything that needs to be filed, and sort any files I had saved to my computer desktop. It’s amazing how quickly dozens of files fill up my desktop, and they can make it hard to find things quickly. Using the “search” function is much faster than hunting.
Once all my spaces are clean, I can start the week without worrying about finding a file when I need it or scrambling to find and charge my headphones before I leave for a workout. I’m always ready to go! This small investment of time maximizes my efficiency for the next few days until it’s time to declutter again.
Mental Space Cleaning
Journaling: I try to write something every day, but I don’t always know what I’m going to write about. I start typing and see what comes out of my brain. Sometimes I write things that seem profound, and other times I’m simply reflecting on the day. Both are worthwhile to get the thoughts out of my head and onto paper.
Meditating: Every morning, I spend 10 minutes focusing on my breath and clearing my mind. It’s all about the process of achieving what martial artists call a “mind like water,” in which thoughts can come and go without causing too much disruption. It frees me up to respond to things with a clear head and thoughtfulness throughout the day.
Talking and Listening: Every month I meet with an advisory group of peers; the Entrepreneur Organization Forum. I spend time with eight other business owners who each own multimillion dollar companies. We share what we are working through both personally and professionally. This sounding board allows me to talk through anything that is troubling me and get some direction and answers. I clear out all the frustrations I have had built up over the past month and come away with some practical solutions.
Just like any conduit, things pass through smoother when there is less congestion and they are wide open. I think our minds operate the same way. If you are mentally obstructed or your physical space is a mess, ideas and actions won’t flow freely. Take the time to clean things out and set yourself up for success.
TEACH WHAT YOU JUST LEARNT :
Nearly everyone has to teach something to someone at some point. You might be training your team, instructing a colleague or even helping your child get smarter. As a professional speaker and writer, I teach a lot. I find that each different teaching medium calls for a very specific approach to content creation and delivery. What works on stage doesn’t easily translate to video delivery if you want to keep an audience engaged. Each medium has its own benefits and quirks.
When I address the subtleties and give each medium its due respect, I deliver content successfully and grow my following. When I try and force an old approach on a new medium, it nearly always ends in disaster.
If you have something important to teach you should give the process as much consideration as the topic and information. Here are some tips that will help you do just that.
1. Consider your audience.
People learn differently. Some love to read while others are more experiential. Millennials have a different approach to knowledge and information than Baby Boomers. Before you start teaching it helps to know exactly who about the students and how they learn. Ask them. Let them tell you how they learn best and be ready to adapt your teaching methods to meet their needs.
2. Compartmentalize the content.
Most people can't absorb a large amount of content all at once. They need to learn it in smaller bites and apply aspects immediately for it to take root. Take your content and separate the key ideas into multiple lessons. Create short and powerful segments that tell compelling stories with a striking learning moment at the end. If they like that segment, they will undoubtedly come back for more.
3. Simplify delivery.
Learners hate a hassle. If learning technology is a challenge to use, or it takes too long to for you to get to the point, people will quickly move on to something else. Find simple ways to communicate a concept. Video has great tools like graphics, sound, special effects, and even animation that can get your point across faster than a talking head. Wordy PowerPoint slides don’t help anyone learn the material, they just make the presenter seem unprepared (especially when the presenter reads off them). Make the lessons so easy that an incredibly busy and distracted person can get it the first time.
4. Make it entertaining.
So much training is like stale white toast. If you are teaching it's because you want people to learn the wisdom you are sharing. Give it to your audience in a way that will delight them and make it memorable. Use visuals and humor. Tell compelling and exciting stories to make your point. If you can’t keep their attention and excite them, they will tune out and learn little.
5. Give them actionable takeaways.
People learn better when they can apply the knowledge to their life right away. Give them the chance to practice small parts of the lesson in the moment, and then find a way to give them an "Aha!" moment that sticks in their mind when they go back to their daily routine. If they try it and it works, they will come back again to see what else you can do for them.
Chapter 9 :
MAKE GOOD FRIENDS :
Why are friends so important?
Our society tends to place an emphasis on romantic relationships. We think that just finding that right person will make us happy and fulfilled. But research shows that friends are actually even more important to our psychological welfare. Friends bring more happiness into our lives than virtually anything else.
Friendships have a huge impact on your mental health and happiness. Good friends relieve stress, provide comfort and joy, and prevent loneliness and isolation. Developing close friendships can also have a powerful impact on your physical health. Lack of social connection may pose as much of a risk as smoking, drinking too much, or leading a sedentary lifestyle. Friends are even tied to longevity. One Swedish study found that, along with physical activity, maintaining a rich network of friends can add significant years to your life.
But close friendships don’t just happen. Many of us struggle to meet people and develop quality connections. Whatever your age or circumstances, though, it’s never too late to make new friends, reconnect with old ones, and greatly improve your social life, emotional health, and overall well-being.
The benefits of friendships
While developing and maintaining friendships takes time and effort, healthy friendships can:
Improve your mood. Spending time with happy and positive friends can elevate your mood and boost your outlook.
Help you to reach your goals. Whether you’re trying to get fit, give up smoking, or otherwise improve your life, encouragement from a friend can really boost your willpower and increase your chances of success.
Reduce your stress and depression. Having an active social life can bolster your immune system and help reduce isolation, a major contributing factor to depression.
Support you through tough times. Even if it’s just having someone to share your problems with, friends can help you cope with serious illness, the loss of a job or loved one, the breakup of a relationship, or any other challenges in life.
Support you as you age. As you age, retirement, illness, and the death of loved ones can often leave you isolated. Knowing there are people you can turn to for company and support can provide purpose as you age and serve as a buffer against depression, disability, hardship and loss.
Boost your self-worth. Friendship is a two-way street, and the “give” side of the give-and-take contributes to your own sense of self-worth. Being there for your friends makes you feel needed and adds purpose to your life.
Why online friends aren’t enough
Technology has shifted the definition of friendship in recent years. With the click of a button, we can add a friend or make a new connection. But having hundreds of online friends is not the same as having a close friend you can spend time with in person. Online friends can’t hug you when a crisis hits, visit you when you’re sick, or celebrate a happy occasion with you. Our most important and powerful connections happen when we’re face-to-face. So make it a priority to stay in touch in the real world, not just online.
What to look for in a friend
A friend is someone you trust and with whom you share a deep level of understanding and communication. A good friend will:
·Show a genuine interest in what’s going on in your life, what you have to say, and how you think and feel.
·Accept you for who you are.
·Listen to you attentively without judging you, telling you how to think or feel, or trying to change the subject.
·Feel comfortable sharing things about themselves with you.
As friendship works both ways, a friend is also someone you feel comfortable supporting and accepting, and someone with whom you share a bond of trust and loyalty.
Focus on the way a friendship feels, not what it looks like
The most important quality in a friendship is the way the relationship makes you feel—not how it looks on paper, how alike you seem on the surface, or what others think. Ask yourself:
·Do I feel better after spending time with this person?
·Am I myself around this person?
·Do I feel secure, or do I feel like I have to watch what I say and do?
·Is the person supportive and am I treated with respect?
·Is this a person I can trust?
The bottom line: if the friendship feels good, it is good. But if a person tries to control you, criticizes you, abuses your generosity, or brings unwanted drama or negative influences into your life, it’s time to re-evaluate the friendship. A good friend does not require you to compromise your values, always agree with them, or disregard your own needs.
Tips for being more friendly and social (even if you’re shy)
If you are introverted or shy, it can feel uncomfortable to put yourself out there socially. But you don’t have to be naturally outgoing or the life of the party to make new friends.
Focus on others, not yourself. The key to connecting to other people is by showing interest in them. When you’re truly interested in someone else’s thoughts, feelings, experiences, and opinions, it shows—and they’ll like you for it. You’ll make far more friends by showing your interest rather than trying to get people interested in you. If you’re not genuinely curious about the other person, then stop trying to connect.
Pay attention. Switch off your smartphone, avoid other distractions, and make an effort to truly listen to the other person. By paying close attention to what they say, do, and how they interact, you’ll quickly get to know them. Small efforts go a long way, such as remembering someone’s preferences, the stories they’ve told you, and what’s going on in their life.
Evaluating interest
Friendship takes two, so it’s important to evaluate whether the other person is looking for new friends.
·Do they ask you questions about you, as if they’d like to get to know you better?
·Do they tell you things about themselves beyond surface small talk?
·Do they give you their full attention when you see them?
·Does the other person seem interested in exchanging contact information or making specific plans to get together?
If you can’t answer “yes” to these questions, the person may not be the best candidate for friendship now, even if they genuinely like you. There are many possible reasons why not, so don’t take it personally!
How to make new friends: Where to start
We tend to make friends with people we cross paths with regularly: people we go to school with, work with, or live close to. The more we see someone, the more likely a friendship is to develop. So, look at the places you frequent as you start your search for potential friends.
Another big factor in friendship is common interests. We tend to be drawn to people who are similar, with a shared hobby, cultural background, career path, or kids the same age. Think about activities you enjoy or the causes you care about. Where can you meet people who share the same interests?
Meeting new people
When looking to meet new people, try to open yourself up to new experiences. Not everything you try will lead to success but you can always learn from the experience and hopefully have some fun.
Volunteering can be a great way to help others while also meeting new people. Volunteering also gives you the opportunity to regularly practice and develop your social skills.
[Read: Volunteering and its Surprising Benefits]
Take a class or join a club to meet people with common interests, such as a book group, dinner club, or sports team. Websites such as Meetup.com can help you find local groups (or start your own) and connect with others who share similar interests.
Connect with your alumni association. Many colleges have alumni associations that meet regularly. You already have the college experience in common; bringing up old times makes for an easy conversation starter. Some associations also sponsor community service events or workshops where you can meet more people.
Walk a dog. Dog owners often stop and chat while their dogs sniff or play with each other. If dog ownership isn’t right for you, volunteer to walk dogs from a shelter or a local rescue group.
Attend art gallery openings, book readings, lectures, music recitals, or other community events where you can meet people with similar interests. Check with your library or local paper for events near you.
Behave like someone new to the area. Even if you’ve lived in the same place all your life, take the time to re-explore your neighborhood attractions. New arrivals to any town or city tend to visit these places first—and they’re often keen to meet new people and establish friendships, too.
Cheer on your team. Going to a bar alone can seem intimidating, but if you support a sports team, find out where other fans go to watch the games. You automatically have a shared interest—your team—which makes it natural to start up a conversation.
Take a moment to unplug
It’s difficult to meet new people in any social situation if you’re more interested in your phone than the people around you. Remove your headphones and put your smartphone away while you’re in the checkout line or waiting for a bus, for example. Making eye contact and exchanging small talk with strangers is great practice for making connections—and you never know where it may lead!
Turning acquaintances into friends
We all have acquaintances in our life—people we exchange small talk with as we go about our day or trade jokes or insights with online. While these relationships can fulfill you in their own right, with some effort, you can turn a casual acquaintance into a true friend.
The first step is to open up a little about yourself. Friendships are characterized by intimacy. True friends know about each other’s values, struggles, goals, and interests. So, try sharing something a little bit more personal than you would normally. You don’t have to reveal your most closely-held secret, just something a little more revealing than talking about the weather or something you watched on TV and see how the other person responds. Do they seem interested? Do they reciprocate by disclosing something about themselves?
Other tips for strengthening an acquaintance into a friend:
Invite a casual acquaintance out for a drink or to a movie. Lots of other people feel just as uncomfortable about reaching out and making new friends as you do. Be the one to break the ice. Take the first step and reach out to a neighbor or work colleague, for example—they will thank you later.
Carpool to work. Many companies offer carpool programs. If your employer doesn’t, simply ask a colleague if they’d like to share rides. Spending regular time together is a great way to get to know others better and offers the opportunity for uninterrupted and deeper conversation.
Track down old friends via social media. It’s easy to lose track of friends when you move or change jobs, for example. Make the effort to reconnect and then turn your “online” friends into “real-world” friends by meeting up for coffee instead of chatting on Facebook or Twitter.
Overcoming obstacles to making friends
Is something stopping you from building the friendships you’d like to have? Here are some common obstacles—and how you can overcome them.
If you’re too busy…
Developing and maintaining friendships takes time and effort, but even with a packed schedule, you can find ways to make the time for friends.
Put it on your calendar. Schedule time for your friends just as you would for errands. Make it automatic with a weekly or monthly standing appointment. Or simply make sure that you never leave a get-together without setting the next date.
Mix business and pleasure. Figure out a way to combine your socializing with activities that you have to do anyway. These could include going to the gym, getting a pedicure, or shopping. Errands create an opportunity to spend time together while still being productive.
Group it. If you truly don’t have time for multiple one-on-one sessions with friends, set up a group get-together. It’s a good way to introduce your friends to each other. Of course, you’ll need to consider if everyone’s compatible first.
If you’re afraid of rejection…
Making new friends means putting yourself out there, and that can be scary. It’s especially intimidating if you’re someone who’s been betrayed, traumatized, or abused in the past, or someone with an insecure attachment bond. But by working with the right therapist, you can explore ways to build trust in existing and future friendships.
Seek a dok.
For more general insecurities or a fear of rejection, it helps to evaluate your attitude. Do you feel as if any rejection will haunt you forever or prove that you’re unlikeable or destined to be friendless? These fears get in the way of making satisfying connections and become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Nobody likes to be rejected, but there are healthy ways to handle it:
·Just because someone isn’t interested in talking or hanging out doesn’t automatically mean they’re rejecting you as a person. They may be busy, distracted, or have other things going on.
·If someone does reject you, that doesn’t mean that you’re worthless or unlovable. Maybe they’re having a bad day. Maybe they misread you or misinterpreted what you said. Or maybe they’re just not a nice person!
·You’re not going to like everyone you meet, and vice versa. Like dating, building a solid network of friends can be a numbers game. If you’re in the habit of regularly exchanging a few words with strangers you meet, rejections are less likely to hurt. There’s always the next person. Focus on the long-term goal of making quality connections, rather than getting hung up on the ones that didn’t pan out.
·Keep rejection in perspective. It never feels good, but it’s rarely as bad as you imagine. It’s unlikely that others are sitting around talking about it. Instead of beating yourself up, give yourself credit for trying and see what you can learn from the experience.
For better friendships, be a better friend yourself
Making a new friend is just the beginning of the journey. Friendships take time to form and even more time to deepen, so you need to nurture that new connection.
Be the friend that you would like to have. Treat your friend just as you want them to treat you. Be reliable, thoughtful, trustworthy, and willing to share yourself and your time.
Be a good listener. Be prepared to listen to and support friends just as you want them to listen to and support you.
Give your friend space. Don’t be too clingy or needy. Everyone needs space to be alone or spend time with other people as well.
Don’t set too many rules and expectations. Instead, allow your friendship to evolve naturally. You’re both unique individuals so your friendship probably won’t develop exactly as you expect.
Be forgiving. No one is perfect and every friend will make mistakes. No friendship develops smoothly so when there’s a bump in the road, try to find a way to overcome the problem and move on. It will often deepen the bond between you.
Chapter 10 :
WORK AND MONEY AFTER GETTING PREPARED
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill examines the psychological power of thought and the brain in the process of furthering your career for both monetary and personal satisfaction. Originally published in 1937, this is one of the all-time self-help classics and a must read for investors and entrepreneurial types.
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· INTRODUCTION
o Who is this book for?
o About the author
o In this summary
· BOOK SUMMARY
· Towards Success Consciousness
· 1. DESIRE
o The Turning Point Of Achievement
o Career
o Leading
o Money
o Failure
o Others People’s Desires
· 2. FAITH
o Visualisation & Belief In Attainment Of Desire
· 3. AUTO-SUGGESTION
o The Medium For Influencing The Subconscious
· 4. SPECIALISED KNOWLEDGE
o Personal Experience Or Observations
· 5. IMAGINATION
o The Workshop Of The Mind
· 6. ORGANISED PLANNING
o The Crystallisation Of Desire Into Action
· 7. DECISION
o The Mastery Of Procrastination
· 8. PERSISTENCE
o The Sustained Effort Necessary To Induce Faith
· 9. POWER OF THE MASTERMIND
o The Driving Force
· 10. TRANSMUTATION OF SEX
o Converting Sex Into A Highly Creative Outlet
· 11. SUBCONSCIOUS MIND
o The Connecting Link
· 12. THE BRAIN
o A Broadcasting And Receiving Station For Thought
· 13. THE SIXTH SENSE
o The Door To The Temple Of Wisdom
· CONCLUSION
o Key takeaways
o Further reading
o Action Steps
INTRODUCTION
Who is this book for?
Despite the book’s title, this book is not about how to increase your income and become rich. The author’s philosophy can help just about anyone succeed in their professional life, achieve their aspirations, and attract success in their life, but it’s definitely a must-read for investors and entrepreneurs.
About the author
Napoleon Hill was an American author in the area of the new thought movement, who was one of the earliest producers of the modern genre of personal-success literature and is widely considered to be one of the great writers on success. Hill's works examined the power of personal beliefs, and the role they play in personal success. He became an advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1933 to 1936.
In this summary
Think And Grow Rich (1937) is one of the best-selling books of all time. It examines the psychological power of thought and the brain in the process of furthering your career for both monetary and personal satisfaction. Enjoy the summary of this all-time self-help classic!
BOOK SUMMARY
Towards Success Consciousness
Think And Grow Rich is a state of mind. It exploits the power of thought to manifest strong desires and a definite purpose into reality. Turning your all-consuming obsession (definite purpose) into a reality is not an easy task. However, if the desire is strong and you’re willing to raise the stakes, you will win. The author projects the following formula:
Desire + Ideas + Plans + Massive Action = Success
Start with your goal. What do you really want? A better job? To succeed in your current career? To work for a business leader who inspires you?
To achieve that goal, shifting your thinking from failure consciousness to success consciousness is the key. For this to happen, the question ‘how do I get a job?’ needs to change into ‘what can I give to a job?’, and ‘how do I get more dollars per hour?’ into ‘how do I give more energy, desire, focus?’
To get from where you are to where you want to be, the author highlights:
“Never quit. Never give up. Focus. Seek help. Make new connections. Take different approaches. Seek additional resources to help you improve your job search skills. Persist and find people who can help you to achieve your goals.”
1. DESIRE
The Turning Point Of Achievement
What do you desire above everything else? A powerful desire towards achieving a goal uses a combination of two types of motivation:
1. Pull motivations (the outcome of the goal is so favourable, that it pulls you towards the goal)
2. Push motivations (you are pushed to action because of the negative consequences of not taking action)
The author provides the mindset for 5 key areas of Desire:
Career
Going from ‘what do I get?’ to ‘how will I grow?’ requires shifting from ego-driven concerns (title, salary, benefits etc.) to growth opportunities within the company and position.
Leading
To lead, first, you need to follow and learn from an existing leader. How would it affect your career if you became an apprentice to someone at the top of your field that you admire?
Money
This is a series of steps that the author suggests for money-based desires.
1. Be definite as to the amount of money or type of job.
2. Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money you desire.
3. Establish a definite date when you intend to attain the money you desire.
4. Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire and begin at once.
5. Write out a clear, concise statement of the amount of money you intend to acquire, name the time limit, state what you intend to give in return, and describe the plan through which you plan to accumulate it.
6. Read your written statement aloud, twice daily.
Failure
Look for lessons within failure and examine them without the emotional attachment of why something has failed. Use failure as a growth opportunity towards greater accomplishments.
“Every failure brings with it the seed of an equivalent success.”
Others People’s Desires
By helping the owner of a company or a manager achieve their goals (as an employee or freelancer), you also advance your own goals, because you progressively start excelling at the area of interest (provided this area is aligned with your own goals).
2. FAITH
Visualisation & Belief In Attainment Of Desire
“Your own success or failure is based largely on your self-belief, and a mind-set of positive expectancy is the foundation of which your success can be achieved.”
Faith is the starting point of success and the glue that holds it all together. As a state of mind, faith can be induced or created through affirmations or repeated instructions to the subconscious mind. By encouraging positive emotions and eliminating negative emotions (such as doubt, denial, and fear), faith can be a useful tool in various ways:
· It is an antidote for failure.
· By believing in yourself, others will believe in you, too.
· Employers seek successful, confident people who can make a positive impact.
To summon faith in the form of self-confidence, the author suggests that you sign your name to a statement, which you should be repeating daily towards subconsciously influencing your thoughts and actions. This statement should include affirmations that acknowledge certain things about yourself:
· That you have the ability to achieve your purpose.
· That you promise to take action.
· That you understand that your thoughts will gradually transform into a physical reality.
· That you promise to dedicate time to ensuring that these thoughts become real.
· That you understand the importance of self-confidence and promise to spend 10 minutes a day working on this.
· That you will never stop trying to achieve your goals.
· That you are willing to serve others, and in turn will get others to serve you.
Find examples of people who are where you want to be (career-, money-, influence-wise, you name it), use their examples as a way to keep your faith strong, and remind yourself that your desire is possible to attain.
3. AUTO-SUGGESTION
The Medium For Influencing The Subconscious
The principle of auto-suggestion communicates our desires directly to the subconscious mind in a spirit of unshakable faith.
Through routine repetition of our conscious thoughts and desires (as mentioned in the ritual of the “Faith” section above) to ourselves, we can regain absolute control over the material which reaches our subconscious mind, exercising control over our decisions, feelings, and actions.
4. SPECIALISED KNOWLEDGE
Personal Experience Or Observations
For our desires to translate into monetary, career, or another kind of success (which we’ve picked in the “Desire” step), we are first required to have specialised knowledge of the service, product, or profession of which we intend to offer in return for fortune.
Notably, this specialised knowledge doesn’t have to be in your possession already. Knowing how to purchase or rent knowledge is a popular way of fulfilling this step. Courses, seminars, books (or summaries!), industry conferences, they all improve your odds of acquiring the much-needed specialised knowledge for yourself.
Working with knowledgeable people (“renting knowledge”) is the other – equally powerful – side of the spectrum. Lifelong learning is obviously necessary for an ambitious person to keep up with all the latest developments in their field.
5. IMAGINATION
The Workshop Of The Mind
Ideas are products of and given a shape or form through imagination.
“Humans can create anything they can imagine.”
The author mentions two types of imagination. Synthetic imagination:
this faculty includes arranging old concepts, ideas or plans into new combinations. And creative imagination: this faculty is where ideas come from (“infinite intelligence”) and “hunches” and “inspirations are received.
To make the best use of your imagination towards achieving your big goal, come up with a list of ideas that will both inspire you and allow you to best utilise your talents.
6. ORGANISED PLANNING
The Crystallisation Of Desire Into Action
Simply hoping to succeed at your goal is not the answer. Every achievement starts with a strong desire, workshopped to reality through imagination, followed by an organised plan.
No plan is perfect. When you execute your plan, you will likely experience a temporary defeat. The best way to approach defeat is to simply accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound. Rebuild your plans and keep pursuing your goal, armed with the knowledge of your previous failures.
Don’t give up before you reach your goal, because quitters do not get to see their long-term plans come to fruition.
7. DECISION
The Mastery Of Procrastination
“Tell the world what you intend to do, but first show it freedom or death on a decision.”
People who fail to succeed, without exception, reach decisions, if at all, very slowly, and change their minds quickly and often. Successful people reach decisions promptly and definitely, changing their mind slowly. They know what they want and, generally, get it. Definiteness of decision always requires courage. Procrastination, the opposite of decision, is a common enemy which practically every person must conquer.
8. PERSISTENCE
The Sustained Effort Necessary To Induce Faith
Lack of persistence is one of the major causes of failure. It can be conquered but this depends entirely upon the intensity of one’s desire – weak desires bring weak results. The basis of persistence is the power of will, and it’s also influenced by other factors, such as:
· Definiteness of purpose
· Self-reliance
· Definiteness of plans
· Accurate knowledge
· Co-operation
· Habits
Which of the aforementioned factors are you lacking, which might be hindering your persistence? On the contrary, lack of persistence begets the following symptoms:
· Procrastination
· Lack of interest
· Indecision
· Self-satisfaction
· Indifference
· Weakness of desire
· Willingness to quit
· Lack of organised plans
· Wishing instead of willing
· Searching for shortcuts
· Fear of criticism
So, how does one develop persistence?
The author suggests the following 4 steps:
1. Develop a definite purpose, backed by a burning desire for its fulfillment.
2. Build a definite plan, expressed in continuous action.
3. Keep out all negative and discouraging influences.
4. Stay accountable to people who will encourage you to follow through your plan and purpose.
9. POWER OF THE MASTERMIND
The Driving Force
A mastermind is having a team of people in place, whose job it is to help you succeed and carry out your plans. Who could be in your team and how could you form one in the next 30 days? Nobody can acquire great power and succeed without the power of a mastermind. According to the author:
“No two minds ever come together without, thereby, creating a third, invisible, intangible force which may be likened to a third mind”.
The goal of a mastermind is to convert knowledge into power, by organising it into definite plans, and then translating plans into action.
10. TRANSMUTATION OF SEX
Converting Sex Into A Highly Creative Outlet
Sex has three constructive potentialities:
1. Perpetuation of mankind
2. Maintenance of health
3. Transformation of mediocrity into genius through transmuting
The desire for sex is the most powerful of human desires. Its motivating force brings keenness of imagination, courage, will-power, persistence and creative ability unknown to people at other times.
Sexual drive (the thoughts of physical expression) can be transmuted into highly creative and productive outlets, used as a powerful force for success, or, of course, the accumulation of riches. It requires the exercise of will-power, but the reward is worth the effort.
11. SUBCONSCIOUS MIND
The Connecting Link
The subconscious mind is the connecting link between the finite mind of a human and infinite intelligence.
The subconscious mind can be used as a medium for transmuting your desires into their physical or monetary equivalent. However, if you fail to plant your own desires into it, as a result of your neglect, it will feed upon any thoughts that reach it.
To gain control over your subconscious mind, form the habit of applying and using to your advantage the following 7 major positive emotions: Desire, Faith, Love, Sex, Enthusiasm, Romance, Hope.
The mere presence of a single negative emotion in your conscious mind might be sufficient to destroy all chances of constructive aid from your subconscious mind. The 7 major negative emotions to avoid are; Fear, Jealousy, Hatred, Revenge, Greed, Superstition, Anger.
Eventually, the positive emotions will dominate your mind completely, so that the negative ones cannot enter.
12. THE BRAIN
A Broadcasting And Receiving Station For Thought
Every human brain is both a broadcasting and receiving station for the vibration of thought.
The subconscious mind is the “sending station” of the brain, through which vibrations of thought are broadcast.
The creative imagination is the “receiving set,” through which the vibrations of thought are picked up from the ether.
When stimulated (“stepped up”) to a high rate of vibration, the mind becomes more receptive to the vibration of thought. This “stepping up” takes place through positive or negative emotions.
Vibrations of an exceedingly high rate are the only vibrations picked up and carried, by the ether, from one brain to another.
13. THE SIXTH SENSE
The Door To The Temple Of Wisdom
The understanding of the sixth sense comes only by meditation, through mind development from within.
Once you’ve mastered the sixth sense, you will be able to receive warnings about impending dangers in time to avoid them and get notified of opportunities in time to embrace them.
However, the sixth sense will never function if indecision, doubt, and fear remain in your mind. They are closely related: indecision crystallises into doubt, and the two blend to become the end result, fear.
The 6 basic fears are; Poverty, Criticism, Ill Health, Loss of love, Old age, Death. However, there’s also a 7th ‘enemy’: susceptibility to negative influences.
To shield yourself from this enemy, like all people who accumulate great riches, you have to:
· Put your willpower into constant use, until you build immunity against negative influences in your own mind,
· Deliberately seek the company of people who influence you to think and act from a positive standpoint, and
· Use your willpower to gain control over your thoughts and influence your subconscious mind.
Fear is just a state of mind. It is subject to control and direction. Use this knowledge to your advantage.
“Man’s thought impulses begin immediately to translate themselves into their physical equivalent, whether those thoughts are voluntary or involuntary.”
CONCLUSION :
· The book exploits the power of thought to manifest strong desires and a definite purpose into reality.
· Faith is the glue that holds it all together.
· Every achievement starts with a strong desire, workshopped to reality through imagination, followed by an organised plan.
· Successful people reach decisions promptly and definitely, changing their mind slowly.
· Lack of persistence is one of the major causes of failure.
· To acquire great power & succeed, you need the help of a mastermind.
· Sexual drive, transmuted into creative and productive outlets, can be a powerful force for success.
· Fear is just a state of mind. It is subject to control and direction.
·
AS YOU CAN SEE IT’S EASY AS CAKE , PEACE OUT Y’ALL
BUT I AM SAD , I’M SEEING MY BROTHERS THROWING THEMSELVES LIKE CATS INTO A DEEP DARK HOLE.
ONLY THE STRONGE SURVIVE , WE ALL KNOW IT, RIGHT ?
DO WE PRACTICE IT ON THE DAILY ?
NOW IT’S EVERYONE’S CARREER.
LET’S TALK ABOUT MEN AND WOMEN , THEY’RE BOTH HAVE POTENTIAL MAYBE EVEN HIGH-POTENTIAL, BUT SOMETIMES IT GETS DIFFICULT TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT PARTNER
LET’S SEE :
PHYSICALLY THEY’RE NOT THE SAME BUT MENTALLY THEY ARE SO THEY COMPLETE EACH OTHER,
RADICALIST FEMINISTS PLS STOP U’RE MAKING IT WORE FOR TRUE FEMINISTS,
SERIOUS NOTE :
You can be etxremist in any way, it’s trick of subconscious , bewar !!
Keep your pure relationship between you and the creature ( the creative enrgy,God…) the point is we’re all all equal buddhism an on, it’s just not easy to find the points in common. I can’t call it or name it because so far I couldn’t make an explication for that invisible phenomenal but it’s energituc a vibratic and many other powerful invisible things.
That’s what I personally call God’s frequency even though i’m not religious at alll, do you see religions ? am AM I BACKWARDING ?, IT’S NOT ME, MY WAY IS 180 DEGREES FROM RELIGIONS BUT I’M A FREE THINKER AND AGNOSTIC SO I HAVE MY OWN MEDITATION , SPORT, WRITE AND MAKE ART A TRYING TO BE THE BEST VERSION OF MY OF YESTERDAY , THAT’S MY RELIGION, I SAID IT AND REPEAT IT , RELIGIONS ARE MADE OF HUMANS , GOD CREATIVE ENERGY) HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT, some people are like wild lions, let’s see a battle between brainfull people a hungry lions and who wins. Actually we’re seeing it about 20% , help us for god’s sake, when a a devil can be human and god and angels can be humans too.
Chapter 11 :
Strong Women Deserve (Emotionally)
PRODUCTIVE EDUCATED INTELLECTUAL Strong Men.
Strong women are beautifully strong and powerful. They are beautiful creatures that many men admire from afar, but only very few are brave enough to date them.
Strong women have endured many battles that broke them but they learned to pick themselves up and never gave up. Their spirits are brave, their he.arts are as strong as a stone on the outside but also soft on the inside. Their skin has grown thick from the many hits that they took.
Strong women got their strength by climbing out of dark and deep pits. They’ve swum in vicious waters without drowning. They have walked miles in treacherous forests but always found their way out. They are strong because they are survivors.
They have tenacious personalities that can be extremely intimidating. Their kind of intensity is difficult for some men to understand. They aren’t submissive. They aren’t people pleasers. They are strong-willed and bold.
It takes strong men to understand the emotional chaos that comes up with this type of women.
Strong women deserve men that are honest. They deserve men that will express how they feel and won’t hide anything. Men that will be able to take their opinion and not feel threatened or insulted. Men that will listen to them and will be eager to engage in constructive conversations. Men that are straight forward and sincere. Strong women like to have things cut and dry because they do not like things to be vague or ambiguous.
Strong women deserve men that know what they want. They have been hurt before and don’t have time for games. Strong women don’t waste their life in dead-end relationships; if they want to be with you, they’ll tell you. If not, they’ll let you know, wish you the best and move on. And they expect you to do the same, don’t try to drag them along or toy with their feelings.
Strong women deserve men that will respect their independence. They don’t want to be glued to a man because they have a life of their own. They deserve men that will understand that they will not always be available because they are always working on their careers and goals. Strong women deserve men that will support them and won’t hold them back.
Strong deserve men that have no fear of showing their vulnerability. They deserve men that can be open about their feelings and fears. Strong women are willing to share their fears and show their scars, and they want men that can do the same. It takes strength to be open and vulnerable- and only strong men can do that.
Strong women deserve men that are confident. Strong women do not have the time nor the energy to emotionally groom a man’s self-esteem. They deserve men that are secure within their abilities and are comfortable in their own skin.
Strong women deserve men that love hard. Strong women are very passionate and they love with everything they’ve got. They don’t do half-ass love. They don’t want mediocre love, they are searching for a strong connection. They aren’t just looking for someone to love; they’re looking for a soulmate. They want someone that will add value to their life. They want a deep connection and it takes strong men to go that deep.
Strong women deserve men that are emotionally strong. Not just physical strength but the strength that comes from the inside. Men that have the strength to stand tall with them in the face of adversity. They deserve men that can face any challenges head-on and won’t leave when life when rough. They deserve men that can navigate with them through oceans of uncertainty and madness. Strong women are not looking for a savior, they are looking for another warrior that is strong enough to fight the toughest battles alongside them and not for them.
Strong women deserve emotionally strong men to be there for them when they are tired. Strong women get tired of always having to be the strong ones- it’s plain exhausting. They deserve men that can provide comfort, whenever it’s needed. They deserve strong arms to hold them tightly when they are breaking apart. They want a set of lips that speak kind words that lift them when they are falling. They deserve men that understand that even the strongest women have weak moments. Strong women deserve men that are a bit stronger to pull them out the dark and bring out to the light when they can’t find their way out.
Strong women deserve men that will grow with them as they continue exploring the world.
Strong women deserve men that recognize and acknowledge their strengths and respect them for all that they are.
Strong women deserve men that will celebrate all their wins and will support them through their losses.
Strong women deserve emotionally strong men that can handle the intensity, fierceness, and independence that their strength portrays.
It takes emotionally strong men to handle the intelligence, honesty, love, and madness that a strong woman brings.
Men are strong physically than women but mentally they can win or we can be as one or we win that’s the point, we’re completing each other, from grand grand mom to my queen and princess and the coco chanel on my team love you all beautiful souls. I know you’re suffering in the third world but what can i do by my own vs 7 billion people ? just blessing you as i can. And this is a real real important subject, muslim countries and on…
Only for my brave gurls around the globe , be proud of who you are , this one is for both sexes.
YO WE NEED HEEEELP !! ASAP FR
EVEN FOR GAY PEOPLE AND FRIENDS, I am hetero but I care for my entourage and I see it getting dangerous for real, no jokes, those are awesome innocent souls and brains. Are getting bitten and harrased all time even women, where’s justice and freedom and intellectual people, press,,,,,charges, law,,,,
We need help or at least ( a change ) asap.
We’re in Algeria living with radicalists monsters, they work in private and they manipulat isi and jihad to terror the people, they’re also part of many crimes, the black deceny and may other traite things, they’re hypocrites and liars, they don’t even master lying, poor machiavillain rulers, working in secret for a religious war with time,their aquida is islam, they die for allahuakbar, for gurls and mansions in heaven as they sey, me and some of our generation can’t live in such a conservative societ fucll of thugs , from the gov the rest
Of average thugs , but they work undercover, i don’t know how and i can’t id myself 100% BUT those terrorist govs are playing a dirty game ( religious war ).
They do and did evil things, where’s freedom of expression, i can die at any moment, we’re dealing with a mafia gov,
But the youth are open minded about 50 %
So it’s a big shame for humanity.
They kill people or send them to prison for just for a normal self expression, where are the world justice here ?
I can’t even describe their hypocrisi.
Chapter 12 : Educational system
Success factors.
Harrasing became like hi how you doing !
It’s serious, not a joke, many innocent brain been killed,kiddnapped, gone, ctrazy,nuts,,,,
Now talking about mslims, actually I lived in different muslims countries, their thugs are the same as ISIS. GO EXPERIENCE IT , camping in forrests, making a snowman then oops , a jihadist or a thug or whatever a crazy person, i had many experiences and algerian police couldm’t do shit about it . now how does it feel ?
I noticed that average muslim people are 80% they can kill the 20% in one day, and they have a mentality which is ‘ if you’re not with us then you’re against us’, how can I join a bunch of people living in the mountains , sleeping like rats,,,, sorry, don’t forme to practice your religion at least , but this point is a touchy subject for them, they sell themselves to god in a wrong way, religion is everything, you say i’m not a muslim you get killed or bitten even in public,they’re around 70% radicalists in the arab country,and we as IMAZIGHEN ARE AROUND 40% OF THE ALGERIAN POPULATION AND AROUND 7% OF THEM ARE RADICALISTS, but where’s freedom ? WHERE’S THE DIVERSITY AND THE GREAT EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM ? WHERE ARE OUR RIGHTS AS HUMANS ? where’s the new world ? open minded people are kouffar for them they will have villas and girls in heaven AND DOING PARTIES AND PROJECTS XES AS THEY BELIEVE , I DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW GOD WILL REACT , IT’S KINDA A MENTALL ILL CAUSED OF WRONG (NONE SENSE), PROGRAMATION AND EVOLVING ODD BELIEFS PLUS THE POISENOUS TRAINING AND ACTIONS, IT CREATES MONSTERS, THERE’S NO PEACE WITH A PERSON WANTS TO STAB YOU IN YOUR BACK.JUST TAKE A DEEO CONCENTRATION TO THESE KINDA PEOPLE, EXCEPT THE NICE ONES, RADICALISTS, TERRORISTS, THUGS UNDER A RELIGION, THOSE IF THEY GOT A NUCLEAR WEAPON THEY WILL END THE WORLD AND SAY ALLAHUAKBAR, Oo wahhht !!!
Go away coward rat.
We need a professional program fot this serious issue.
And also , radicalism is everywhere ( the new racism fashion )
Far-Right Extremism Is a Global Problem
From Brazil to Algeria to the United States to france,to italy/middle east / Israel / china/russia/ Hungary to New Zealand, right-wing extremist ideas and groups are posing a grave threat to democratic societies. Within this context, the ongoing support U.S. President Donald Trump receives from parts of his base despite the drop in his approval numbers and the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 reflects the continued evolution of a global threat. As New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden emphasized after a right-wing terrorist killed over 50 people at a pair of mosques in her country, “there is no question that ideas and language of division and hate have existed for decades, but their form of distribution, the tools of organization—they are new.” If there is any hope of repairing those divides and advancing equality, rule of law, an inclusive civil society, and respect for human rights, the United States needs to work with other countries and multilateral organizations to build a coalition to combat the growth and spread of right-wing extremism.
Nearly 20 years after the attacks of 9/11 and the subsequent launch of what American leaders dubbed the “global war on terror,” the world finds itself confronting a new threat. Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, as the international community focused on al Qaeda, the Islamic State, and other groups espousing a particular interpretation of Islam to justify their terrorism, right-wing extremism grew around the world. Social media platforms and chatrooms offered important mediums for people to share ideas, connect, and learn from each other regardless of geographical location, facilitating connections that might otherwise have been difficult to form.
While right-wing ideology and groups are not new to many parts of Europe, the growth in immigration from Muslim countries, increased movement of individuals within the European Union, and the mainstreaming of far-right ideas from populist politicians as a response to the rise in immigration contributed to a right-wing surge in the 2010s. For example, the Norwegian far-right terrorist Anders Behring Breivik executed his brutal and deadly attack in Oslo and on Utoya Island in July 2011. In his manifesto, he described a need to defend Europe from Muslim domination and multiculturalism. In response to the attacks, Norway changed its laws to redefine the requirements for a terrorist conviction, agreed to share fingerprint information from criminal investigations with the United States and EU to enable other countries to monitor the actions of individuals who cross borders, and launched a nationwide strategy against hate speech in 2016. The strategy embraced recommendations from the United Nations incorporating both international and domestic approaches. Norway’s whole-of-society approach to addressing extremism ensures that citizens are actively involved in promoting the country’s values to combat threats.
As Norway was still working on its response, major right-wing terrorism hit the United States. In 2015, Dylann Roof killed nine Black people in the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in South Carolina. Similar to Breivik, he believed that white people needed to be protected from the dangers of other groups. For Roof, that included Jewish people, Latinos, and Black people. Roof also espoused key features of right-wing extremist ideas focused on nostalgia for a historic white past of greatness to counter perceived white victimization in the present.
Although the U.S. response to the attack did not result in a nationwide reckoning on right-wing extremism as Breivik’s strike in Norway did, it did lead to dialogue and initiatives at the local level in South Carolina that pointed to steps that could be taken at the national level as well. The 2015 murders forced South Carolina residents, activists, politicians, and academics to confront the state’s long history of racism and discrimination. Civil rights activists and the University of South Carolina joined forces to establish the South Carolina Collaborative for Race and Reconciliation, to encourage local communities to confront racism and the state’s history by building stronger alliances and relationships across racial lines.
The deadly attack in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019 underscored how right-wing extremism had continued to grow around the world. Similar to Breivik, the Christchurch shooter, who mentioned the Norwegian by name in his own manifesto, referenced protecting white people of European descent from immigration, Muslims, and other threats he described as amounting to “white genocide.” The New Zealand government moved quickly after the attack to address right-wing extremism. It changed the country’s gun laws to ban the kind of semi-automatic weapon used in the attack, and it demonstrated visible support for New Zealand’s Muslim community. New Zealand worked with France and technology companies to find solutions to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content on social media platforms based on applicable laws of the countries supportive of the Christchurch Call, as the plan became known, as well as industry standards and international human rights law, including the freedom of expression. The attack also led to a nationwide interrogation of the country’s values and treatment of its diverse communities. In a report released in December 2020, the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the attack reveals the failure of the country’s security forces to track the right-wing extremist threat and the hate, discrimination, and poor treatment Muslims and other groups have encountered in New Zealand. The report provides a series of recommendations including strengthening engagement with those communities and restructuring the security agencies that are responsible for counterterrorism.
Over the course of the 2000s, right-wing extremist ideas were mainstreamed as they permeated political parties and influenced politicians.
It isn’t just outright attacks that mark the spread of extreme right-wing ideology. Over the course of the 2000s, those ideas were mainstreamed as they permeated political parties and influenced politicians.
In 2010, Viktor Orban became Hungary’s prime minister. During his tenure, he has expressed anti-refugee and anti-immigration ideas and argued that Europe was being overtaken by other cultures and groups, particularly Muslims. Using the power that comes from controlling the state, Orban and his party have undermined democracy by changing laws to place loyalists in the civil service, attacking academic institutions, limiting press freedom, and pushing the concept of a singular Hungarian national identity. Orban has even praised Trump for his “America first” platform. In response, thousands of Hungarian citizens have marched to protest the government as an Orban spokesperson blamed the demonstrations on George Soros. Recently, opposition parties have united to challenge Orban and his party’s rule in the 2022 elections.
In 2014, Narendra Modi and his right-wing party won the majority in the Indian elections. Before his victory, the U.S. government had denied Modi a visa because of his suspected support for and indifference to Hindu extremist mob attacks on Muslims in the Indian state of Gujarat in 2002, when he was chief minister there. Despite his more recent embrace by the international community, Modi has encouraged the most extreme factions of his party and, with allies, has brought extremist ideas into the mainstream, advancing the idea of India as a Hindu country irrespective of its great diversity. Politicians from his Bharatiya Janata Party have also sought to advance a narrative of Hindu victimhood to justify supporting anti-democratic measures like the 2019 Citizenship Amendment Bill, which excludes Muslims from a list of persecuted religious groups from neighboring countries who could be eligible for Indian citizenship. To challenge Modi and the government’s actions, hundreds of thousands of Indians have mobilized to provide counter-narratives to their propaganda and disinformation. The Indian news site AltNews fact-checks politicians, articles, and other information, identifying misleading and false reports to inform the public.
The American Far-Right Is Dangerous but Disorganized
Despite murderous ambitions and abundant guns, the Capitol assault was a failure.
The 2018-2019 rise of Jair Bolsonaro to the presidency in Brazil demonstrated how right-wing extremist ideas have continued to emerge. During his campaign, Bolsonaro advocated a platform of returning Brazil to its former glory through attacks on government institutions and minorities, as well as violence against criminals, activists, and opposition parties. Using social media, he was able to grow his support across the country. Bolsonaro has also been a vocal supporter of Trump and even endorsed Trump during his reelection campaign. As a result of Bolsonaro’s attacks on Brazilian democracy, marginalized groups in Brazil are becoming more involved in politics to reimagine the country’s civil society. Black women in Brazil are running for office on platforms focused on human rights and dignity, anti-racism, and equality
These examples all show that, rather than treating right-wing extremism as isolated incidents parochial to particular countries, it is time to recognize it as a global and evolving phenomenon. If the United States and the international community do not quickly mobilize resources to unite against this threat, they may lose an important chance to stem its spread. The actions that individual countries, local governments, journalists, and ordinary citizens have taken to combat right-wing extremism over the past decade offer examples for what an international effort might look like.
U.S. President-elect Joe Biden has an opportunity following the U.S. Capitol riot to marshal the international community around addressing right-wing extremism. The Biden administration should work with partner countries to expand the scope and mission of the Global Counterterrorism Forum to address right-wing extremism and its different permutations. This will not be easy, since the United States and other countries will have to confront historical and national biases and traumas involving race, religion, and ethnicity, making tough and strategic choices on how to move forward. But it is necessary.
A key to battling right-wing extremism will be addressing disinformation. Social media, chatrooms, and websites (along with algorithms tracking an individual’s internet behavior) enable people around the world to construct their own reality and reinforce existing beliefs while making them susceptible to influence from different groups and individuals. Anti-democratic ideas are able to spread more rapidly and find audiences across national borders. Biden had the right idea when he suggested holding an international conference on democracy to discuss the challenges the world is facing. However, such a conference will make little progress if disinformation is not a part of the discussion and plan of action. That’s where an existing network like the Global Counterterrorism Forum, which has experience facilitating the sharing of ideas, improving international digital literacy, and offering a united front, could come in.
As the global population continues to become younger, it is imperative to develop international approaches to address extremist ideas that make individuals, societies, and institutions vulnerable. Between the economic shocks of 2008 and those resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, young people are demanding change from Chile to Hong Kong. As a result, the Biden administration should work with the United Nations to better assist these generations through vocal and financial support for organizations advancing an inclusive civil society, democracy, and equality. That should help protect them from falling prey to extremism to begin with.
Battling right-wing extremism will not be easy, as many politicians and political parties have incorporated elements of its ideas into their platforms, but democracy, equality, rule of law, and human rights around the world are worth the fight.
Chapter 13 : human rights
Your voice matters. You have the right to say what you think, share information and demand a better world. You also have the right to agree or disagree with those in power, and to express these opinions in peaceful protests.
Exercising these rights - without fear or unlawful interference - is central to living in an open and fair society; one in which people can access justice and enjoy their human rights.
Yet governments around the world routinely imprison people – or worse – for speaking out, even though almost every country’s constitution refers to the value of ‘free speech’.
Governments have a duty to prohibit hateful, inciteful speech but many abuse their authority to silence peaceful dissent by passing laws criminalising freedom of expression. This is often done in the name of counter-terrorism, national security or religion. More recently, freedom of expression has come under threat by authorities clamping down on activists, NGOs and individuals helping refugees and migrants.
How governments tolerate unfavourable views or critical voices is often a good indication of how they treat human rights generally.
Amnesty International supports people who speak out peacefully for themselves and for others – whether a journalist reporting on violence by security forces, a trade unionist exposing poor working conditions or an indigenous leader defending their land rights against big business. We would similarly defend the right of those who support the positions of big business, the security forces and employers to express their views peacefully.
We consider anyone put in prison solely for exercising their right to free speech peacefully to be a prisoner of conscience and call for their immediate and unconditional release.
Police violently disperse a spontaneous protest in Tverskaya street after the verdict in the Bolotnaya case was delivered, Moscow, February 2014. © Alexander Baroshin / Amnesty International
Why is freedom of expression important?
The right to freedom of expression is enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which sets out in broad terms the human rights that each of us has. It was later protected legally by a raft of international and regional treaties.
Defending freedom of expression has always been a core part of Amnesty International’s work and is vital in holding the powerful to account. Freedom of expression also underpins other human rights such as the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion - and allows them to flourish.
It is also closely linked to freedom of association - the right to form and join clubs, societies, trade unions or political parties with anyone you choose; and freedom of peaceful assembly - the right to take part in a peaceful demonstration or public meeting.
However, these very freedoms come under regular attack by governments that want to stifle criticism.
For example, in Egypt it is currently extremely dangerous to criticize the government. Over the course of 2018, the authorities arrested at least 113 individuals citing a host of absurd reasons including satire, tweeting, supporting football clubs, denouncing sexual harassment, editing movies and giving interviews.
Those arrested have been accused of “membership of terrorist groups” and “disseminating false news”. Detained without trial for months, those who eventually faced trial were sentenced by military courts, even though military trials of civilians, in Egypt as elsewhere, are inherently unfair.
Press freedom
A free press reporting on the issues that interest us and shape our lives is a key building block of any rights-respecting society. Yet in Azerbaijan, Turkey and Venezuela to name just a few countries, journalists face repression and attacks.
In June 2019, Tanzania’s parliament fast-tracked the passing of the Written Laws Bill, which would entrench censorship, among other violations. Journalists in the country already operate within the tight confines of a media law that requires media houses to “broadcast or publish news or issues of national importance as government may direct”.
In July 2019, the libel trial began in the Philippines against Maria Ressa, the executive editor of online news outlet Rappler. Ressa, a prominent critic of President Rodrigo Duterte, was arrested in February 2019 on trumped up libel charges after Rappler published detailed investigations into some of the thousands of extrajudicial executions committed by police and unknown armed persons, with Duterte’s explicit encouragement, during drugs-related operations. Her case is widely seen as an attack by the government on press freedom.
During conflict, repression can get worse, such as in Myanmar where journalists investigating the killing of Rohingya men and boys by security forces in Rakhine State were arrested and jailed, before being freed under international pressure.
Freedom of speech talk & self-express
Freedom of speech, or freedom of expression, applies to ideas of all kinds, including those that may be deeply offensive. While international law protects free speech, there are instances where speech can legitimately restricted under the same law – such as when it violates the rights of others, or, advocates hatred and incites discrimination or violence.
However, any restrictions on freedom of expression must be provided by law, protect certain public interests or the rights of others and, be clearly necessary for that purpose. .
In 2018, Amnesty International published research that found that Twitter is a platform where violence and abuse against women flourish, often with little accountability. Instead of the platform being a place where women can express themselves freely and where their voices are strengthened, Twitter leads women to self-censor what they post and limit their interactions. As a company, Twitter is failing its responsibility to respect women’s rights online by inadequately investigating and responding to reports of violence and abuse in a transparent manner.
The digital frontier
The digital world gives many more of us access to the information we need, including to challenge governments and corporations. Information is power and the internet has the potential to significantly empower the world’s seven billion people.
But freedom of expression today still often depends on wealth, privilege and our place in society. Those who are rich and powerful are seldom restricted in expressing their views.. Similarly, those who have their own laptops with broadband, have far greater access to information than those who have to walk miles to an internet café.
Increasingly, some states try to build firewalls around digital communications, or in the case of Egypt, Sudan and Zimbabwe among others, respond to mass street protests with an internet shutdown. Iran, China and Viet Nam have all tried to develop systems that enable them to control access to digital information. In India’s northern Kashmir region, mobile Internet and communications are suspended in response to any unrest. At Amnesty International, we are continually finding new ways to stop our website being blocked in China.
Governments are also using dangerous and sophisticated technologies to read activists and journalists’ private emails and remotely turn on their computers’ camera or microphone to secretly record their activities. In 2014, Amnesty and a coalition of human rights and technology organizations launched ‘Detekt’ - a simple tool that allows activists to scan their devices for surveillance spyware.
What is Amnesty doing to protect the freedom of expression?
Case study: Poland and the right to protest
Amnesty International has documented how people in Poland have taken to the streets to express their opinions despite restrictive legislation combined with heavy-handed policing, surveillance, harassment and prosecution which threaten to strangle the right to peaceful protest.
Since 2016, tens of thousands of people have protested against repressive legislation aimed at curbing women’s rights and undermining the independence of the judiciary. Protesters have routinely been met with a show of force and restrictive measures that infringe their right to be seen and heard. Hundreds have found themselves in police custody and facing lengthy court proceedings.
In parallel with tightening the laws affecting the exercise of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, the government has vastly expanded the surveillance powers of law enforcement agencies with evidence that these expanded powers have been used against people engaged in organizing and participating in peaceful protests.
Case study: Surge in Vietnamese prisoners of conscience
In 2019, Amnesty released shocking research showing that the number of prisoners of conscience unjustly jailed across Viet Nam had sharply risen by a third in signs of a growing crackdown on peaceful activism by lawyers, bloggers, human rights defenders, environmental activists and pro-democracy campaigners.
The prisoners’ detention conditions remain appalling with evidence of people being tortured and otherwise ill-treated, routinely held incommunicado and in solitary confinement, kept in squalid conditions and denied medical care, clean water and fresh air.
Many prisoners of conscience were jailed for comments made on social media platforms and were targeted using the vague and overly broad provisions of the penal code.
One prisoner of conscience is Tran Hoang Phuc. A pro-democracy and environmental activist, he was arrested in June 2017. Tried and convicted on charges of ‘conducting propaganda against the state’ for making and sharing videos perceived to be critical of the government on social media, he was sentenced to six years in prison, followed by four years under house arrest.
The Solution: What is Amnesty calling for?
Prisoners of conscience around the world should be released immediately and unconditionally.
All laws criminalizing people who speak out or protest peacefully, should be struck off the law books.
Laws against hate speech or other incitement to discrimination and violence must not be used to repress peaceful dissent.
People should have access to information, and the power of governments and companies to obtain information about individuals and organisations must be restrict
Educational system
Success factors.
Raising a golden generation across the world and live together and share beautiful things.
Essetials :
Ten Factors Ensuring Success in Educational Systems According to PISA Author :
On April 14, 2017, Andreas Schleicher, Director for the Directorate of Education and Skills at OECD, spoke at the XVIII April Conference at Higher School of Economics (HSE). In 1999, he invented the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), one of the biggest international comparative studies of education quality. His honorary lecture was dedicated to global trends in the transformation of national education systems.
The full title of Andreas Schleicher’s lecture was ‘Global Trends in the Transformation of National Education Systems: What Will Education Look Like in 2035?’ He emphasized that this title is theoretical, since we sometimes don’t even know what will happen in the next 10 minutes, and we are much better at predicting the past than the future. With this in mind, he outlined certain key factors that will determine success in national education systems over the next two decades.
1. Information Literacy
Education is entering the digital era, where being able to read and write is simply not enough. People also need information literacy, which is the capacity to make sense of information and data. School students need to learn how to see the world from different perspectives, via various types of resources, while also being able to appreciate different ways of thinking. They also have to be able to choose the correct answer from the 20,000 results offered by Google.
2. Application of Talents
Work with talented children in Russia is very well organized. For example, the quality of math education is better here than in the U.S. Nonetheless, the U.S. can use such skills much better. In addition, labour productivity and living standards in the U.S. are much higher than in Russia. This means that talents and skills are only one part of the equation, and it’s also important to be able to extract value from skills. However, the Russian problem is easier to fix. For instance, it is much easier to change existing national institutions in order to extract value from skills, rather than learning how to build talents.
3. Better Less but Deeper
The contents of school education could be seen as a small box, in which we are trying to fit as much information as possible. Therefore, in most countries, the depth of education is falling, while its ‘width’ is growing. As a result, school children may effectively replicate data or information, but they are not able to think as researchers, analyze processes and facts, or carry out experiments. The exceptions are the PISA leaders – countries such as Singapore, Japan, China, and Finland.
4. Equal Access to Education
In all countries, family wealth is a good predictor of a child’s education level. At the same time, children are hugely different in terms of the quality of their education, depending on where they go to school. For example, children from wealthy families in the Dominican Republic are most likely to get worse education than the children of a similar age from poor families in wealthy European countries. A country’s poverty should not set the destiny for a child, and children throughout the world should have the opportunity to achieve high academic results. Efforts will have to be made towards solving this problem the world over by 2035.
5. Exchange of Experience between Teachers
At most schools today, curricula is designed somewhere from outside and teachers must then instruct this to children. However, this model is not enough. In contemporary society, teachers should not only be independent, but must also learn from their best peers. For example, the results of the TALIS Study demonstrate that the more teachers collaborate with each other, the more effectively they can work. In China, for example, collaboration between teachers is an obligatory part of their educational system. This feature of education is more evident in those countries that manage to attract younger people into the teaching profession.
6. Cancellation of System Monitoring
By 2035, education will be ‘liberated’ on a global scale. In other words, countries should abolish the systemic supervision of teachers’ work. At the same time, the need for assessments of the quality of teachers’ work, and most importantly, their skills, is still there. Also, teachers should be keenly interested in self-development and continuing education, since the development of long-distance education can ensure better results in a minimum amount of time.
7. Individualization of Education
In general, doctors don’t prescribe the same medicine for all patients. Similarly, teachers should personalize their educational approach depending on each child’s needs. For this purpose, courses should be designed differently, while teachers themselves shouldn’t be required to follow unified standards and implement overtly standardized approaches. A project approach rather than a subject-focused approach should be pursued more often in the learning process.
8. High Learning Productivity
It seems that the more hours are spent on learning a subject, the better the result. However, surveys have demonstrated quite the opposite - the more time students spend learning, the worse their results are in the PISA. As such, children spend the most time at schools in the United Arab Emirates, but the results are higher in European countries, where they spend less hours learning, but learning productivity is higher.
9. New Quality Assessments
The disconnect between theory and pedagogical practice is still quite high. For example, memorization is still the predominant approach in the UK. And this is even more prevalent than in China, where everyone is talking about creativity and independence. Teachers may profess integral learning and creative thinking, however, as long as a given accountability system consists of multiple choice tests, such proclamations make no sense.
10. Learning From Best Practices
Educational reforms shouldn’t only take from the experience of one certain country, since some of its policies may be used within a national system, while the others can’t. For instance, Singapore has created the best model for borrowing best practices. They don’t invent anything and pay less attention to educational studies. Nevertheless, they’ve learned how to adjust and apply the success factors from various countries and, thus, have been able to create one of the world’s most advanced education systems.
11. public speech skills
12. punishments : cleaning the school and class rooms or extra hours to learn what they missed. Treat them softly but in strict way like soldiers but with brain and explnations,theach them not get them out or sabotage or hating them, respect your job , give them explanation for everything softly and let them be who they want and put them in the field and get your feedback.
Chapter14 : the purpose of life
Your life purpose consists of the central motivating aims of your life—the reasons you get up in the morning.
Purpose can guide life decisions, influence behavior, shape goals, offer a sense of direction, and create meaning. For some people, purpose is connected to vocation—meaningful, satisfying work. For others, their purpose lies in their responsibilities to their family or friends. Others seek meaning through spirituality or religious beliefs. Some people may find their purpose clearly expressed in all these aspects of life.
Purpose will be unique for everyone; what you identify as your path may be different from others. What’s more, your purpose can actually shift and change throughout life in response to the evolving priorities and fluctuations of your own experiences.
Questions that may come up when you reflect upon your life purpose are:
· Who am I?
· Where do I belong?
· When do I feel fulfilled?
·
Each of us
has a unique purpose
Susan
I have a job as a legal aide, which is pretty interesting and pays fairly well. But my real love is music. I love to play my cello, and I practice a few hours a day. I especially love to perform for others and bring beauty to a special occasion, like a wedding.
Randall
A few years ago, my father was very sick in the hospital. I was so impressed by the nurses there and how they made such a difference to my father and our family that I decided that I wanted to have a job like that. So I went to nursing school, and now I work as an RN in a local clinic.
Jackie
I have always felt that my purpose is to take care of others. Now I have the opportunity to do that every day with my children.
Your life purpose is your contribution
Some people feel hesitant about pursuing their life purpose because they worry that it sounds like a self-serving or selfish quest. However, true purpose is about recognizing your own gifts and using them to contribute to the world—whether those gifts are playing beautiful music for others to enjoy, helping friends solve problems, or simply bringing more joy into the lives of those around you.
Richard Leider, a nationally-ranked coach and purpose expert, says that “genuine purpose points to the end of a self-absorbed, self-serving relationship to life.” When your authentic purpose becomes clear, you will be able to share it with the whole world.
The euation for purpose is : G+p+v=p
(gifts+passions+values=purpose).
main purpose is to be ready, learn , help, meditate, train and feed your body and brain and keep evolving and live life to the fullest.
How life purpose evolves
Questions about life purpose may arise at any time in life, but you may notice that they are especially prevalent during times of transition or crisis—for example, a career or educational change, personal loss, or long-distance move. (Sharon Daloz Parks calls these events “life’s shipwrecks.”)
Our life can be seen as a nautilus that adds new chambers to its shell as it grows and needs more space. Likewise, as people grow into a different phase of life, their old chambers can feel cramped. They begin to ask what they can do to expand their space.
Moving into new chambers opens up the way for new possibilities to emerge, allowing our life purpose to evolve. But this can also prompt physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual transitions and even sometimes a chaotic period as we begin to ask new questions.
This is the secret to a fully alive life: to reframe our life questions over and over.
As we do, at different stages of our lives, we find different questions and different possibilities.
Chapter 15 : story journey (special)
(Summaries and conclusions)
Collective work for fun and motivation and culture plus extra information. AND ALSO TO SHARE MY FAV BOOKS EITH Y’ALL.
Book 1 :
Awaken The Giant Within is the psychological blueprint you can follow to wake up and start taking control of your life, starting in your mind, spreading through your body and then all the way through your relationships, work and finances until you’re the giant you were always meant to be.
-If you can’t you must , and if you must you can-
- TONY ROBBINS-
Sometimes I forget. I read the summary of a book like this and think “Man, I’ve heard a lot of this before.” But that’s because a) I read a lot of self-help books and b) the market has been flooded with them over the past 20-30 years. This makes it easy to forget to put each book into perspective.
Awaken The Giant Within was released in 1991 – the year I was born. If I imagine someone reading it some 25 years ago, this book can’t have felt anything other than groundbreaking. The strategies and techniques Tony Robbins talks about have long become standard practice, but he pioneered them.
Here are 3 lessons to help you feel more in charge of your life than ever before:
1. Associate bad habits with pain and good ones with pleasure.
2. Change the words you use to transform how you feel and deal with problems.
3. Make up your own rules and communicate them to become happier.
Ready to wake up your inner giant? Let’s do it!
Lesson 1: Associate bad habits with pain and good ones with pleasure.
A very simple framework to look at the world is this: All of our actions are aimed at either avoiding pain or getting pleasure. Going to the job you don’t like is something you do to avoid the pain of not being able to pay rent. Listening to your favorite song should lift your mood. And so on.
You can use this framework to successfully break bad habits and establish good ones. You simply have to pair bad habits with pain and good habits with pleasure.
For example, if you want to quit eating chocolate, Tony says you should force yourself to sing a song you hate out loud every time you eat some. After having to sing a terrible song loudly at a packed restaurant even once, just because you ordered molten chocolate lava cake for dessert, chances are you’ll easily avoid the cocoa-packed candy from then on.
Eventually, you’ll have to replace your bad habit with a new, better, more positive one, in order to fill the void. This is a crucial part of habit change. A technique called temptation bundling can help you with it. The creator, Kathy Milkman, loved the Hunger Games audiobooks, but allowed herself to listen only while working out in the gym. As a result, she worked out six times a week, just to find out what happens!
Lesson 2: Use different words to end up in a different state of mind.
If you’ve ever seen Tony Robbins in action, you know he’s a powerful guy in every sense of the word. He’s tall, big, loud, and has a very positive aura. Something you might have not picked up on is his vocabulary. Tony always uses expressive and unusual language to reinforce positive emotions and play down negative ones.
He calls this transformational vocabulary and says it’s very important to watch your language, because the way you describe how you experience the world is a big and defining part of that experience. In the English language, there are over 3,000 words to describe emotions. Sadly, 66% of them are for negative emotions – twice as many as for positive ones!
So how can you use words to your advantage?
Reinforce good feelings with powerful words and play down bad emotions with less intense language.
For example, instead of saying that lying in the sun makes you feel happy, you could say: “I’m in complete bliss.” And instead of yelling “This piece of junk is annoying the crap out of me!” at your car that just broke down, you could say “Well, that’s a bit unfortunate.”
Pro tip: Use unusual words to make yourself laugh at tough situations. For example say: “I do feel a little irked at this.” when you’re really frustrated. Just hearing yourself talk out loud using such old-fashioned words will instantly put you in a better mood.
Lesson 3: Make up your own rules and tell other people about them to increase your happiness.
“I’m having a long day at work today, but I know I’ll feel great once I sit down on my couch after I come home.”
Have you ever thought something like this? I’m pretty sure you have. We all have our own little rules that determine what does and doesn’t make us happy. However, all too often we make up rules where we give away control. For example, “I’ll be so happy if my boss tells me I did a great job with this presentation.” is not a good rule to have, because you hand over your happiness to your boss – whom you can’t control.
So first, make up better rules. “I’ll be happy if I spend at least one hour of focused work on this event plan.” is a lot better than the rule above, because this is something you can influence.
Secondly, communicate your rules as much as you can, because you can’t possibly expect other people to have the same rules as you do. When you think your best friend is not a good friend, because she only calls you once a month, then that’s just your rule about thinking best friends call each other every few days. Tell her that that’s what you believe and she’ll tell you her rule, which then lets the two of you find a better solution that works for both of you.
BOOK 2 : The Art Of War has been considered the definitive text on military strategy and warfare ever since being written in ancient China around 500 BC, inspiring businesses, athletes, and of course generals to beat their opponents and competition the right wa Sun Tzu y until today
Here’s a great promotion tip: Whenever you create something, where you draw inspiration from someone else, let them know. For example, I always tweet at the authors of the books I read and write about here, to let them know I wrote something about their work. Sometimes, they share it.
I’m afraid that won’t be possible today because the author of this book died 500 BC. His name is Sun Tzu, and he was a Chinese general, philosopher and military strategist. His book, The Art Of War, is the most influential strategy text in all of East Asia. It is divided into 13 chapters, each dedicated to a different aspect of warfare.
The reason it’s been so popular all around the world is that most of the lessons can be translated directly to other, competitive fields, like sports or business. In order to make it more actionable, we’ll look at it in a business context.
Here are 3 lessons from Master Sun Tzu:
1. Only enter battles you know you can win.
2. Deceive your competition to make them do what you want.
3. Lead your team as if you were leading a single man by the hand.
Are your mental faculties sharpened? Let’s win the battle of business!
Lesson 1: Only enter battles you know you can win.
Winners know when to fight and when not to fight. Losers always fight and thus often end up losing.
Fools enter battles and then start thinking about how to win. Strategists know how they’re going to win before they even start to battle.
Have you ever thought about the fact that the most skillful fighters often avoid battles and that that’s why they’re never defeated?
Take Bobby Fischer, for instance. The most brilliant chess player of all time instantly retreated, after he won the world championship, not playing again for 20 years.
So if you’re starting a business, look at the industry first. Can you even win against your biggest competitors? And if not, is there a different niche you can fill?
Creating a soda brand to compete with Coca-Cola would certainly be an effort in vain, given that over 1 billion drinks of the brand are consumed every single day.
But maybe you can create a higher-priced, eco-friendly alternative, that targets single mums. That could make a fortune!
Only enter battles you know you can win.
Lesson 2: Deceive your competitors to impose your will on them.
Mask strength with weakness, courage with timidity and order with disorder, Sun Tzu says.
A clever army will win not with their bodies, but with their minds.
Making it seem like you’re miles away when you’re close to the enemies base with distractions, or surprise attacking in several places to splinter opposing forces are common tactics in the battlefield.
They’re based on deceit and supposed to make your enemy do what you want them to do.
In business, you can do the same. I’m always baffled to discover insanely profitable and dominating businesses, which, on the front-end, appear like they’re a mom-and-pop store.
Take Appsumo, for example. There’s not much to discover, it seems like a small daily deal site, right?
Here’s the kicker: Appsumo is an 8-figure business. If you have to count, that’s north of $10 million/year. They have over 1 million email subscribers and made $1 million in their first year (2010).
There are endless examples like this one on the web, and this humbleness and modesty are a great way to throw off competitors – even if they might be your default setting, like Noah’s, who’s the founder.
Lesson 3: Lead your team as if you were leading a single man by the hand.
Eventually, your business will need a team. And eventually, that team will have to grow. But as companies get bigger, they get more complex.
Every single human adds an infinite amount of feelings, thoughts and ideas to the business, and all of those have to be managed.
When talking about armies, Sun Tzu says:
“A skilled general leads his army, as if he was leading a single man by the hand.”
Whether you’re managing a big army or a small one, the tools are the same: Break them down into smaller groups and then use clear signals to steer them into the right direction.
In business, that means teams should stay small, 3-4 people are often a good number to cooperate, before things get too complicated.
Then you can set clear signals, like sales targets, tools to use, and a daily morning briefing, to make sure everyone’s on track.
Never forget 1-on-1 interaction with everyone on your team, because if you treat your employees like family, they’ll be just as loyal.
Wow. When I started typing I didn’t know I’d end up here. I have learned a ton about business in the past 50 minutes. Yet, this book is about, well, war.
The Art Of War is absolutely staggering. I thought I’d get a kick out of this, because I’m a big fan of The War Of Art, and just wanted to see where Steven Pressfield came from, regarding the title of his book.
BOOK 3 : The Great Gatsby
novel by Fitzgerald
CLASSY AH
The Great Gatsby, third novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, published in 1925 by Charles Scribner’s Sons. Set in Jazz Age New York, the novel tells the tragic story of Jay Gatsby, a self-made millionaire, and his pursuit of Daisy Buchanan, a wealthy young woman whom he loved in his youth. Unsuccessful upon publication, the book is now considered a classic of American fiction and has often been called the Great American Novel.
The book is narrated by Nick Carraway, a Yale University graduate from the Midwest who moves to New York after World War I to pursue a career in bonds. He recounts the events of the summer he spent in the East two years later, reconstructing his story through a series of flashbacks not always told in chronological order.
In the spring of 1922, Nick takes a house in the fictional village of West Egg on Long Island, where he finds himself living among the colossal mansions of the newly rich. Across the water in the more refined village of East Egg live his cousin Daisy and her brutish, absurdly wealthy husband Tom Buchanan. Early in the summer Nick goes over to their house for dinner, where he also meets Jordan Baker, a friend of Daisy’s and a well-known golf champion, who tells him that Tom has a mistress in New York City. In a private conversation, Daisy confesses to Nick that she has been unhappy. Returning to his house in West Egg, he catches sight of his neighbour, Jay Gatsby, standing alone in the dark and stretching his arms out to a green light burning across the bay at the end of Tom and Daisy’s dock.
Early in July Tom introduces Nick to his mistress, Myrtle Wilson, who lives with her spiritless husband George Wilson in what Nick calls “a valley of ashes”: an industrial wasteland presided over by the bespectacled eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg, which stare down from an advertising billboard. Meeting her at the garage where George works as a repairman, the three of them go to Tom and Myrtle’s apartment in Manhattan. They are joined by Myrtle’s sister and some other friends who live nearby, and the evening ends in heavy drunkenness and Tom punching Myrtle in the nose when she brings up Daisy. Nick wakes up in a train station the morning afterward. As the summer progresses, Nick grows accustomed to the noises and lights of dazzling parties held at his neighbour’s house, where the famous and newly rich turn up on Saturday nights to enjoy Gatsby’s well-stocked bar and full jazz orchestra. Nick attends one of these parties when personally invited by Gatsby and runs into Jordan, with whom he spends most of the evening. He is struck by the apparent absence of the host and the impression that all of his guests seem to have dark theories about Gatsby’s past. However, Nick meets him at last in a rather quiet encounter later in the evening when the man sitting beside him identifies himself as Gatsby. Gatsby disappears and later asks to speak to Jordan privately. Jordan returns amazed by what he has told her, but she is unable to tell Nick what it is.
Nick begins seeing Jordan Baker as the summer continues, and he also becomes better acquainted with Gatsby. One afternoon in late July when they are driving into Manhattan for lunch, Gatsby tries to dispel the rumours circulating around himself, and he tells Nick that he is the son of very wealthy people who are all dead and that he is an Oxford man and a war hero. Nick is skeptical about this. At lunch he meets Gatsby’s business partner Meyer Wolfsheim, the man who fixed the World Series in 1919 (based on a real person and a real event from Fitzgerald’s day). Later at tea, Jordan Baker tells Nick the surprising thing that Gatsby had told her in confidence at his party: Gatsby had known Nick’s cousin Daisy almost five years earlier in Louisville and they had been in love, but then he went away to fight in the war and she married Tom Buchanan. Gatsby bought his house on West Egg so he could be across the water from her.
At Gatsby’s request, Nick agrees to invite Daisy to his house where Gatsby can meet her. A few days later he has them both over for tea, and Daisy is astonished to see Gatsby after nearly five years. The meeting is at first uncomfortable, and Nick steps outside for half an hour to give the two of them privacy. When he returns, they seem fully reconciled, Gatsby glowing with happiness and Daisy in tears. Afterward they go next door to Gatsby’s enormous house, and Gatsby shows off its impressive rooms to Daisy.
As the days pass, Tom becomes aware of Daisy’s association with Gatsby. Disliking it, he shows up at one of Gatsby’s parties with his wife. It becomes clear that Daisy does not like the party and is appalled by the impropriety of the new-money crowd at West Egg. Tom suspects that Gatsby is a bootlegger, and he says so. Voicing his dismay to Nick after the party is over, Gatsby explains that he wants Daisy to tell Tom she never loved him and then marry him as though the years had never passed.
Gatsby’s wild parties cease thereafter, and Daisy goes over to Gatsby’s house in the afternoons. On a boiling hot day near the end of the summer, Nick arrives for lunch at the Buchanans’ house; Gatsby and Jordan have also been invited. In the dining room, Daisy pays Gatsby a compliment that makes clear her love for him, and, when Tom notices this, he insists they drive into town. Daisy and Gatsby leave in Tom’s blue coupe, while Tom drives Jordan and Nick in Gatsby’s garish yellow car. On the way, Tom stops for gas at George Wilson’s garage in the valley of ashes, and Wilson tells Tom that he is planning to move west with Myrtle as soon as he can raise the money. This news shakes Tom considerably, and he speeds on toward Manhattan, catching up with Daisy and Gatsby. The whole party ends up in a parlour at the Plaza Hotel, hot and in bad temper. As they are about to drink mint juleps to cool off, Tom confronts Gatsby directly on the subject of his relationship with Daisy. Daisy tries to calm them down, but Gatsby insists that Daisy and he have always been in love and that she has never loved Tom. As the fight escalates and Daisy threatens to leave her husband, Tom reveals what he learned from an investigation into Gatsby’s affairs—that he had earned his money by selling illegal alcohol at drugstores in Chicago with Wolfsheim after Prohibition laws went into effect. Gatsby tries to deny it, but Daisy has lost her resolve, and his cause seems hopeless. As they leave the Plaza, Nick realizes that it is his 30th birthday.
Gatsby and Daisy leave together in Gatsby’s car, with Daisy driving. On the road they hit and kill Myrtle, who, after having a vehement argument with her husband, had run into the street toward Gatsby’s passing car thinking it was Tom. Terrified, Daisy continues driving, but the car is seen by witnesses. Coming behind them, Tom stops his car when he sees a commotion on the road. He is stunned and devastated when he finds the body of his mistress dead on a table in Wilson’s garage. Wilson accusingly tells him it was a yellow car that hit her, but Tom insists it was not his and drives on to East Egg in tears. Back at the Buchanans’ house in East Egg, Nick finds Gatsby hiding in the garden and learns that it was Daisy who was driving, though Gatsby insists that he will say it was him if his car is found. He says he will wait outside Daisy’s house in case Tom abuses Daisy.
The next morning Nick goes over to Gatsby’s house, where he has returned, dejected. Nick advises him to go away, afraid that his car will be traced. He refuses, and that night he tells Nick the truth about his past: he had come from a poor farming family and had met Daisy in Louisville while serving in the army, but he was too poor to marry her at the time. He earned his incredible wealth only after the war (by bootlegging, as Tom discovered).
Reluctantly, Nick leaves for work, while Gatsby continues to wait for a call from Daisy. That afternoon, George Wilson arrives in East Egg, where Tom tells him that it was Gatsby who killed his wife. Wilson makes his way to Gatsby’s house, where he finds Gatsby in his pool. Wilson shoots Gatsby and then himself. Afterward the Buchanans leave Long Island. They give no forwarding address. Nick arranges Gatsby’s funeral, although only two people attend, one of whom is Gatsby’s father. Nick moves back to the Midwest, disgusted with life in the East.
Context And Reception
Set in what was called the Jazz Age (a term popularized by Fitzgerald), or the Roaring Twenties, The Great Gatsby vividly captures its historical moment: the economic boom of postwar America, the new jazz music, the free-flowing illegal liquor. As Fitzgerald later remarked in an essay about the era, it was “a whole race going hedonistic, deciding on pleasure.” The brazenly lavish culture of West Egg is a reflection of the new prosperity that was possible during Prohibition, when illegal schemes involving the black-market selling of liquor abounded. Such criminal enterprises are the source of Gatsby’s income and finance his incredible parties, which are probably based on parties Fitzgerald himself attended when he lived on Long Island in the early 1920s. Even the racial anxieties of the period are evident in the novel; Tom’s diatribe on The Rise of the Colored Empires—a reference to a real book published in 1920 by the American political scientist Lothrop Stoddard—points to the burgeoning eugenics movement in the United States during the early 20th century.
Fitzgerald finished The Great Gatsby in early 1925 while he was living in France, and Scribner’s published it in April of the same year. Fitzgerald struggled considerably in choosing a title, toying with Trimalchio and Under the Red, White and Blue, among others; he was never satisfied with the title The Great Gatsby, under which it was ultimately published. The illustration for the dust jacket was commissioned by Fitzgerald’s editor Maxwell Perkins seven months before he was in possession of the finished manuscript. It was designed by Francis Cugat, a Spanish-born artist who did Hollywood movie posters, and depicts the eyes of a woman hanging over the carnival lights of Coney Island. The design was well-loved by Fitzgerald, and he claimed in a letter to Perkins that he had written it into the book, though whether this refers to the eyes of Doctor Eckleburg or something else is uncertain. Cugat’s painting is now one of the most well-known and celebrated examples of jacket art in American literature.
While Fitzgerald considered The Great Gatsby to be his greatest achievement at the time it was published, the book was neither a critical nor commercial success upon publication. Reviews were mixed, and the 20,000 copies of its first printing sold slowly. It was printed one more time during Fitzgerald’s life, and there were still copies unsold from this second printing when he died in 1940. The novel was rediscovered a few years later and enjoyed an exponential growth in popularity in the 1950s, soon becoming a standard text of high-school curricula. It remains one of Scribner’s best sellers, and it is now considered a masterpiece of American fiction. There have been several film adaptations of the novel, most notably a production directed by Jack Clayton in 1974, starring Robert Redford as Gatsby, and one in 2013 directed by Baz Luhrmann, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
Analysis
Above all, The Great Gatsby has been read as a pessimistic examination of the American Dream. At its centre is a remarkable rags-to-riches story, of a boy from a poor farming background who has built himself up to fabulous wealth. Jay Gatsby is someone who once had nothing but who now entertains rich and celebrated people in his enormous house on Long Island. However, even though Gatsby’s wealth may be commensurate to the likes of Tom Buchanan’s, he is ultimately unable to break into the “distinguished secret society” of those who were born wealthy. His attempt to win Daisy Buchanan, a woman from a well-established family of the American elite, ends in disaster and his death. This tension between “new money” and “old money” is represented in the book by the contrast between West Egg and East Egg. West Egg is portrayed as a tawdry, brash society that “chafed under the old euphemisms,” full of people who have made their money in an age of unprecedented materialism. East Egg, in contrast, is a refined society populated by America’s “staid nobility,” those who have inherited their wealth and who frown on the rawness of West Egg. In the end, it is East Egg that might be said to triumph: while Gatsby is shot and his garish parties are dispersed, Tom and Daisy are unharmed by the terrible events of the summer.
The Great Gatsby is memorable for the rich symbolism that underpins its story. Throughout the novel, the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock is a recurrent image that beckons to Gatsby’s sense of ambition. It is a symbol of “the orgastic future” he believes in so intensely, toward which his arms are outstretched when Nick first sees him. It is this “extraordinary gift for hope” that Nick admires so much in Gatsby, his “heightened sensitivity to the promises of life.” Once Daisy is within Gatsby’s reach, however, the “colossal significance” of the green light disappears. In essence, the green light is an unattainable promise, one that Nick understands in universal terms at the end of the novel: a future we never grasp but for which we are always reaching. Nick compares it to the hope the early settlers had in the promise of the New World. Gatsby’s dream fails, then, when he fixates his hope on a real object, Daisy. His once indefinite ambition is thereafter limited to the real world and becomes prey to all of its corruption.
The valley of ashes—an industrial wasteland located between West Egg and Manhattan—serves as a counterpoint to the brilliant future promised by the green light. As a dumping ground for the refuse of nearby factories, it stands as the consequence of America’s postwar economic boom, the ugly truth behind the consumer culture that props up newly rich people like Gatsby. In this valley live men like George Wilson who are “already crumbling.” They are the underclasses that live without hope, all the while bolstering the greed of a thriving economy. Notably, Gatsby does not in the end escape the ash of this economy that built him: it is George Wilson who comes to kill him, described as an “ashen” figure the moment before he shoots Gatsby. Over the valley of ashes hover the bespectacled eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg, which appear on the advertising billboard of an oculist. These eyes almost become a moral conscience in the morally vacuous world of The Great Gatsby; to George Wilson they are the eyes of God. They are said to “brood” and “[keep] their vigil” over the valley, and they witness some of the most corrupt moments of the novel: Tom and Myrtle’s affair, Myrtle’s death, and the valley itself, full of America’s industrial waste and the toiling poor. However, in the end they are another product of the materialistic culture of the age, set up by Doctor Eckleburg to “fatten his practice.” Behind them is just one more person trying to get rich. Their function as a divine being who watches and judges is thus ultimately null, and the novel is left without a moral anchor.
BOOK 4 :
The Gifts Of Imperfection shows you how to embrace your inner flaws to accept who you are, instead of constantly chasing the image of who you’re trying to be, because other people expect you to act in certain ways.
Read in: 4 minutes
Favorite quote from the author:
Whether in blinks or book pages, Brené Brown never fails to deliver. In Daring Greatly, she shows you how to summon the courage to move forward, precisely because you’re okay with being vulnerable, not in spite of it. Rising Strong is her companion to dealing with the inevitable failure that’s bound to happen once you do step forward.
This 2010 book, however, is the one that really put her on the map, coinciding with the year she delivered her iconic TED talk about vulnerability (which would go on to become the topic of Daring Greatly).
The Gifts Of Imperfection is about being okay with not being perfect, giving you ten guidelines to live what Brené calls “a wholehearted life.”
Here are my top 3:
1. Trusting your gut and making rational decisions aren’t mutually exclusive.
2. Comparing yourself to other people makes you boring, not better.
3. The alternative to play isn’t to work more – it’s getting depressed.
Sick of having to pretend you’re perfect? Then let’s learn how to embrace your gifts of imperfection!
Lesson 1: Gut feelings and grounded reasoning aren’t opposing forces, just a mix.
“My gut tells me to pitch my idea at this startup event, but I’m not sure if it’s a good idea.”
What would you tell your friend if she said this? Try to find reasons why this could actually be a bad idea. Hm…well…your presentation could suck and impress no one, of course. Or the tech breaks down and you look like an idiot in front of the crowd. Or, maybe you’ll choke up and not be able to deliver the pitch.
Okay, those things all suck, but…aren’t they all just based on fear? What’s the potential, rational upside of going there? For one, if people like your pitch, you’ll have your first potential customers, a crowd to get feedback from, and if there’s a prize, maybe even some money to get going. Plus, you’ll learn a lot from preparing a presentation and delivering it.
So really, there are no rational downsides to this. Just irrational ones. The only thing you can lose is your ego, and that’s not a bad thing. Since your friend’s gut told her to do it, her gut gave her the best, rational answer.
Then how come it initially felt like her gut and her brain were battling for opposing sides? That’s simply because we can’t comprehend the speed of our gut. You have an idea, and then your brain goes into rapid-fire mode, jumping through all relevant memories and experiences, to then conclude with a certain feeling, which it shoots into your gut.
Gut decisions are nothing more than a way of quickly reasoning in the face of uncertainty, so you can take action when risks are present.
Just like a pro tennis player doesn’t calculate where the ball will land, but instinctively jumps to a side without being sure, you should learn to trust your gut to decide and act faster.
Lesson 2: Comparison breeds conformity. The more you compete, the more boring you’ll get.
What do you do when you compare yourself with your neighbor, friend, or a co-worker? Do you think of ways how you could beat them in business? Run faster? Look cooler? You can admit it, we all do this sometimes.
Ironically, while we think competing drives us forward and gets us to stand out from the crowd, it actually achieves the opposite. The more you try to mirror your competitors to reach their level, the more boring you’ll get, which actually makes you less likely to win.
For example, if you wanted to start a book summary site, and decided to make it like Four Minute Books, with three lessons per summary, why would anyone read your site over this one, given it’s just more of the same?
A competition among similar people, competing for similar achievements isn’t a race to the top. It’s a race to the middle, and thus, a race towards average.
Screw competition, embrace that you’re different, be an original, do your own thing and create something that’s incomparable.
Lesson 3: The opposite of play isn’t work, it’s depression.
We’re taught from a very young age that playing is a distraction. It’s considered down-time, something that takes away from the things you have to do.
“Alright, time to stop playing Xbox, now get back to your homework!”
Brené thinks the opposite of playing isn’t work. It’s depression. Relaxing, rejuvenating and messing around are a part of work, because they help you do a better job when you’re in do mode.
Better yet, if you spend this play time with friends or co-workers, you’ll all recharge at the same time, learning to be more empathic, creative and excited about work.
So don’t think bad of yourself for letting lunch break run long – form a company basketball team instead and make more room for play in your life. It’ll keep you healthy and productive.
BOOK 5 :
Switch – How to change things when change is hard – Book Summary
By nature, we all like status quo, certainty and control over every situation. But life has become extremely complex, fast-changing and uncertain.
That means the only constant in our professional and personal lives is change. And change goes against our basic nature.
The winners are people who learn to do hard things. Managing change is one of them, because it enables you to become flexible and adapt to any new situation.
It enables you to grow and move forward. One of the best books that teaches people how to change things when change is hard is called Switch, written by Chip & Dan Heath.
The book presents many interesting stories of how change was successfully implemented, based on a behavioral psychology mental model of the Rider and the Elephant that was originally presented by psychologist Jonathan Haidt.
It offers a very precise and simple step-by-step formula for implementing change. That’s why I decided to write a summary of the book.
REACH THE EMOTIONAL AND RATIONAL SIDE OF PEOPLE AND CLEAR THE WAY FOR THEM TO SUCCEED
For any change to happen, someone has to decide something and start acting differently. It can be you, your team or even your family.
But if people don’t start behaving in a different way, there is no change. And if you want to change people’s behavior, you’ve got to influence their heart, mind and situational environment.
Many times, we try to change people by educating them. That’s far from enough.
Only knowledge never solves problems, because knowledge rarely changes behavior. That’s why we have depressed shrinks, obese doctors and divorced marriage counselors.
Besides knowledge, we often thrust change into the arms of self-control. But self-control can be easily exhausted. That’s one of the reasons why change is hard.
People wear themselves out when they try to implement change. What many times looks like laziness can simply be exhaustion.
So, what’s the formula for successfully implementing change?
Well, to change your own behavior or the behavior of anybody else, you need to do three things – you’ve got to direct the Rider (reach the rational part), motivate the Elephant (reach the emotional part), and shape the Path (clear the way).
If you manage to do all three at once, big changes can happen even if you don’t have a lot of power and resources.
Here are the three things you have to do to successfully implement any change:
§ Direct the Rider: Provide crystal clear directions to the rational part of a human nature. The rational part of the brain is the one that deliberates, analyzes and looks into the future. It’s also called the reflective or conscious system. What often looks like resistance from the rational part is frequently just a lack of clarity. To direct the Rider, you thus have to find the bright spots in a situation and script critical moves of how you will get to the goal.
§ Motivate the Elephant: The rational part demands a tremendous amount of self-control, which comes in limited resources. That’s why laziness often seems like exhaustion. The only way for a change to last is to have an emotional drive. That’s why people’s emotional side needs to be engaged and they must believe they are competent enough to make the change. The emotional part of human nature is the part that is instinctive and feels pain and pleasure.
§ Shape the Path: What many times looks like a people problem is only a situation problem. The situation, including the surrounding environment, is called the Path. When you properly shape the Path or, in other words, tweak the environment, you make change more likely to happen.
You need to address all three.
If you reach only the Rider, but not the Elephant, you get direction without motivation. The Rider can drag the Elephant down the road for a while, but that effort can’t last long, because the Rider gets exhausted.
If the Rider isn’t sure what direction to go in, he leads the Elephant in circles. It’s called analysis paralysis. From the outside, such a situation might seem like resistance, but might be only a lack of clarity. If you want people to change, they need crystal clear directions.
The Rider needs direction and the Elephant needs motivation. And both the Rider and the Elephant need the lowest possible friction on the path to the destination. That’s how they can move quickly.
That’s how big changes can happen. Now let’s dive deeper into all three – (1) Direct the Rider, (2) Motivate the Elephant and (3) Shape the Path.
1. PROPERLY DIRECT THE RIDER, THE RATIONAL PART OF HUMAN NATURE
The Rider is the rational part of a human being. He’s a thinker and a planner, striving to plot a course for a better future. He’s also a visionary, willing to make short-term sacrifices for long-term pay-offs.
But the Rider can also easily get caught in analysis paralysis, contemplation, and can see things much worse that they are.
When the Rider sees that something is going great, he doesn’t think much about it. On the other hand, when things break, the Rider focuses on the problem and immediately starts applying his problem-solving skills.
By nature, the Rider is more problem- than solution-oriented or at least very bad at seeing bright spots in challenging situations. That’s why we all tend to talk and share negative events more likely than the positive ones.
Bad is frequently much stronger than good when it comes to the rational part of a human being. Unfortunately, even success can look like a problem or a failure to an overactive Rider.
The Rider’s strengths
The Rider’s weaknesses
Thinker
Planner
Visionary
Future-oriented
Paralysis in uncertainty
Limited reserves of strength (discipline)
Focused on problems, not solutions
Problem – solution magnitude
That’s why the Rider needs to be properly directed. You must very precisely show the Rider where to go, how to act, and what destination to pursue. The Rider is a clever tactician, and when you give him a map with clear directions, he’ll follow it perfectly.
There are three things you can do to properly direct the Rider:
1. Find the bright spots – Investigate what’s already working and clone it
2. Script the critical moves – Provide crystal clear guidance with specific behaviors
3. Point to the destination – Know where you’re going and why it’s worth it
1.1. LOOK FOR THE BRIGHT SPOTS
There are exceptions in every problematic situation or behavior. In other words, every dark situation has some bright spots. Understanding and analyzing these bright spots can prove extremely valuable.
The bright spots are a demonstration that you or any other person can behave differently under the right circumstances. It’s also an optimistic sign that things can get better if approached appropriately.
When identifying the bright spots, you want to figure out what’s working in a challenging situation and how you can do more with it. There are two questions that can help you identify the bright spots:
1. Imagine that during the night, the problem or bad behavior you’re suffering from somehow miraculously disappears. When you wake up in the morning, what’s the first small sign that the problem is gone? What would you do differently then? It’s not about describing the miracle itself, but about identifying the tangible signs (vivid signs of progress) indicating that the miracle happened.
2. The second question goes like this: “When was the last time you saw a bit of a miracle, even if just for a short period of time? Under what circumstances are you not drinking if alcoholic, your kids obey you or you have a loving relationship with your partner?
When you’re analyzing the bright spots, the idea is to carefully replay the scene when things were working like you hoped, from your own behavior and feelings to the environment around you and interactions with other people.
The bright spots are the best guidance to what exactly needs to be done differently. Anytime you find a bright spot, your core mission is to clone it. Find what’s working and how to do more of it. That’s the first step towards a positive change.
1.1.1. BIG PROBLEM, A SET OF SMALL SOLUTIONS
The Rider has a tendency to search for solutions that have the same magnitude as the problem. But that’s rarely how big problems are solved or how tough transitions are made successfully.
Big problems are most often solved by a sequence of small solutions over longer periods of time; sometimes over weeks and sometimes over decades.
When the Rider analyses the problem, he looks for a solution that befits the scale of the problem. That most often backfires and gets the Rider caught in analysis paralysis, looking for big‑scale changes, forgetting to identify and focus on small things that are already working and can be scaled.
There is a very important question that can help you properly direct the Rider: What’s the ratio of time you spend solving problems to the time you spend scaling success?
Make sure you have a strong beginning by focusing on the bright spots and a strong ending with a clear picture of what you want to achieve. Then get moving and don’t worry about the middle; because the middle is going to look different when you get there.
Learn to marry your long-term goals with short-term critical moves.
1.2. SCRIPT THE CRITICAL MOVES
Ambiguity is the main enemy of change. Any change you desire to implement requires a transition from unclear directions into very concrete behaviors. In other words, to make a switch to a new behavior you must script the critical moves.
You must provide crystal clear guidance on what exactly people (or you) should start doing, stop doing or continue doing. You need to think about the specific behavior that you want to see in tough or uncertain moments.
The opposite of having a script of critical moves are unclear directions with many different options. The more options we have, even good ones, that much tougher it is to make decisions.
Decision-making is the Rider’s turf, but they need to be supervised and that’s how they tax the Rider and completely exhaust him. At some point too many choices don’t liberate but debilitate, even tyrannize the Rider.
Change is one such example. With change come uncertainty, complexity and many choices with different paths. That’s a big taxation on the Rider that paralyzes him.
The Rider can basically work only in two modes:
§ Known habits: Habits are the decisions on auto-pilot that you do routinely. You have your ways of doing things and any choice has been more or less squeezed away. That’s an easy job for the Rider, because he just follows a known pattern.
§ Unknown changes: In times of change, the auto-pilot doesn’t work anymore, because the choices proliferate. You might have too many choices or you might not even know which choices are available. That kind of uncertainty leads to decision fatigue and exhausts the Rider. When the road is uncertain, the Elephant (emotional part) takes over and wants to go back to the default path. Consequently, the change never happens.
That’s why when you want someone to behave in a different way, it’s mandatory to explain the why and exact how very clearly.
The most successful change transformations are focused on behavioral goals and that’s what you should focus on. Very precisely describing the new desired behavior.
A Rider needs to be jarred out of analysis at some point and given a script that explains how to act. Clarity dissolves resistance. The Rider needs a map – a clear starting point and a finish.
MOTIVATE THE ELEPHANT, THE EMOTIONAL PART OF HUMAN NATURE
The change most often happens by speaking to people’s feelings. Almost nobody gets motivated by a 10% higher ROI. There’s a big difference between knowing how to act and actually being motivated to act.
But our first instinct is to teach and educate people, not to appeal to their feelings. When change is successfully implemented, it’s because leaders speak to the Rider (rational self) as well as to the Elephant (emotional self).
Analytical tools work best when the parameters are known, assumptions are minimal, and the future is not fuzzy. But that’s rarely the situation during a change.
Consequently, change efforts don’t happen in the analyze-think-change sequence, but rather in the see-feel-change sequence. A change usually happens when someone is presented with evidence that makes them feel something new.
It might be a disturbing look at the problem (running away from pain) or a hopeful glimpse of the solution (seeking pleasure). A change is usually initiated when something hits you on the emotional level. Period.
There are three things you can do to motivate the Elephant:
1. Find the feeling – Knowing something won’t ignite a change, feeling something will
2. Shrink the change – Break down the change until it no longer spooks the Elephant
3. Grow your people – Install the growth mindset and properly prepare for failure
SHOULD YOU ADDRESS THE POSITIVE OR THE NEGATIVE FEELINGS?
The Rider has the ability to plan for a better future and sacrifice short-term risks for bigger long‑term gains. The Elephant, on the other hand, wants instant gratification. On top of that, the Elephant wears rose-tinted glasses.
The Elephant is very lousy at evaluating the situation or himself, because he always tends to take the rosiest possible interpretation of the facts (the opposite of the Rider).
And positive illusions pose an enormous obstacle with regard to change. With rose-tinted glasses on, it’s much harder to orientate yourself. You don’t really have a very clear picture of where you are and where you’re going. It seems like there’s no need for change.
That’s why in many critical change situations, it’s mandatory to create a sense of crisis to initiate change; or create a burning platform, in other words. The idea of a burning platform is to paint such a painful picture of the current situation that people know they have to jump into the burning sea.
The crisis most often convinces people that there’s no other option but to move. The problem is that situations that require change are rarely as dramatic as the burning platform, and they kill creativity and flexibility.
The burning platform might be useful when quick and specific action is needed. In other cases, appealing to positive emotions brings better results.
Positive emotions, on the other hand, are designed to broaden and build a repertoire of thoughts and actions. Positive emotions motivate us to get involved and learn new things. It opens your mind to new ideas.
The positive emotion of joy makes you want to play and explore or invent new activities. The positive emotion of pride after an accomplishment makes you go even after bigger goals. The consequence of positive feelings is that you’re building up resources and skills.
Even more, positive feelings encourage open minds, creativity and hope – the feelings that are really needed to make a lasting positive change.
To motivate the Elephant, you must find the right feeling. Most often it must be a positive feeling, but sometimes resorting to a negative one is the only option.
§ Negative feelings: They sharpen your focus and motivate you, but they are the same thing as putting on blinders, which kills creativity and flexibility. They might help when quick and specific action is needed.
§ Positive feelings: To solve bigger, more ambiguous problems, you need to encourage positive feelings of creativity, hope and an open mind. You need to find a way to instill hope, optimism and excitement in people.
Motivating the Elephant with the right feeling is many times also represented with the saying start with why.
Besides being motivated by positive feelings, the Elephant needs to believe that he’s capable of conquering the change. And that can be achieved only by shrinking the change or growing the people or, preferably, both.
2.1. SHRINK THE CHANGE
People find it much more motivating if they’re partly finished with a very long journey than if they’re at a starting point of a much shorter one. That means a sense of progress is critical for being motivated enough to see a change through.
The Elephant is easily demoralized, spooked or derailed. When the task is too big, the Elephant will resist. That’s why the Elephant needs constant reassurance, on every step of the journey.
Make sure you remind yourself or others of what has already been conquered when it comes to the change. Don’t focus only on what’s new and different and about to come, but also on the progress that’s already been made.
If you want the Elephant to keep moving, you have to shrink the change. The Elephant hates doing things that don’t have an immediate payoff. To get the Elephant moving, you must assure it that the change or task won’t be so bad.
But once you get the Elephant moving, you can keep him moving strongly as long as constant reassurance is provided.
1. The best way to shrink the change is to limit the investment you’re asking for
2. Another way to shrink the change is to think of small wins that are within reach
These two ways are the best solution for engineering early success and that’s also how you engineer hope. And absolutely make all the advancements visible. You must train yourself to celebrate every incremental victory.
Hope is fuel for the Elephant. Even a small success can be extremely powerful in helping people believe in themselves.
It’s completely okay if you start really small and the first changes seem almost trivial to you. Your initial challenge is to get the Elephant moving, even if the movement is very slow in the beginning.
Because at the same time as the change is shrinking, the Elephant is growing.
2.1. GROW THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU
One way to motivate people is to shrink the change in a way that makes people feel “big” and powerful in comparison to the challenge. The other thing you can do, instead of shrinking the change, is to grow people; and the best way is to do both.
When you build people up, they develop the strength to act. The best way to grow people is to influence their identity.
When people make choices, they rely on two basic models of decision-making:
§ Consequences model: The consequences model assumes that when you make a decision, you weigh the costs and benefits of options, and choose the option that maximizes your satisfaction. But that kind of a model is more appealing to the Rider, because it’s the rational analytical approach to decision‑making.
§ Identity model: In the identity model, you ask yourself three questions when you’re making decisions. Who am I? What kind of a situation is this? What would someone like me do in this situation? There’s no calculation of costs and benefits. That’s how the Elephant makes the decisions; and the Elephant is much stronger in this regard.
To motivate the Elephant, you must ask yourself how you can change a matter of identity, rather than a matter of consequences. You need to find a way to cultivate an identity that leads to the positive change you want to achieve.
You should inspire yourself or others to be the kind of person who would make this particular change. You must inspire such self-image in you or others.
The good news is that people are receptive to developing new identities and that new identities grow from small positive beginnings. If you show people why it’s worth caring for something new, they will make the caring part of their new self-image.
The bad news, on the other hand, is that a new identity can take root quickly, but living up to it is awfully hard. The hard part leads to the fact that every change needs to go through a period of failure and apathy.
2.1.1. CREATE THE EXPECTATION OF FAILURE
Every quest, including going through change, involves failure. There’s no way to learn new things without failure. And there is no change without learning first.
That means you can’t learn to be an inventor, scientist, blogger, manager or anything else, without failing. You also can’t develop new products, organize new services or penetrate new markets without failing.
We all know that, but the big problem is that the Elephant hates to fail even if there’s no situation that’s 100% failure.
The answer to this problem is that you must create the expectation of failure. Not the failure of the change itself, but failure on the path to the final destination. And by far the best way to deal with failure is to possess the growth mindset.
When you know that everything is hard before it’s easy and that you can improve at anything, it’s much easier to deal with failure. It also makes sense to set up routines that allow the most chances to learn and improve.
The best teams are always brutally focused on learning quickly. In every failure, the best teams see an opportunity to learn and grow.
Every change requires you to include a period of learning, empowered by the growth mindset.
Almost every project looks like a failure in the middle. If the team manages to persist through angst and doubt, sooner or later a momentum of growth and fast progress takes place.
We will struggle, we will fail, we will be knocked down, but throughout we’ll get better and we’ll succeed in the end. That’s the right mindset to embrace when it comes to change.
3. SHAPE THE PATH
We all tend to make the error of judging people’s behavior solely based on the way they are, rather than to see the situation they are in. Very often the situation is the one that leads people to a certain behavior.
A behavior is a result of an individual’s personality and the environment they are in. Thus, many times what looks like a people problem, is a situation problem.
By changing the environment, you can make change easier for people. You make the journey to a new destination a lot easier.
By shaping the path, you create a steep downhill slope and give yourself or other people a push. You remove the friction from the trail and put signs on the road that they’re getting close to the goal.
There are three ways how you can shape the path:
1. Tweak the environment – Change the situation, make the right behaviors a little bit easier and the wrong behaviors a little bit harder
2. Build habits – Look for ways to encourage positive habits
3. Rally the Herd – Behavior is contagious, help it spread
The good news is that no matter your position, you always have some control over the situation.
3.1. LEARN TO MANIPULATE DISCIPLINE WITH TRANSACTION COSTS
Tweaking the environment or shaping the path simply means that you make the right behaviors a little bit easier and the wrong behaviors a little bit harder. You play with transaction costs, because environmental tweaks beat self-control every time.
By tweaking the environment, you basically outsmart yourself.
Think of what you can do at three points of the change situation: pre-event, event and post-event, to tweak the environment in your favor, to shape the path in a way that will lead you to perform positive habits.
Make the old behavior harder, and the new behavior easier at all three points.
3.2. BUILD HEALTHY HABITS
Habits are behavioral autopilots. New habits present the essence of every change. The good (and the bad news) about habits is that they’re contagious. They’re incredibly sensitive to the environment and culture, because people want to fit in.
Habits are not only contagious, they also get formed inevitably, whether intentionally or not. That’s why they’re so powerful. The problem occurs because many of the habits are created unwittingly and don’t really support your mission.
That’s why habits must be intentionally created, based on two factors:
1. The habit needs to advance the mission
2. The habit needs to be relatively easy to embrace. If the habit is too hard to embrace, it creates its own independent change problem.
One way to encourage new habits is by installing action triggers. Action triggers encourage you to execute a certain action when you encounter a certain situational trigger (also called a reminder).
They won’t make you do things you truly don’t want to do, but they have a profound power to motivate people to do things they know they need to do.
The second way to encourage new habits are checklists. Checklists are very powerful at educating people and they show people an ironclad way of doing something new. They help people avoid blind spots in a complex environment.
Write down habits that are easy to perform. Install action triggers for those habits. Help people follow them with checklists and watch the change grow.
3.3. RALLY THE HERD
In ambiguous situations, we look at other people around us for cues on how to behave. It’s also called social pressure. Behavior is contagious at the individual, group and social level.
For example, you change your idea of what is an acceptable body type by looking at the people around you.
That’s why obesity is contagious. Drinking is also contagious. And the list of socially contagious things goes on and on, from marriage to shaking hands and investing in different companies.
When you’re leading the Elephant on an unfamiliar path, his tendency will be to follow the Herd. That’s why your job is to rally a Herd that will support your mission. Because in the end, social signals from the Herd can either guarantee a change effort or doom it.
There are several things you can do to rally the right Herd:
1. First, you have to get all the reformers together. They need free space and time to coordinate new behaviors and goals outside of the resistance gaze. You need to create a free space for discussion and new identity to grow.
2. Counterintuitively, you must let the short-term organizational identity conflict happen. For a short time, a struggle between us (reformers) and them (status quo) usually takes place. Reformers versus the rest. That’s inevitable, at least in the short-term. It’s part of organizational molding. And your job is to support the reformers.
3. In the end, rally the Herd. Bring more right people together. Communicate with everyone in the organization, so that you’re on the same boat. Build good habits, create action triggers. When your Herd embraces the right behavior, publicize it. Praise individual’s new behaviors. Make sure the reformers find one another and spread the new identity across your organization like a virus.
4. KEEP THE SWITCH GOING
The final question is how to keep the switch going. Absolutely not with punishment. If you use punishment too frequently, it’s only a question of time when the Elephant will see you as a splinter.
A much better approach is to reward each tiny step done towards the new behavior and the new destination. Finding the bright spots and rewarding them is the way to go.
Start by praising every small act, every time. You need to constantly notice and reinforce positive behavior. Reinforcement is the secret to getting towards the final destination step by step.
The main problem is that we are all terrible reinforcers, because we are quicker to grumble than to praise. Thus, we all have to learn to praise more often.
Remember, change isn’t an event, it’s a process. Every process takes time, but the good thing about the process of change is that once the change starts, it seems to feed on itself.
It’s a snowball effect based on the mere exposure effect – the more you are exposed to something, the more you like it.
Also, cognitive dissonance works in your favor when it comes to change. People don’t like to think in one way and behave in another. They want their thinking and action to be congruent.
That means when people start acting in a new way, it becomes more difficult for them to cognitively dislike their new destination. Because they’re acting in a certain new way, they start thinking in a new way and, in the end, shape a new identity that’s aligned with an organizational new mission. That strongly reinforces the new way of doing things.
BOOK 6 :
1-Sentence-Summary: Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff (… And It’s All Small Stuff) will keep you from letting the little, stressful things in life, like your email inbox, rushing to trains, and annoying co-workers drive you insane and help you find peace and calm in a stressful world.
Read in: 4 minutes
Favorite quote from the author:
Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff (… And It’s All Small Stuff) by Richard Carlson was so successful, that it spawned a whole series of “Don’t Sweat…” books, which have sold over 25 million copies, since the original was published in 1997.
Sadly, Richard passed away at age 45, from a pulmonary embolism, in 2006. His wife Kristine keeps carrying on the message.
I’m grateful for this man, since he gave us a great book, with tremendous advice on how to lead a happier life.
Here are 3 things that struck me:
1. Remember that your life isn’t an emergency.
2. Give others a break, especially when they don’t deserve it.
3. Don’t procrastinate on relaxing.
Want to calm down? Here we go.
Lesson 1: Remember that your life isn’t an emergency.
Forget relaxation and happiness, right?
That’s for rich people! But you can’t afford that right now, can you? You have to be focused, disciplined, and work hard every day so you can beat the competition.
Hell. No!
That’s what the world wants you to believe, but it’s not one bit true!
Your life is not an emergency. It’s a wonderful experience that only you get to live – and you only get one shot at it. So stop treating every day like you’re driving an ambulance, rushing from one stop to the next, trying to please everyone all the time and cater to all needs.
You’ll only end up overworking yourself and crashing from the stress.
Instead, try to make yourself bored on purpose. Force yourself to not do anything for an hour or two. At first, you’ll be frustrated and crave your smartphone or laptop.
But after a while, you’ll see the freedom and peace it brings to be able to just do nothing for once.
Take a step back, forget about other people’s requests and just follow your own will.
Quit the people pleasing and just do what’s good for you. There is no one to save but yourself, but remember: your life is not an emergency.
Lesson 2: Give others a break, especially when they don’t deserve it.
Did you ever have one of those days where people seem to just make your life harder on purpose?
The officer writes you a parking ticket 1 minute after your parking time is up.
The person who packs your shopping bags drops a carton of milk.
And the clerk at the post office seems to move extra slow.
But just when you’re about to completely lose it, try to put yourself into other people’s shoes. Take the postal clerk’s perspective. What would life look like through his or her eyes right now?
Maybe they’ve gotten horrible news in the morning, their uncle died or maybe their partner left them that very day. How would you feel?
Would you eagerly sort letters and rush to get people’s packages? Or would you hardly be able to move, because you’re so weighed down by all those heavy thoughts?
Imagine instead of having the next angry customer yell at you, they just smile. They patiently wait as you bring them their package with the speed of a turtle.
How much happier would that make you?
Impressive, right, what a little thought experiment can do…
Give others a break when they least deserve it. That’s when they need it the most. It’ll make both of you happier. The best way to treat yourself well is to treat others well.
Lesson 3: Don’t procrastinate on relaxing.
Go see my family over the weekend? I can do that next week.
Act in a theater play? Maybe next year.
Yeah, yeah, we’ve heard it all before. Until it’s too late and you’re left with nothing but regret.
We procrastinate on so many things, but has it ever occurred to you that relaxing might be one of them?
Instead of only relaxing on weekends or holidays, take a break when you actually need to. Had an extra long day at work? Take the next morning off!
Your happiness should always take precedence over some random project at work.
So when you’re extra stressed, just stop for a second. Breathe, remember what’s truly important, or take 5 minutes to call your Mum and say hi.
Yes, you can be relaxed even when things are busy. It’s not something that has to wait until the weekend or your 5 days of Christmas vacation. You can be relaxed right now.
Get yourself some of that relaxed attitude before you crash and burn and everyone around you, most of all you, will be happier.
BOOK 7 :
The Greatest Salesman in the World (1968) is a book that discusses how to be successful by following certain principles. It’s written as a parable about Hafid, who inherits ancient scrolls from his teacher—the greatest salesman of all time.
Hafid has a mentor who teaches him about salesmanship. Hafid learns 10 lessons from the scrolls that his mentor gives to him, and he uses them to become wealthy and happy. He then passes on those teachings when he dies by giving them to Paul, who uses them for Christianity.
The scrolls instruct that personal discipline and faith in oneself are the keys to achieving greatness in sales. To achieve this, a person must study the scrolls for 30 days before moving on to the next rule. Each rule should be read three times a day so they become ingrained in one’s mind and body.
The Bible teaches that a good salesman should love his customers and be in control of himself. He shouldn’t let the past or future bother him, but rather focus on the present moment to make sales. A great salesman also needs humility and a sense of humor to get through tough times.
In order to be successful, a salesman needs to set ambitious goals and never give up. Even if he fails many times, he must get back on his feet and keep trying. He should not let fear or laziness stop him from working hard. When the day is done, he shouldn’t go home until he’s sold something else. With God’s help, any salesman can do it!
It’s important for a salesman to give money back to society as soon as he starts earning it. Although product quality and professional networks are important, the scrolls teach that self-control is the most essential attribute of all.
Key Point 1: A substantial amount of the profit that a salesperson earns should be given to those who are less fortunate.
Great merchants from the past gave away half of their earnings to the poor. This may seem counterintuitive, but it will ensure happiness.
Andrew McNair, a wealth manager and author of the book Tithe: A Living Testimony (2012), has explained the importance of tithing. He writes that there are two reasons why people should tithe—to remind them that money does not create happiness, and to bring about spiritual fulfillment. People who tithe give away 10 percent of their income to charity or religious groups. This helps them realize that they have enough money and can share it with those who are less fortunate than themselves. Tithing brings joy because it allows people to help others in need without expecting anything in return for their generosity. Those interested in tithing should put together a plan on how much they will be giving each month, as well as when they will start doing so; this includes creating an artificial environment where one is forced to spend less than what he earns right away so he can save more for later use while also setting aside some money for tithes every time he gets paid.
Key Point 2: A salesperson ought to act with love at all times.
It’s easy to be pessimistic and negative. However, making an effort to love the world will bring happiness and success. Acting from love means giving thanks for all the gifts that god has given us—the sun, stars, family, friends, good food, health. It means loving all kinds of people especially those who are different than us and it also means treating our bodies well by not overindulging in sensual pleasures or being lazy. This makes connecting with other people easier which makes selling easier as well.
Expressing gratitude throughout the day can help you cultivate love. Robert Emmons, a leading scientific expert on gratitude, recommends several methods to cultivate it. One is attaching notes to mirrors or computers that remind us of being grateful. Also, remembering bad times helps foster feelings of thankfulness in the present moment. Keeping a journal of things for which we’re grateful and reflecting on them will help us remember what’s important in our lives and appreciate them more fully. Practicing language associated with gifts, blessings, fortune and abundance will transform ordinary occurrences into moments of joy; bringing attention to physical sensations creates an even deeper sense of appreciation for life’s small pleasures such as food or laughter with friends
Key Point 3: Persistence in the face of all odds will bring great prosperity.
Salespeople who want to succeed must never give up. They should keep going even if they feel like giving up. If they do lose hope, they shouldn’t stop trying and working because it will pay off in the end. Even when a salesperson is tired or feels like she can’t go on, she needs to take one more step forward and try to sell something else that day. When she gets home from work, she’ll be proud of herself for pushing through her failures all day long.
It is common knowledge that persistence is key to success. However, in today’s culture of instant gratification, it can be easy to forget this principle. If a young salesman fails at one endeavor, for example, he may be tempted to give up immediately rather than hang in there for the long haul. One way that budding entrepreneurs can keep their motivation up in the face of setbacks is to have more than one project going at a time. It is best to have one project that will succeed soon and several others that will take significant time and persistence before they are realized. This way, a salesperson enjoys some small accomplishment while pursuing his larger goal. When the larger goal is finally attained, victory will be all the sweeter because of all the hard work invested into an endeavor over time. In this way, persistence leads both prosperity and personal happiness.
Key Point 4: Salespeople can capitalize on their uniqueness in order to sell their wares.
Everyone is different from everyone else. That’s why you should be yourself and not try to imitate others. If you do, then you’ll be successful in sales because your customers will like that about you.
In 2015, Larry Myler, the founder of By Monday consulting firm, wrote an article for Forbes about how businesses can use their individuality to create a competitive advantage in the marketplace. In his article, he explains that entrepreneurs should design their websites in order to highlight their uniqueness and communicate what sets them apart from other companies. For example, if you’re starting your own high-end shoe company, you don’t want your website to look like Zappos’ website because it will make customers think that your shoes are average and not worth buying. You would want people to know right away that your shoes are different from most others so they’ll buy them instead of someone else’s.
Key Point 5: Living in the moment will allow a salesperson to be more efficient and productive.
People should not dwell on the past or worry about the future as both activities waste time. Salespeople should focus on living in each day and working without worrying about yesterday or tomorrow. This will eliminate procrastination and spur action, allowing salespeople to achieve their goals. A salesperson aspiring for greatness must repeat a mantra of “I will act now.”
Research has shown that mindfulness-based meditation can help people make better decisions. This is good for business because it means they’re less likely to continue with a project that’s not working, and more likely to maintain relationships with employees. Meditation also makes individuals more compassionate, which improves teamwork. Therefore, ambitious entrepreneurs should spend time practicing mindfulness so that they can improve their businesses.
Key Point 6: Salespeople cannot succeed if they are slaves to their emotions.
It is dangerous for salespeople to get caught up in their emotions. If a salesperson becomes angry, they will lose time and may damage relationships with customers. Salespeople should not be overconfident, or they may ignore future obstacles. It is important that salespeople maintain equanimity (calm) and humility (modesty).
Learning to be humble is difficult. People who are humble tend to have had secure attachments as children, meaning they received unconditional love from their parents. However, most adults do not have secure attachments and base their self-worth on external achievements and status. They often display a need to prove themselves and are vulnerable to fits of excess pride or self-loathing. To cultivate humility in yourself, you should strive for healthy relationships with others and accept your own fallibility; by doing this, you can avoid becoming swept up in anger or other extreme emotions that drive away customers when dealing with them as a salesperson.
Key Point 7: Cultivating a light-hearted perspective will help a salesperson prosper.
To be a successful salesperson, you need to learn how to deal with petty annoyances and put suffering into perspective. It is not helpful to get upset or angry about situations that are beyond your control. Instead, use humor as a way to improve the situation and reduce suffering. Remembering that “this too shall pass” can help you gain perspective on tough times in life.
According to Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas, who teach a course on humor at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, having the ability to make others laugh can be extremely beneficial. It helps one become more influential and gives them an advantage over their peers. Humor also creates loyal employees and cohesive teams by causing people to release oxytocin (a hormone that encourages social bonding), which makes it easier for people to connect with each other. A 2015 study published in Human Nature found that when participants watched a funny video before talking with their fellow participants, they revealed more personal information about themselves than did those who watched a neutral video. Salespeople should do what they can to bring laughter into the workplace because there are clear benefits of doing so—it makes them more successful as salespeople and happier in general.
Key Point 8: Salespeople who want to achieve great wealth and happiness must remember that they control their destiny.
People have the power to choose what they do with their lives. They can waste time and end up a failure, or they can work hard and confidently to achieve their goals. Salespeople should set goals for each day, week, month and year that are ambitious. They should measure past performance and resolve to improve upon it 100 times over. For example, if a saleswoman sold one shirt in one week she would eventually like to sell 100 shirts in one week. To cement her commitment she should proclaim her goal aloud so that everyone knows of it.
According to a CNBC article, successful entrepreneurs grade their goals. They do this by ignoring for a couple of weeks the short-term goals on their to-do list. When they come back to the list, they evaluate how strongly they feel about each goal. The ones that still make them feel strongly are given an A grade and pursued passionately. This way, people don’t waste energy on projects that won’t receive their full commitment. Roy McDonald suggests creating a detailed plan for how you’ll reach your goal from start to finish and always keep in mind an image of your desired endpoint while working towards it. Com Mirza writes his goals down five times every day: once upon waking, three times throughout the course of the day, and once again before bedtime so he can take advantage of opportunities related to his goals more often than he would otherwise do so if he weren’t writing out those goals regularly.
By setting challenging yet achievable goals and going after them using these techniques, salespeople will be able to achieve their dreams.
Key Point 9: Prayer is essential to success in the business world.
Salespeople should pray every day. They shouldn’t ask for material wealth, but rather for guidance in learning how to acquire it and patience and humility. With discipline, they can learn from the scrolls’ teachings and become successful salespeople with a loving heart.
In an article in Inc. magazine, a business coach explains that even if you’re not religious, prayer can be helpful for your business. Prayer is simply a time to connect with something greater than yourself and focus on what’s important in life. It helps salespeople focus on the customer instead of their own needs by reminding them that they are human beings just like everyone else and should always treat others with respect. A successful prayer session could include counting one’s blessings, thanking God or the universe for those gifts; expressing gratitude to God or the universe for all it has done; asking God or the universe for guidance and wisdom; praying for insights into how best to serve customers’ needs; and then being open to any response from above without judging it as good or bad.
Book Structure
The book The Greatest Salesman in the World is divided into 18 chapters. It begins with Hafid’s life story and then details the 10 scrolls’ rules, which are organized by chapter number. The final chapter summarizes Hafid’s lessons for Paul, who will take his place after he dies.
There are a lot of colloquialisms and dated terms in the book. The author uses first person to make it easier for the reader to relate to him, but this might seem forced or unnatural. The book is written with male pronouns and terminology, which seems out-of-place today.
About the Author
Og Mandino was born in 1923. He served in the army during World War II and later became an insurance salesman. At one point, he considered committing suicide due to his drinking problem, but instead turned to self-help books for help.
Mandino wrote 14 books on self-help, including The Greatest Secret in the World (1997) and The Return of the Ragpicker (1993). More than 25 million copies of his books have been sold.
The author’s works were inspired by the Bible and New Thought, a religious movement that originated in the United States. The adherents of this movement believed that people’s thoughts determine their destinies. For example, if someone truly believes he will become the best salesman in his industry, then he will realize this goal. This belief has no scientific basis.
Full Summary of The Greatest Salesman in the World
Overview
Regardless of profession, we all have to sell ourselves in some way.
For those in sales or marketing, of course, it’s important to learn how to sell. For the rest of us, however, we spend a surprising amount of time selling our ideas and opinions as well.
How can you learn to sell better? You could read a book that lists 10 ways to do so, or you could take another approach.
In this article, you’ll learn how to become a better salesperson. First of all, you need to change your life by approaching sales in a more mindful way. You need to develop habits that will help you succeed as a salesperson, such as being punctual and having good manners. Only if you develop these habits can you hope to become the best salesperson in the world!
In this passage, you’ll learn why love is important and how it can help you succeed; what to do when things are difficult (laugh); and ways to feel better.
Big Idea #1: To learn and thus succeed, you have to form good habits that will become your positive foundation.
How can you ensure that everything you do is the best it can be? Whether being in shape, being efficient at work or selling products, the secret to doing things well is fostering excellent habits. Most of our daily lives are filled with bad habits which keep us unproductive and unhappy.
For example, you might lie in bed for too long and then be late to work. Although you know that it’s causing stress and unhappiness, you still do it!
In order to stamp out old habits, we should replace them with new ones. We can do this by repeating the actions that are associated with good habits until they become a normal part of our lives. For example, if you want to wake up earlier in the morning, you need to create an alarm and set it so you get up at a certain time. You could also eat breakfast or even exercise when you first wake up.
It might be hard to change your unhealthy habits at first, but eventually you’ll form a healthy habit and beat the bad one.
This also sets the foundation for being a great salesperson. We’ll look more closely at how to improve your life and become better at selling in the next section.
To get the most out of this program, you should form a habit of reading these key points every day. You will start thinking about them and adopt them into your life.
Big Idea #2: A successful salesperson communicates love every day; with love, comes trust.
Before people buy from you, they need to trust you.
In order to gain trust, one must demonstrate love.
Start your day by telling yourself that you will love everything and everyone. When you speak to another person, use words that are infused with love because they have great power.
Speaking lovingly to people you may not actually like can help turn them from adversaries into friends. Furthermore, if you consistently speak with love to your friends, they may become even closer friends. Speaking from a place of love is important and one way to do that next time you meet someone is by silently reciting the words “I love you.” Thinking these words will affect your body language and facial expression and make it easier for others to open up to you.
But how does that translate into the marketplace? If you interact with your customers in a positive manner, they will be more likely to buy from you. You’ll also have an easier time selling if you’re able to deal with rivals who behave poorly toward you or steal your ideas. In those situations, it’s best to treat them with love and compassion even though they might not deserve it.
If you continuously treat a person with love, they will eventually stop being negative towards you.
Big Idea #3: To be a good salesperson means to be unique and never give up, even in the face of failure.
It’s easy to give up after a misfortune, but if you do that, you’ll never succeed. You should try these things so that you can get back on track and achieve your goals.
The first step is to tell yourself every day that you will persist until you succeed.
When you encounter obstacles, don’t be discouraged by them. Instead, see them as challenges and do everything possible to overcome them. Imagine you’re a pharmacist who’s been working all day with no sales yet. You could easily give up on the whole project because of your exhaustion, but what if you just took a quick break before looking at how else you can approach potential buyers?
Remember that you never know when your next sale will happen. So, don’t leave a day without achieving something. You have to persevere until the end of the day and not give up too soon. However, just persevering isn’t enough—you also need to stand out from other salespeople by doing things differently than they do. Don’t imitate others or copy them; find a way to flourish in your own unique way so that you can get noticed and make more sales! Doctors are busy people with lots of patients coming in every day for appointments, so they need special attention if you want them to buy your product (or service). Therefore, develop a pitch that is different from everyone else’s and then present it confidently because it’ll catch their attention much better than someone who looks like all the other reps who come into their office every week!
And finally, make sure you start each day with a positive attitude. It doesn’t matter if things didn’t go well yesterday; just put it behind you and focus on the new day!
Big Idea #4: If you want to perform at your best, you need to control your emotions and laugh whenever you can.
Have you ever let your emotions get the best of you? It happens to all of us. However, if you want to be a top salesperson, it’s important not to let your emotions control how you behave toward customers. If you’re feeling angry and can’t contain that anger, there’s a good chance that it will make your behavior negative and pessimistic when dealing with clients; not exactly the attitude needed for making sales!
Remember that life has its ups and downs. If you’re feeling down, try to cheer yourself up a little by singing. If you feel inferior, raise your voice so that you can gain more confidence.
When we are on top of things, it’s easier to see the funny side of life. When we’re in a bad mood, other people may be going through tough times as well. Instead of getting angry with them, give them some space and try talking to them again later when they might have improved their mood. Finally, one way to improve your emotional state is by laughing at yourself and the world around you.
If you’re stressed out about a sales pitch, it will probably distract you from thinking of ways to solve the problem.
But what if you’re able to laugh about the situation? You might think that it isn’t so bad after all. Perhaps you don’t need to have the product with you, and maybe it would be better to just pitch the idea anyway!
Big Idea #5: To get things done, set up a series of actions so you work your way to your ultimate goal.
You’re on your way to becoming the best salesperson in the world, but you still need to work on a few more things.
First, you should know that whatever you want to achieve will not happen unless you take action. Along the way, it’s easy to procrastinate.
Many people have made the resolution to get fit, but when they don’t follow through with that promise and never work out, it’s because of their own laziness.
People should resist the temptation to take the easy way out. Instead, they need to set up a series of actions that will help them achieve their goals. Even if people fail on the first attempt, it is better than wondering “what if?”
The next habit is to set goals that you will meet. Each day, each week, each month and each year, figure out how you can surpass what you’ve already achieved. Do better today than yesterday and aim to consistently sell more this year than last. It’s also a good idea to announce your goals so that the looming threat of having to make an excuse for why you didn’t achieve your goal is a great motivator not to fail! Lastly, have faith in God and call on Him when needed.
Whenever you need help, ask for it. For example, if you’re nervous about an upcoming sales call, pray to God that everything will go well and make a successful sale.
BOOK 8 :
Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the SoulHow to Create a New You
By Deepak Chopra
The poet-prophet of alternative medicine's primer on the spiritual practice of transformation.
Some people think of the human body as a complicated machine that is can break down and need repairs. But another view is gaining support: that our bodies are boundless creations shimmering with the energy, creativity, and intelligence of the universe. Deepak Chopra, author of more than 50 books and heralded by TIME Magazine as "the poet-prophet of alternative medicine," believes that it is time for us to reinvent the body through a more rigorous and expansive connection with our souls. We can move stuck energy and change old habits through reflection, contemplation, and meditation. We also have the capacity to influence our genes and change the structure of our brains. We can even make time an ally rather than viewing it as a constant enemy.
As we read through these chapters, we thought of a scene in Defending Your Life. The protagonist has died and gone to a place called Judgment City. He is told that human beings only use up to three percent of their mental powers and are referred to as "little brains." Chopra is convinced that we can use more of our brains and also tap the soul's potential. Connecting to this power source means getting beyond the reach of "no." The following roadblocks or negative beliefs must be removed:
• People don't change.
• Habits keep us trapped.
• Obsessive thoughts are in control.
• Cravings can never be appeased.
• Fear keeps you from being free.
• "Bad" thoughts are forbidden and dangerous.
• Natural urges are illicit or dangerous.
The soul leads us to new responses and possibilities when we:
• Remain centered.
• Be clear.
• Expect the best.
• Watch and wait.
With élan and a deep appreciation for the bounties of the soul, Chopra outlines its vision:
• I am everything I need.
• I am secure because I have nothing to fear in myself.
• The flow of life's abundance brings me everything.
• I do not measure myself by any external standard.
• Giving is more important than winning.
• I have no self-image; I am beyond images.
• Other people are attracted to me as soul to soul.
• I can find perfect love, because I have found it first in myself.
This vision is wed to the 10 Steps to Wholeness ("Be generous of spirit. Relate to your body consciously. Seek after your own mystery."). Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul: How to Create a New You by Deepak Chopra is his primer on the spiritual practice of transformation.
BOOK 9 :
Creating Your Life Plan: A Simple Framework
We all want a solid life plan.
One that delivers an orgasmic existence.
So we can look back on our little stint and think, yarp, t’was worth it.
Whereas many suggestions out there are pretty vague and don’t translate to real-world results, this is my self-administered attempt at getting analytical.
Take what you will and ditch the rest brave mindstronaut.
· 1 Going with the flow
· 2 Begin with the end in mind
· 3 Priorities
· 4 100 coins to invest
· 5 Actions
· 6 Investing the coins
· 7 Learning from success
· 8 Action Items
· 9 The Pareto principle and high leverage activities
· 10 Balance vs focus
· 11 Life plan summary
· 12 Related posts
Going with the flow
Many of us treat life as something that simply washes over us. We react to what we encounter rather than proactively shaping an envisioned reality.
It’s fine to be flexible, but fortune can also be a fickle mistress.
If you have certain ambitions, preparing fertile ground seems sensible.
Consciously investing in a life plan can be beneficial. Success is where opportunity meets preparation.
I say this as someone who’s rarely abided by this principle and should take some of his own medicine.
Begin with the end in mind
A good way of reshuffling our papers and getting the old life plan in order is to begin with the end in mind.
A common technique involves imagining yourself on your deathbed and reviewing your life, complete with imagined successes and regrets.
The aim of this exercise is to remind us that life is short and provide some space on the mental dance floor to review our priorities.
The goal is to decide how to minimise those possible future regrets while maximising successes.
Hence, when you’re nearing the bright lights, you’ll have a smile plastered on your face.
Priorities
Here’s the thing…
Many of us complain about our results in life.
We might blame our boss, friends, economy, or even weather.
But now your priorities in order, there can be no further excuses.
Taking responsibility becomes the default mental attitude.
Either you’re working towards your ideal future and taking the necessary action, or your not.
If it’s the latter, there’s only one person to blame.
100 coins to invest
You’ve imagined your own demise and final thoughts. This has hopefully ignited a fire.
But now we must break this bigger picture into more manageable chunks to take action.
Onto another exercise then…
Let’s say you have 100 gold coins to invest in your life.
These coins, at their essence, represent your resources. Could be time, money energy or attention.
Where will you invest them for the maximum return? Which areas of life will you prioritise to manifest the deathbed scenario above?
There are four main areas we can focus on in the framework:
Values
You might say it depends on what you value. Because only then can you judge the returns accurately.
You see, if you make a boatload of money and don’t value material wealth, it’s not a good return on investment.
So, what do you value?
Only when you’ve decided can you start to plan your life.
Buckets
When you’ve decided on your values, you can drill down into more specific life buckets.
Examples might be health, wellbeing, finances, career and relationships.
Ideally, these are natural subsets of your values.
When you’ve done that, it’s time to break them down again into processes and goals.
Processes/goals
I prefer to list processes first as they signify an ongoing lifestyle adoption versus an endpoint to be reached.
An example of a process might be something intangible like, “maintaining physical and mental performance”.
Any specific goals can go underneath. This could be something like, “complete a triathlon”.
Another example of a process could be to “create a self-sustaining business.”
The associated goal could be, “which makes X dollars/month”.
Actions
Next, we need to drill down another layer and get into the action items that allow us to achieve these processes or goals.
Initially, you can brain dump everything you think will help polish the process or achieve the goal.
However, you should begin to form an idea of exactly which tasks will help move the needle to most.
If you want to lose weight for example, “exercise daily” will be a greater priority than something like “watching less TV”.
Now you have a workflow centred around your innermost values, which naturally trickles down through various areas of your life.
Here’s where we have to get analytical and ruthlessly prioritise, deciding where to invest our 100 gold coins.
Investing the coins
Which values are most important to you?
Which life roles do you most want to embody?
Which life areas motivate you most?
Which processes and goals ignite a passion?
Some will naturally stand out more than others.
Highlight these.
Why?
Because as we stated earlier, we must decide where to invest our coins and allocate them among the areas identified.
For example, you could choose an even split over each area for the most balance or invest more heavily in areas that inspire, or if we’re lucky, fill us to the brim with passion and purpose.
This boils down to personal preference.
Learning from success
It’s worth noting that the top performers in each area of life rarely have a well-balanced allocation of their coins.
Their life plan is likely heavily weighted in one sphere.
How often do you see a workaholic neglect their relationships and health to invest more mental bandwidth in their chosen pursuit?
Or an elite athlete focusing on their health, fitness and performance to the exclusion of all else?
That’s not to say it’s the correct approach or the best for everyone, but the reality is that if you want to compete with the best in your field, you have to make sacrifices in other areas.
It’s also worth noting that you can still be successful in life with a more balanced approach.
Running a successful business, maintaining good relationships and investing in your health should all be possible with a balanced allocation of coins.
You might not be the next Elon Musk, working 120 weeks to take us to Mars, but you may be far happier for it.
Like finance, there will likely be a constant rebalancing of your attentional portfolio as you shift your coins from one area to another depending on life demands and emerging goals.
This is fine as long as you’re aware of it and consciously dictate expansion and contraction in each area.
When you’ve decided how many resources to invest in each life bucket, you can go more granular.
Action Items
This is an area I’d like to talk about in greater detail, mainly because it’s where the rubber meets the road.
You can plan until your heart’s content, but unless we take action, it’s all for nought.
Therefore, for each process and goal identified, we need to establish a list of action items to complete.
This list could be self-generated, mentor-driven or inspired by research into other top performers.
Create action items in order of importance for effectively achieving the process or goal.
The actions can be monthly and weekly or daily, so try to specify the frequency. Really effective ones tend to be daily.
At first, when we’re still guessing which might be most effective, start by taking action on all of them and gathering data.
This data should include two things.
How easy and enjoyable do you find that action?
How effective is that action, using objective benchmarks?
With fitness, this might include tracking how certain activities make you feel and perform.
In business, it could be keeping a spreadsheet of sales activities and lead generation.
Number one tends to be easy to rate subjectively. Sticking with the fitness theme, you should know whether you like running more than cycling.
Number two can be more difficult, especially when dealing with delayed outcomes or multiple actions with various possible attributions to gains.
A way around this could be to adopt one action item at a time to limit variables, although results will obviously take much longer.
Ideally, we want to find the sweet spot between something we find enjoyable or happiness-inducing and actions which provide exponential progress in service of the process or goal.
Bear in mind, these factors are somewhat codependent.
Happiness creates success but success also begets happiness, so if an activity produces the desired result, we’re likely to enjoy it more.
Do this for long enough to gather feedback. How long will depend on the process and goal. It may be longer than you think.
This is the experimentation phase. Don’t seek immediate results. Big outcomes take time.
Also, ideally, we’re focusing on processes rather than goals, which emphasise sustainable lifestyle change and produce results as a byproduct.
The Pareto principle and high leverage activities
When you’ve gathered enough feedback, you’ll likely see the emergence of something called the Pareto principle.
Otherwise known as the 80/20 rule. That is that 20% of what you focus on tends to deliver 80% of the results. This is broadly applicable across any domain.
When you’ve found the 20, you start by investing at least 80 if your coins there to experience hockey stick results.
This will make our life plan more effective in practice, providing that much more bang for our buck.
For example, if you find intermittent fasting is largely responsible for shifting those Christmas pounds, that becomes an 80/20 activity where you invest proportionally more coins.
Analyse each life bucket and its processes/goals with the above in mind.
Whereas some people advise going all in, I would argue that an 80% investment in high leverage activities, with a 20% investment in speculative investments, is the best approach.
You see, like investing, it’s good to diversify your efforts, at least a little.
This way, you remain open to opportunities and can invest in hobbies or skills that might be the next habit unicorns, with massive potential long term payoffs.
In contrast, going 100% into an activity might close the doors on new opportunities.
With the 80/20 investment, fear will emerge about picking the right thing to focus on.
Perhaps this is more true of business opportunities where people seek the optimal choice for future return.
Here’s the thing though…
By investing heavily in any project, it can become successful.
Whether that’s selling products and services to tomato growers or hedge fund managers.
If you’re obsessed with your choice, there’ll be a way to make it work, especially when directing significant mental resources at the project.
Balance vs focus
A well balanced mental portfolio can lead to stability, but possibly at the expense of progress.
On the other hand, investing heavily in one bucket can create a slightly myopic approach to life, causing other areas to suffer.
However, this plan can be amended and tweaked with shortened timelines:
Month plan
Although this is an overarching life plan framework, you can break the processes, goals and actions into individual month plans with specific deadlines and deliverables.
Perhaps there’s a short goal that you want to sprint towards or you simply work well under pressure.
Giving yourself a shorter month plan might force you to get more creative in making faster progress.
5-year plan
Likewise, you can reduce the plan into 1, 3 and 5-year versions depending on what you want to work on in different life phases.
Returning again to the investing analogy, whereby nearing retirement, you buy bonds over stocks for stability, so too you might focus on different areas of your plan.
Going through a major life transition like having kids will pretty much force you to re-do your plan and invest more attention in child-raising.
Life plan summary
For some people, balance is fine.
For others who are motivated by more by progress, ask yourself whether you’re spreading yourself too thin.
Is that why you’re failing to make meaningful strides?
If you’re frustrated, look at your life with an objective eye to decide where you’re investing your time, energy and attention.
Then design a system which prioritises where you want to go in life through reverse engineering.
Pursue high leverage actions which correspond to your desired life processes, in turn linking to each life bucket, and at the deepest level, aligning with your core values.
BOOK 10 : Book title — “The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom” by Don Miguel Ruiz with Janet Mills.
, Don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, The Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love.
It’s a concise book but a provocative one and is full of wisdom. It not only links back to your belief systems but gives you a practical guide to improve those belief systems.
“10 bullets-100 words” book summary and my takeaways from this book:
· We are “Domesticated” — Social norms & rules are lodged deep within us.
· Practice three skills to rebel against “Domestication.”
· Awareness: Practice meditation and mindfulness
· Forgiveness: Awareness brings forgiveness
· Action: From forgiveness, you will receive the strength to Act
· Set yourself Four promises and completely change your life
· First: “Be impeccable with your word”: Impeccable = Without Sin, Say only what you mean.
· Second: “Don’t take anything personally”: Understand that other’s words are the product of their domesticated lives.
· Third: “Don’t make assumptions”: Be brave to ask questions.
· Four: “Always do your best”: Your best will change from moment to moment.
“The Four Agreements” not only gave me the four agreements using which I have brought small positive changes to my life, but the book has also helped me understand the process of “Domestication” and how this “Domestication” has formed my belief systems.
It was a key learning for me that I don’t own all my belief systems. I am a product of my “Domestication” process, and so are you. Your belief system is different than mine, and hence we can’t, and we should not judge each other.
Be impeccable with my own words, not taking things personally, not making assumptions, and always doing my best; these four promises are tough to keep. Still, once I made myself aware of these four promises, things have started shifting in a positive direction.
“The Four Agreements” has left a permanent mark on my life, and I am sure this ‘simple to read’ book will do the same to you.
BOOK 11 : The Art of Happiness
by Dalai Lama
“The Art of Happiness” – by HH Dalia Lama XIV & Howard C Cutler
The Art of Happiness
Happy people have it a lot better than unhappy people. Studies show you’re more likely to pick up a better mate, more satisfying marriages, more likely to be a better parent, better immune system and live an extra 10 years. It also leads to better mental resilience and ability to deal with adversity or trauma. In the workplace, happy individuals perform much better and earn much more, than miserable employees watching the minutes tick throughout the day. These happy employees are more productive, loyal and take less sickies.
The Art of Happiness looks at happiness through different perspectives from two different authors. Firstly, the Western perspective from Howard Cutler, a relatively no-name psychiatrist out of the US. And the 14th Dalai Lama (The Dal from here on in), leader in Tibetan Buddhism and bringing the perspective from the east. Although perspectives differ, they attempt to drill things down to the basic human level. Here the little distinctions like gender, race, religion, culture and language don’t matter. There are similarities that all of us share in being part of the human race.
Buddhism doesn’t seem to be relevant to us in the Western world. It seems to be only for those wild monks who are willing to give up iPhones and Pizza to hang out in a cave for a few decades. But if you look at the fundamentals of their beliefs, it seems like they’re onto something.
Buddhism is very different to Western religions. It isn’t a faith based system; the Buddha recommends that nobody blindly accepts his teachings. Rather, you should investigate the validity of it all, test the method for yourself and discard anything that looks like crap. So for the last 2500 years, Buddhists have been practicing techniques to train the mind and develop inner resources and been willing to discard what appears to be BS. Over time, they’re left with only the gold, the things that might be objectively true about human existence. More recently, Western science has validated what the Buddhists have been claiming for millennia.
The Purpose of Life
The purpose of life is pretty clear to The Big Dal. It is to seek happiness. It doesn’t matter what your religious beliefs are: all of us are seeking something better in life. To our Western minds, it doesn’t seem like the sort of thing you can develop and sustain by training the mind. According to Buddhism, happiness is an attainable goal.
There are obstacles between you and happiness. Even if you have a wild success and knock your goal out of the park, or severe failure that puts you into a depression, sooner or later you hit your baseline happiness. Psychologists call this hedonic adaptation. Researchers show that lottery winners are pretty stoked after winning as you’d imagine. But a year later this high wears off and they are back to normal…. Or even worse. I (Jonesy) once heard about an old school mate who won the lottery. He quit his job and ‘lived the life for a year’, travelling, taking drugs and eating all he wanted. When I saw him, it wasn’t clear if the lottery was this absolute joy that will solve all of our problems. He had transformed from a ripped handsome man to a chubby junky.
It is also the case for catastrophic events like cancer, blindness or paralysis. At the start it’s a kick in the balls like no other. But sooner or later, you’re back on the baseline. So this internal baseline is where it’s at. It doesn’t matter if the external events are good or bad, you’re going to gravitate back towards this point. Buddhism shows how to set this automatic baseline to a higher level.
The Comparing Mind
You could be hanging out in the Indian slums with $50 in your pocket and be much happier than a Westerner with $1 million in a bank. It doesn’t matter how well we’re doing financially, we tend to be dissatisfied if our neighbor is making more. As HL Menkcken from the pub said a wealthy man is “one whose income is $100 a year higher than his wife’s sister’s husband’.
As we can see, the feeling of life satisfaction depends on who you’re comparing yourself to. Obviously money is just one metric, you can also look at things like intelligence, beauty or just higher status. If you compare yourself to the people on the top of the hierarchy constantly, then you’re in a bit of trouble. But if you point your perspective radar in the opposite direction, to those who are less fortunate you can reflect on the things you have. Rather than being filled with envy and bitterness, you’ll be filled with gratitude and contentment.
Enemies
Generally, we don’t want to wish good things for our enemies. We’d love for them to get what’s coming for them. But even if your enemy is made unhappy, what is there for you to be joyful about? If you stop to think about it, nothing can be made for that. Buddhists pay a lot of attention to their rivals and enemies. This is because hatred is a stumbling block to our happiness. And if you’re able to practice patience and tolerance when enemies pop up, then everything else is much easier. So for a happiness practitioner, enemies play a critical role.
Imagine if you never had an enemy in the first place. You’d pop out into existence and everyone would pamper, hand feed you and make goo goo noises. If from infancy, you never faced challenges you’d never have a chance to grow. It might be cool at first, but sooner or later it turns into a monstrous reality. Having an enemy is a necessary condition for practicing patience. Your mates don’t usually test you and provide opportunities like this, compared to the enemy. So when you stumble across one, you should treat it with gratitude.
If your boss is being a dick, you should be grateful. This enemy is truly rare and the supply is limited. The struggle and the process of conflict leads to learning, examining, growth and insights.
Suffering
In the time of the Buddha, a woman named Kisagotami suffered the death of her only child. Unable to accept it, she ran from person to person, seeking a medicine to restore her child to life. The Buddha was said to have such medicine. Kisagotami went to the Buddha, paid homage and asked “can you make a medicine that will restore my child?”.
“I know of such a medicine” the Buddha replied. “But in order to make it, I need certain ingredients”
Relieved the woman asked “What ingredients do you require?”
“Bring me a handful of mustard seeds… I require the mustard seed to be taken from a household where no child, spouse, parent or servant has died”.
The woman agreed and began going from house to house in search of hte mustard seed. At each house the people agreed to give her the seed, but when she asked them if anyone had died in that household, she could find no home where death had not visited
In one house a daughter, in another a servant, in others a husband or parent had died
Kisogatami was not able to find a home free from the suffering of death
Seeing she was not alone in her grief, the mother let go of her child’s lifeless body and returned to the Buddha, who said with great compassion: “you though you alone had lost a son, the law of death is that among all living creatures, there is no permanence”
Kisagotami’s search shows that no one lives free from suffering and loss. It doesn’t matter how bad things may seem for you, everyone at some point is going to feel the same pain. Suffering is inevitable and a universal phenomenon.
Throughout your day, problems are about to arise. The biggest problems are inevitable: you can’t get your old fella up any more, loss of memory with old age, illness and death. Trying to avoid these might provide temporary relief, but sooner or later they’ll rear their ugly heads. If you’ve got the kahunas to confront your suffering, you’re more likely to appreciate the nature of the problem. It may be scary, but you’re in a much better position to deal with them than if you looked to avoid them.
Rather than accept suffering, some prefer to go with the feeling “Oh I shouldn’t be experiencing this! Why me!”. They feel like they don’t deserve to suffer, that they are some victim. This basic outlook is that suffering is negative and should be avoided at all costs. Although pain and suffering is experienced in all human beings, those in the East have a greater acceptance of it. Partly due to spiritual teachings like those from Buddhism and partly due to suffering being so obvious everywhere in the streets.
But us in the Western world have gone the other way. We carry the hope and belief that life is mostly fair and that they are good people who deserve good things to happen to them. If the world doesn’t cater to these expectations, they can become severely depressed and unhappy. If I’m unhappy, I must be the victim of something or someone. They might blame the government, the education system, parents, the other gender or their partner.
Shifting Perspective
Once there was a disciple of a Greek philosopher who was commanded by his master for 3 years to give money to everyone who insulted him. When this period of trial was finally over, the Master said to him “now you can go to Athens and learn wisdom”. When the disciple was entering, he met a certain wise man who sat at the gate insulting everybody who came and went. He also insulted the disciple who burst out laughing “why do you laugh when I insult you” said the wise man. “Because for 3 years I’ve been paying for this kind of thing and now you give it to me for nothing”. “Enter the city” said the wise man, “it’s all yours”.
This 4th Century story shows the value of suffering and hardship. The willingness of the disciple to shift perspective of obstacles, meant the world was his. No matter what the world threw at him, he’d perceive it in a different way.
The ability for us to shift perspectives is the most powerful tool to help cope with our problems. By practicing this, certain tragedies allow us to develop a calmness of mind.
BOOK12 : In Screw It!,AS YOU CAN SEE YEAA RAP N ROLL BABY let’s Do it author and entrepreneur Richard Branson’s outlines his guidelines for living life, running a business and achieving your goals.
Learn these and other simple truths, and I hope you will be inspired to get the most out of your life and to achieve your goals. People will always try to talk you out of ideas and say: ‘it can’t be done,’ but if you have faith in yourself you’ll find you can achieve almost anything.
· Have faith in yourself
· Believe that anything can be done
· Live life to the full
· Never give up
Just Do It
It doesn’t matter what’s the challenge is, whether it’s business or personal, if it’s something you enjoy, just do it. You’ll be glad you did.
· Believe It Can Be Done
· Have Goals
· Live Life to Full
· Never Give Up
· Prepare Well
· Have Faith in Yourself
· Help Each Other
Have Fun!
Having fun should be at the core of your business. Concentrate on having fun and the money will follow. Richard wanted to buy Necker in the British Virgin Islands but didn’t have the money. So he borrowed the money to fund his fun i.e. The money will come some how. Long term, you won’t make money if profit is the goal. Make the goal to have fun and your passion will drive success.
· Have Fun, Work Hard and Money Will Come
· Don’t Waste Time – Grab Your Chances
· Have a Positive Outlook On Life
· When it’s Not Fun, Move On
Be Bold
Whatever your dream is, go for it. Always beware if the risks are too random or too hard to predict, but remember, if you opt for a safe life, you will never know what it’s like to win. Have no regrets, think big and go for it.
· Calculate the Risks and Take Them
· Believe in Yourself
· Chase Your Dreams and Goals
· Have No Regrets
· Be Bold
· Keep Your Word
Challenge Yourself
Challenge is the core and mainspring of all human action. If there’s an ocean, we cross it. If there’s disease, we cure it. If there’s a wrong we right it. If there’s record, we break it. And if there’s a mountain, we climb it.
· Aim high
· Try New Things
· Always Try
· Challenge Yourself
Stand on Your Own Feet
There’ nothing like being your own boss and making decisions on your terms. Make sure you stand on your own two feet, rely on yourself and do all you can to make yourself a stronger, better person.
1. Rely on Yourself
2. Chase your Dreams but Live in the Real World.
3. Work Together
Live the Moment
Money is important. But the bottom line is money is just a means to an end, not an end in itself. And what is going on now is just as important as what you’re planning for the future.
1. Love Life and Live It To The full
2. Enjoy the Moment
3. Reflect on your Life
4. Make Every Second Count
5. Don’t Have Regrets
Value Family and Friends
We all need a strong support network. Even though I was taught to stand on my own feet, without my loyal family and friends I would be lost.
1. Put the Family and the Team First
2. Be Loyal
3. Face Problems Head On
4. Money is for Making Things Happen
5. Pick the Right People and Reward Talent
Have Respect
If you’re starting in business and ask me if I have a lesson for you, I’d say. ‘Be fair in all your dealings. Don’t cheat – but aim to win.’ This rule should extend to your private life. My motto is, ‘Never do anything if it means you can’t sleep at night.’ It’s a good rule to follow. Be polite to everyone around you. Not just those you’re trying to impress. Look after your reputation and family name. Money means nothing if you’re not trusted.
1. Be Polite and Respectful
2. Do the Right Thing
3. Keep Your Good Name
4. Be Fair in All Your Dealings
Do Some Good
Business people are in a unique position to do good and evoke change. Create the change you want to see and be genuine i.e. Not just to look good.
1. Change the World, Even if in a Small Way
2. Make a Difference and Help Others
3. Do No Harm
4. Always Think What You Can Do To Help
BOOK 13 :
The Power of Now shows you that every minute you spend worrying about the future or regretting the past is a minute lost, because really all you have to live in is the present, the now, and gives you actionable strategies to start living every minute as it occurs.
‘REALIZE DEEPLY THAT THE PRESENT MOMENT IS ALL YOU HAVE, MAKE THE NOW THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF YOUR LIFE’ - ECKHART TOLE-
Leading a very troubled and problematic life, coined by many periods of serious depression, Eckhart Tolle found peace overnight, quite literally.
Plagued by depressing late-night thoughts, he started questioning what it is that made his life so unbearable and found the answer in his “I” – the self-generated from the power of his thoughts in his mind. The next morning he woke up and felt very much at peace because he’d somehow managed to lose his worrier-self and live entirely in the now, the present moment.
After spending several years doing nothing but enjoying his new-found peace, eventually people started asking him questions – so he answered. Eckhart started teaching and published The Power of Now in 1997, which eventually went on to become a New York Times bestseller in 2000 after Oprah Winfrey fell in love with it and recommended it.
Here are 3 lessons from it to help you worry and regret less:
Life is just a series of present moments.
All pain is a result of resistance to the things you cannot change.
You can free yourself from pain by constantly observing your mind and not judging your thoughts.
Ready for a trip to this beautiful place called the present? Let’s go!
Lesson 1: All life is, is a series of present moments.
If I asked 100 people to name the two most common bad feelings they can think of, 99 of them would probably respond with regret and anxiety.
Wouldn’t you?
The reason we regret and worry about a lot of things lies in the way our minds work. The constant stream of consciousness and thoughts in our head, which plays 24/7 in our heads, is mostly preoccupied with 2 things: the past and the future.
When you wake up 10 minutes too late in the morning, what’s the first thing you think? “Shit, I overslept, I wish I hadn’t hit the snooze button.” closely followed by “Oh no, now I’ll be late for work, I’m sure my boss will yell at me!” – and voilà, you’ve ruined at least the first half of your day.
Tolle says that the only important time is the one we think about the least: the present. The reason only the present matters is that everything happens here. Everything you feel and sense takes place in the present. When you think about it, the past is nothing more than all present moments that have gone by, and the future is just the collection of present moments waiting to arrive.
Therefore, living in any other moment than the present is useless. If your task is to hand in a research paper in 14 days, neither regretting all this time you procrastinated nor worrying about the big workload that’s to come will actually help get you there.
But if you just start solving the first tiny problem and come up with an outline, it’s all downhill from there.
Lesson 2: Any pain you feel results from resisting the things you can’t change.
I’m a big fan of stoicism. Part of their philosophy includes the idea that the only pain you really suffer is the one you create yourself.
Tolle would surely agree since he argues that pain is nothing more than the result of you resisting to all the things you cannot change. We think a lot about the future and the past, but can live only in the present and have therefore no means to change many things from the other two that we’re unhappy about.
Then we fill the gap between these by developing a resistance to these things, which is what we experience as pain, whether psychological or physical.
When you’re angry, that anger usually makes you think and act less rational, which more often than not results in a worse situation and thus, more pain – but it’s really all in your head.
Lesson 3: You can free yourself from pain by constantly observing your mind and not judging your thoughts.
How then, can you get rid of pain? Tolle recommends 2 things:
1. Constantly ask yourself: “What will my next thought be?”
2. Stop judging your thoughts and urges.
The first strategy is based on an effect from physics, called the quantum zeno effect. It says that you can freeze any system in its current state by constantly observing it. Asking yourself this question over and over will usually delay your actual next thought, thus giving you enough time to realize how much time you actually spend in autopilot mode. This way you can start interrupting your mind and thus separating from it.
The second method is meant to help you listen to your body and learn to accept the constant, nagging thoughts in your head, about what you should be doing or not doing. The next time you do wake up late for work, just listen to that voice that says “You should’ve done better!”, but don’t act on it. Notice it, see it, accept that it’s there, but don’t give in to its advice.
These two tools will help you separate your body from your always-on, thought-driven mind, after which you’ll be in less pain because you resist the things you can’t change a lot less.
BOOK 14 :
Thinking Fast And Slow Summary
1-Sentence-Summary: Thinking Fast And Slow shows you how two systems in your brain are constantly fighting over control of your behavior and actions, and teaches you the many ways in which this leads to errors in memory, judgment and decisions, and what you can do about it.
Say what you will, they don’t hand out the Nobel prize for economics like it’s a slice of pizza. Ergo, when Daniel Kahneman does something, it’s worth paying attention to.
His 2011 book, Thinking Fast And Slow, deals with the two systems in our brain, whose fighting over who’s in charge makes us prone to errors and false decisions.
It shows you where you can and can’t trust your gut feeling and how to act more mindfully and make better decisions.
Here are 3 good lessons to know what’s going on up there:
1. Your behavior is determined by 2 systems in your mind – one conscious and the other automatic.
2. Your brain is lazy and thus keeps you from using the full power of your intelligence.
3. When you’re making decisions about money, leave your emotions at home.
Want to school your brain? Let’s take a field trip through the mind!
Lesson 1: Your behavior is determined by 2 systems in your mind – one conscious and the other automatic.
Kahneman labels the 2 systems in your mind as follows.
System 1 is automatic and impulsive.
It’s the system you use when someone sketchy enters the train and you instinctively turn towards the door and what makes you eat the entire bag of chips in front of the TV when you just wanted to have a small bowl.
System 1 is a remnant from our past, and it’s crucial to our survival. Not having to think before jumping away from a car when it honks at you is quite useful, don’t you think?
System 2 is very conscious, aware and considerate.
It helps you exert self-control and deliberately focus your attention. This system is at work when you’re meeting a friend and trying to spot them in a huge crowd of people, as it helps you recall how they look and filter out all these other people.
System 2 is one of the most ‘recent’ additions to our brain and only a few thousand years old. It’s what helps us succeed in today’s world, where our priorities have shifted from getting food and shelter to earning money, supporting a family and making many complex decisions.
However, these 2 systems don’t just perfectly alternate or work together. They often fight over who’s in charge and this conflict determines how you act and behave.
Lesson 2: Your brain is lazy and causes you to make intellectual errors.
Here’s an easy trick to show you how this conflict of 2 systems affects you, it’s called the bat and ball problem.
A baseball bat and a ball cost $1.10. The bat costs $1 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?
I’ll give you a second.
…
Got it?
If your instant and initial answer is $0.10, I’m sorry to tell you that system 1 just tricked you.
Do the math again.
And?
Once you spent a minute or two actually thinking about it, you’ll see that the ball must cost $0.05. Then, if the bat costs $1 more, it comes out to $1.05, which, combined, gives you $1.10.
Fascinating, right? What happened here?
When system 1 faces a tough problem it can’t solve, it’ll call system 2 into action to work out the details.
But sometimes your brain perceives problems as simpler as they actually are. System 1 thinks it can handle it, even though it actually can’t, and you end up making a mistake.
Why does your brain do this? Just as with habits, it wants to save energy. The law of least effort states that your brain uses the minimum amount of energy for each task it can get away with.
So when it seems system 1 can handle things, it won’t activate system 2. In this case, though, it leads you to not use all of your IQ points, even though you’d actually need to, so our brain limits our intelligence by being lazy.
Lesson 3: When you’re making decisions about money, leave your emotions at home.
Even though Milton Friedman’s research about economics built the foundation of today’s work in the field, eventually we came to grips with the fact that the homo oeconomicus, the man (or woman) who only acts based on rational thinking, first introduced by John Stuart Mill, doesn’t quite resemble us.
Imagine these 2 scenarios:
1. You’re given $1,000. Then you have the choice between receiving another, fixed $500, or taking a 50% gamble to win another $1,000.
2. You’re given $2,000. Then you have the choice between losing $500, fixed, or taking a gamble with a 50% chance of losing another $1,000.
Which choice would you make for each one?
If you’re like most people, you would rather take the safe $500 in scenario 1, but the gamble in scenario 2. Yet the odds of ending up at $1,000, $1,500 or $2,000 are the exact same in both.
The reason has to do with loss aversion. We’re a lot more afraid to lose what we already have, as we are keen on getting more.
We also perceive value based on reference points. Starting at $2,000 makes you think you’re in a better starting position, which you want to protect.
Lastly, we get less sensitive about money (called diminishing sensitivity principle), the more we have. The loss of $500 when you have $2,000 seems smaller than the gain of $500 when you only have $1,000, so you’re more likely to take a chance.
Be aware of these things. Just knowing your emotions try to confuse you when it’s time to talk money will help you make better decisions. Try to consider statistics, probability and when the odds are in your favor, act accordingly.
Don’t let emotions get in the way where they have no business. After all, rule number 1 for any good poker player is “Leave your emotions at home.”
BOOK 15 :
The Magic of Thinking Big Short Summary
The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz is a book on self-belief and confidence. It will teach you how to think and act positively towards self, others, and the conduct of your business. A good book with many life-changing lessons on the power of self-belief.
Executive Summary
Success comes down to how you think. If you think negatively, you will get negative results and if you think positively, you will get positive results.
Successful people know this and use the power of belief to live more fulfilling lives.
Thinking big works like magic. It will open new ways of solving problems, encourage action, help you to conquer your fears, and even earn you the respect of your friends and peers.
Thinking big begins with believing in yourself.
Believe You Can Succeed and You Will
Belief is central to success. How successful you are is determined by the size of your own thinking.
If you think small, expect small results. Think big and big things will start happening to you.
With belief comes the will to do things and once you start getting things done, opportunities will open for you.
Belief not only inspires action but also opens the mind to new ways of looking at things.
“The how to do it comes from the person who believes he can do it.”
To develop the power of belief:
Think success, not failure. Condition yourself to think positive thoughts
Constantly remind yourself that you are better than you think you are. Don’t sell yourself short.
Believe big
How successful you are will be determined by the size of your own belief.
The Failure Disease: Cure Yourself of Excusitis
Excusitis: the endless reasons people come up with to explain why they cannot be successful
Successful people don’t suffer from this disease. They don’t make excuses for not getting things done. They learn from their mistakes and persevere when things get hard.
“The more successful the individual, the less inclined he is to make excuses.”
The four most common excuses that unsuccessful people make:
Bad health
Not enough intelligence
“I’m too old or too young”
Bad luck
All these reasons are just excuses.
Even if your health is bad, you can still find the strength to have a positive attitude that will allow you to make good of what time you have left.
And if you worry that you don’t have the brains, remember that you are likely underestimating yourself.
And there is more to success than just having brains. Having the right attitude can get you just as far.
Build Confidence and Destroy Fear
Succumbing to fear and not having enough confidence is one of the reasons why people don’t succeed.
“Fear – Uncertainty, lack of confidence – explains why we still have economic recessions. Fear explains why millions of people accomplish little and enjoy little.”
It stems from mismanaged negative imagination which means that it can be cured with positive thoughts and actions.
To cure fear:
Act promptly. Postponing things breeds fear, so if you have to act, do it promptly
Only put positive thoughts in your memory bank. Do not fall into the trap of developing self-deprecatory thoughts
Put people in proper perspective. If you are afraid of people, realize that they are just like you with the same expectations and fears
Practice doing what your conscience says is right. “Doing what’s right is a very practical rule for success.”
Make everything about you say “I’m confident”. Be a front seater. Make eye contact. Walk 25% faster. Speak up Smile big
How to Think Big
The size of your thinking determines the scale of your accomplishments.
To start thinking big:
Don’t sell yourself short. Know your worth by concentrating on your assets. Often, you will find that you are better than you think you are
Use big thinkers’ vocabulary. Practice using big, bright, and cheerful words. Words that promise victory, happiness, hope, and so on
Stretch your vision. See what is possible not just what is. Practice adding value to people, yourself, and to situations
Get the big view of your job. Appreciate the things that you have. For example: start thinking that your job is important and your approach will change
Think above trivial things. Don’t be petty. Don’t engage in pointless arguments. Ask yourself “Is this really important?”
How to Think and Dream Creatively
Creative Thinking: finding new, improved ways to do anything. If you can find different ways to do something better then you will surely be successful
To strengthen your creative ability:
Believe that it can be done. Your mind will find a way
Tradition should not paralyze your mind. Have an open mind that is receptive to new ideas. Be experimental and progressive
Ask yourself ‘how can I do better’? Self-improvement has no limit and if you look for ways to improve, you will find them
Capacity is a state of mind. Make a habit of asking yourself daily ‘how can I do more?’. There is always room to get things done even when you are too busy
Practice asking and listening. “Big people monopolize the listening. Small people monopolize the talking.”
Stretch your mind. Befriend people who can help you think better
You Are What You Think You Are
People see us the way we see ourselves. If you see yourself in great light, people will treat you the same way.
How you look, how seriously you take yourself is reflected in how other people treat you.
To improve how others see you:
Look important. A good appearance will boost your confidence and spirits. Think your work is important.
Sell yourself to yourself. Give yourself a pep talk each day. Remind yourself that you are an important person.
Always ask yourself “is this how an important person thinks?”
Manage Your Environment: Go First Class
The environment shapes how we think and act.
For example:
Prolonged exposure to negative people makes us think negatively and close contact with petty people makes us behave in petty ways.
On the other hand, close contact with bright and energetic people gives us ambition and drive.
“Big men do not laugh at big ideas.”
To manage your environment:
Stay conscious and be mindful of the things in your environment
Make your environment work for you rather than against you; avoid negative people
Don’t listen to small-thinking people
Get your advice from successful people
To refresh your mind, find new and stimulating things to do
Throw out poison from your environment. Always stay positive and way from things like gossip.
Go first class in all that you do. You cannot afford otherwise.
Make Your Attitudes Your Allies
The way to read the minds of other people is by observing their attitudes. Attitudes speak volumes about a person’s chances of success.
To grow the right attitude:
Grow “the I’m activated attitude”. Show enthusiasm in everything that you do. The results that you get are proportional to the enthusiasm that you show.
Grow “you are important attitude”. Learn to see and treat others with respect. People are willing to do more for you if when you make them feel important.
Grow the service first attitude by giving people more than they expect to get.
Think Right Toward People
Your success depends on the support of other people.
If people like you for your character and the way that you carry yourself around, then you will get promotions, earn praise, and accomplish a lot in life.
Being likable makes you lighter to lift.
To think right towards people:
Make yourself lighter to lift. Practice being likable. Ask yourself what it is that people like about others and copy those traits.
Take the initiative in building friendships. Get people’s names straight. Introduce yourself to others. Drop personal notes to your new friends telling them that you’d want to know them better.
Accept differences in people and their limitations. No one is perfect so don’t be too harsh in your judgment of others.
Tune in to the positive channel in your brain. Find admirable qualities in others. If you think positively towards people, you will get positive results.
Practice conversation generosity. Give others time to express themselves.
Show courtesy to other people. Showing courtesy makes other people feel better about themselves
Don’t blame others for your setbacks. How you think when you lose determines how long it will be until you win.
Get the Action Habit
Everything that you can see around you from houses to baby food is an idea that was acted upon. You should act on your ideas if you want to be successful.
To act on your ideas:
Be an activationist or someone who gets things done. Don’t postpone it. Don’t make excuses. Just get it done.
Don’t wait for perfect conditions. There are no perfect conditions. No right time.
Ideas alone will not bring success. Ideas only have value if acted upon.
Use action to cure your fears and build initiative. Taking the first step will make your fears disappear.
Start your mental engine with a task (mechanically). Don’t sit around waiting for motivation or the right feeling.
Start now not tomorrow, next week, next month or later. Procrastination is a path to failure.
Start acting. Don’t waste time preparing to act.
Seize the initiative. Show that you have the ability and the will to get things done.
How to Turn Defeat into Victory
No matter what you do in life there will be setbacks. The question is how you will deal with them.
“How you handle the hardships will ultimately determine how successful you become.”
To turn defeat to victory:
Learn from your mistakes. Setbacks present learning opportunities don’t waste them.
Be your own constructive critic. Be on the lookout for your own mistakes, faults, and weaknesses. Correcting them makes you look professional.
Stop blaming luck. Research your setbacks and find out what went wrong. Be willing to try new approaches.
Blend persistence with experimentation. If things don’t work, try a different strategy. Eventually, some path will open.
Remember every situation has a good side. Find the good side and whip discouragement.
Use Goals to Help You Grow
You will not be able to achieve anything unless you set goals. Goals work as pointers to the destination that you are trying to get to.
To set effective goals:
Create an image of where you want to be in ten years
Write down your ten-year plan. You cannot leave things to chance. Life is too important to leave things to chance.
Surrender to your desires. Set goals for every aspect of your life.
Let your most important goal guide you.
Achieve your goals one step at a time.
Build goals for every day of your life. The day-by-day effort pays off.
Take detours in stride; take different routes to the same goal.
Invest in yourself.
How to Think Like a Leader
Leadership is a necessary quality for success. Leaders are people whose success depends on how well they work with others.
To act like a leader:
Trade minds with the people you want to influence. See things through the eyes of the people you want to lead. It is easier to bring them on board with your ideas that way.
Think “What is the human way to handle this”. Put other people first and they will reciprocate.
Think progress. Believe in progress. Push for progress. Make progress a daily goal in everything that you do.
Take time to confer with yourself. Clear your mind by spending time alone to regenerate your creative powers.
BOOK 16 : THIS ONE NEEDS A LITTLE BIT FOCUS
Atomic Habits by James Clear
The Book in Three Sentences
· An atomic habit is a regular practice or routine that is not only small and easy to do but is also the source of incredible power; a component of the system of compound growth.
· Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don’t want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change.
· Changes that seem small and unimportant at first will compound into remarkable results if you’re willing to stick with them for years.
The Five Big Ideas
· Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement.
· If you want better results, then forget about setting goals. Focus on your system instead.
· The most effective way to change your habits is to focus not on what you want to achieve, but on who you wish to become.
· The Four Laws of Behavior Change are a simple set of rules we can use to build better habits. They are (1) make it obvious, (2) make it attractive, (3) make it easy, and (4) make it satisfying.
· Environment is the invisible hand that shapes human behavior.
Atomic Habits Summary
Chapter 1: The Surprising Power of Tiny Habits
“Success is the product of daily habits—not once-in-a-lifetime transformations.”
“You should be far more concerned with your current trajectory than with your current results.”
“Your outcomes are a lagging measure of your habits. Your net worth is a lagging measure of your financial habits. Your weight is a lagging measure of your eating habits. Your knowledge is a lagging measure of your learning habits. Your clutter is a lagging measure of your cleaning habits. You get what you repeat.”
“Time magnifies the margin between success and failure. It will multiply whatever you feed it. Good habits make time your ally. Bad habits make time your enemy.”
“Goals are about the results you want to achieve. Systems are about the processes that lead to those results.”
“If you want to predict where you’ll end up in life, all you have to do is follow the curve of tiny gains or tiny losses, and see how your daily choices will compound ten or twenty years down the line.”
“Breakthrough moments are often the result of many previous actions, which build up the potential required to unleash a major change.”
If you find yourself struggling to build a good habit or break a bad one, it is not because you have lost your ability to improve. It is often because you have not yet crossed what James calls, “Plateau of Latent Potential.”
“When you finally break through the Plateau of Latent Potential, people will call it an overnight success.”
“The purpose of setting goals is to win the game. The purpose of building systems is to continue playing the game. True long-term thinking is goal-less thinking. It’s not about any single accomplishment. It is about the cycle of endless refinement and continuous improvement.”
“Ultimately, it is your commitment to the process that will determine your progress.”
“Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement.”
“Getting 1 percent better every day counts for a lot in the long-run.”
“Habits are a double-edged sword. They can work for you or against you, which is why understanding the details is essential.”
“Small changes often appear to make no difference until you cross a critical threshold. The most powerful outcomes of any compounding process are delayed. You need to be patient.”
“An atomic habit is a little habit that is part of a larger system. Just as atoms are the building blocks of molecules, atomic habits are the building blocks of remarkable results.”
“If you want better results, then forget about setting goals. Focus on your system instead.”
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
Chapter 2: How Your Habits Shape Your Identity (and Vice Versa)
“Changing our habits is challenging for two reasons: (1) we try to change the wrong thing and (2) we try to change our habits in the wrong way.”
“There are three layers of behavior change: a change in your outcomes, a change in your processes, or a change in your identity.”
“Outcomes are about what you get. Processes are about what you do. Identity is about what you believe.”
“With outcome-based habits, the focus is on what you want to achieve. With identity-based habits, the focus is on who you wish to become.”
“The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is when a habit becomes part of your identity.”
“It is a simple two-step process: Decide the type of person you want to be. Prove it to yourself with small wins.”
“Ask yourself, “Who is the type of person that could get the outcome I want?”
“The most effective way to change your habits is to focus not on what you want to achieve, but on who you wish to become.”
“Your identity emerges out of your habits. Every action is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.”
“Becoming the best version of yourself requires you to continuously edit your beliefs, and to upgrade and expand your identity.”
“The real reason habits matter is not because they can get you better results (although they can do that), but because they can change your beliefs about yourself.”
Chapter 3: How to Build Better Habits in 4 Simple Steps
Whenever you want to change your behavior, ask yourself:
· How can I make it obvious?
· How can I make it attractive?
· How can I make it easy?
· How can I make it satisfying?
“A habit is a behavior that has been repeated enough times to become automatic.”
“The ultimate purpose of habits is to solve the problems of life with as little energy and effort as possible.”
“Any habit can be broken down into a feedback loop that involves four steps: cue, craving, response, and reward.”
“The Four Laws of Behavior Change are a simple set of rules we can use to build better habits. They are (1) make it obvious, (2) make it attractive, (3) make it easy, and (4) make it satisfying.”
Chapter 4: The Man Who Didn’t Look Right
“If you’re having trouble determining how to rate a particular habit, ask yourself: ‘Does this behavior help me become the type of person I wish to be? Does this habit cast a vote for or against my desired identity?’”
“With enough practice, your brain will pick up on the cues that predict certain outcomes without consciously thinking about it.”
“Once our habits become automatic, we stop paying attention to what we are doing.”
“The process of behavior change always starts with awareness. You need to be aware of your habits before you can change them.”
“Pointing-and-Calling raises your level of awareness from a nonconscious habit to a more conscious level by verbalizing your actions.”
“The Habits Scorecard is a simple exercise you can use to become more aware of your behavior.”
Chapter 5: The Best Way to Start a New Habit
“The 1st Law of Behavior Change is make it obvious.”
“Many people think they lack motivation when what they really lack is clarity.”
“The Diderot Effect states that obtaining a new possession often creates a spiral of consumption that leads to additional purchases.”
“One of the best ways to build a new habit is to identify a current habit you already do each day and then stack your new behavior on top. This is called habit stacking.”
“The habit stacking formula is: ‘After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].’”
“The two most common cues are time and location.”
“Creating an implementation intention is a strategy you can use to pair a new habit with a specific time and location.”
“The implementation intention formula is: I will [BEHAVIOR] at [TIME] in [LOCATION].”
“Habit stacking is a strategy you can use to pair a new habit with a current habit.”
“The habit stacking formula is: After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].”
Chapter 6: Motivation is Overrated; Environment Often Matters More
“Environment is the invisible hand that shapes human behavior.”
“Small changes in context can lead to large changes in behavior over time.”
“Every habit is initiated by a cue. We are more likely to notice cues that stand out.”
“Make the cues of good habits obvious in your environment.”
“Gradually, your habits become associated not with a single trigger but with the entire context surrounding the behavior. The context becomes the cue.”
“It is easier to build new habits in a new environment because you are not fighting against old cues.”
Chapter 7: The Secret to Self-Control
“The inversion of the 1st Law of Behavior Change is make it invisible.”
“Once a habit is formed, it is unlikely to be forgotten.”
“People with high self-control tend to spend less time in tempting situations. It’s easier to avoid temptation than resist it.”
“One of the most practical ways to eliminate a bad habit is to reduce exposure to the cue that causes it.”
“Self-control is a short-term strategy, not a long-term one.”
Chapter 8: How to Make a Habit Irresistible
“The 2nd Law of Behavior Change is make it attractive.”
“The more attractive an opportunity is, the more likely it is to become habit-forming.”
“Habits are a dopamine-driven feedback loop. When dopamine rises, so does our motivation to act.”
“It is the anticipation of a reward—not the fulfillment of it—that gets us to take action. The greater the anticipation, the greater the dopamine spike.”
“Temptation bundling is one way to make your habits more attractive. The strategy is to pair an action you want to do with an action you need to do.”
Chapter 9: The Role of Family and Friends in Shaping Your Habits
“The culture we live in determines which behaviors are attractive to us.”
“We tend to adopt habits that are praised and approved of by our culture because we have a strong desire to fit in and belong to the tribe.”
“We tend to imitate the habits of three social groups: the close (family and friends), the many (the tribe), and the powerful (those with status and prestige).”
“One of the most effective things you can do to build better habits is to join a culture where (1) your desired behavior is the normal behavior and (2) you already have something in common with the group.”
“The normal behavior of the tribe often overpowers the desired behavior of the individual. Most days, we’d rather be wrong with the crowd than be right by ourselves.”
“If a behavior can get us approval, respect, and praise, we find it attractive.”
Chapter 10: How to Find and Fix The Cause of Your Bad Habits
“The inversion of the 2nd Law of Behavior Change is make it unattractive.”
“Every behavior has a surface level craving and a deeper underlying motive.”
“Your habits are modern-day solutions to ancient desires.”
“The cause of your habits is actually the prediction that precedes them. The prediction leads to a feeling.”
“Highlight the benefits of avoiding a bad habit to make it seem unattractive.”
“Habits are attractive when we associate them with positive feelings and unattractive when we associate them with negative feelings. Create a motivation ritual by doing something you enjoy immediately before a difficult habit.”
Chapter 11: Walk Slowly, But Never Backward
“The 3rd Law of Behavior Change is make it easy.”
“The most effective form of learning is practice, not planning.”
“Focus on taking action, not being in motion.”
“Habit formation is the process by which a behavior becomes progressively more automatic through repetition.”
“The amount of time you have been performing a habit is not as important as the number of times you have performed it.”
Chapter 12: The Law of Least Effort
“Human behavior follows the Law of Least Effort.”
“We will naturally gravitate toward the option that requires the least amount of work.”
“Create an environment where doing the right thing is as easy as possible.”
“Reduce the friction associated with good behaviors. When friction is low, habits are easy.”
“Increase the friction associated with bad behaviors. When friction is high, habits are difficult.”
“Prime your environment to make future actions easier.”
Chapter 13: How to Stop Procrastinating by Using the Two-Minute Rule
Every day, there are a handful of moments that deliver an outsized impact. James refers to these little choices as “decisive moments.”
“Decisive moments set the options available to your future self.”
“A habit must be established before it can be improved.”
“Habits can be completed in a few seconds but continue to impact your behavior for minutes or hours afterward.”
“Many habits occur at decisive moments—choices that are like a fork in the road—and either send you in the direction of a productive day or an unproductive one.”
“The Two-Minute Rule states, ‘When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do.’”
“The more you ritualize the beginning of a process, the more likely it becomes that you can slip into the state of deep focus that is required to do great things.”
“Standardize before you optimize. You can’t improve a habit that doesn’t exist.”
Chapter 14: How to Make Good Habits Inevitable and Bad Habits Impossible
“The inversion of the 3rd Law of Behavior Change is make it difficult.”
“A commitment device is a choice you make in the present that locks in better behavior in the future.”
“The ultimate way to lock in future behavior is to automate your habits.”
“Onetime choices—like buying a better mattress or enrolling in an automatic savings plan—are single actions that automate your future habits and deliver increasing returns over time.”
“Using technology to automate your habits is the most reliable and effective way to guarantee the right behavior.”
Chapter 15: The Cardinal Rule of Behavior Change
“The 4th Law of Behavior Change is make it satisfying.”
“We are more likely to repeat a behavior when the experience is satisfying.”
“The human brain evolved to prioritize immediate rewards over delayed rewards.”
“The Cardinal Rule of Behavior Change: What is immediately rewarded is repeated. What is immediately punished is avoided.”
“To get a habit to stick you need to feel immediately successful—even if it’s in a small way.”
“The first three laws of behavior change—make it obvious, make it attractive, and make it easy—increase the odds that a behavior will be performed this time. The fourth law of behavior change—make it satisfying—increases the odds that a behavior will be repeated next time.”
Chapter 16: How to Stick with Good Habits Every Day
“Named after the economist Charles Goodhart, Goodhart’s Law states, ‘When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.’”
“One of the most satisfying feelings is the feeling of making progress.”
“A habit tracker is a simple way to measure whether you did a habit—like marking an X on a calendar.”
“Habit trackers and other visual forms of measurement can make your habits satisfying by providing clear evidence of your progress.”
“Don’t break the chain. Try to keep your habit streak alive.”
“Never miss twice. If you miss one day, try to get back on track as quickly as possible.”
“Just because you can measure something doesn’t mean it’s the most important thing.”
Chapter 17: How an Accountability Partner Changes Everything
“The inversion of the 4th Law of Behavior Change is make it unsatisfying.”
“We are less likely to repeat a bad habit if it is painful or unsatisfying.”
“An accountability partner can create an immediate cost to inaction. We care deeply about what others think of us, and we do not want others to have a lesser opinion of us.”
“A habit contract can be used to add a social cost to any behavior. It makes the costs of violating your promises public and painful.”
“Knowing that someone else is watching you can be a powerful motivator.”
Chapter 18: The Truth About Talent (When Genes Matter and When They Don’t)
“The secret to maximizing your odds of success is to choose the right field of competition.”
“Pick the right habit and progress is easy. Pick the wrong habit and life is a struggle.”
“Genes cannot be easily changed, which means they provide a powerful advantage in favorable circumstances and a serious disadvantage in unfavorable circumstances.”
“Habits are easier when they align with your natural abilities. Choose the habits that best suit you.”
“Play a game that favors your strengths. If you can’t find a game that favors you, create one.”
“Genes do not eliminate the need for hard work. They clarify it. They tell us what to work hard on.”
Chapter 19: The Goldilocks Rule—How to Stay Motivated in Life and Work
“The Goldilocks Rule states that humans experience peak motivation when working on tasks that are right on the edge of their current abilities.”
“The greatest threat to success is not failure but boredom.”
“As habits become routine, they become less interesting and less satisfying. We get bored.”
“Anyone can work hard when they feel motivated. It’s the ability to keep going when work isn’t exciting that makes the difference.”
“Professionals stick to the schedule; amateurs let life get in the way.”
Chapter 20: The Downside of Creating Good Habits
“The upside of habits is that we can do things without thinking. The downside is that we stop paying attention to little errors.”
“Habits + Deliberate Practice = Mastery”
“Reflection and review is a process that allows you to remain conscious of your performance over time.”
“The tighter we cling to an identity, the harder it becomes to grow beyond it.”
BOOK 17 : Then, Haw stuck his head out and peered anxiously into the Maze. He thought about how he'd gotten himself into this cheeseless situation.
He had believed that there may not be any Cheese in the Maze, or he may not find it. Such fearful beliefs were immobilizing and killing him.
Haw smiled. He knew Hem was wondering,
"Who moved my cheese?" but Haw was wondering, "Why didn't I get up and move with the Cheese, sooner?"
As he started out into the Maze, Haw looked back to where he had come from and felt its comfort. He could feel himself being drawn back into familiar territory—even though he hadn't found Cheese here for some time.
Haw became more anxious and wondered if he really wanted to go out into the Maze. He wrote a saying on the wall ahead of him and stared at it for some time:
He thought about it.
He knew sometimes some fear can be good.
When you are afraid things are going to get worse if you don't do something, it can prompt you into action. But it is not good when you are so afraid that it keeps you from doing anything.
He looked to his right, to the part of the Maze where he had never been, and felt the fear.
Then, he took a deep breath, turned right into the Maze, and jogged slowly, into the unknown.
As he tried to find his way. Haw worried, at first, that he might have waited too long in Cheese Station C. He hadn't had any Cheese for so long that he was now weak. It took him longer and it was more painful than usual to get through the Maze.
He decided that if he ever got the chance again, he would get out of his comfort zone and adapt to change sooner. It would make things easier. Then, Haw smiled a weak smile as he thought, "Better late than never."
During the next several days, Haw found a little Cheese here and there, but nothing that lasted very long. He had hoped to find enough Cheese to take some back to Hem and encourage him to come out into the Maze.
But Haw didn't feel confident enough yet. He had to admit he found it confusing in the Maze.
Things seemed to have changed since the last time he was out here.
Just when he thought he was getting ahead, he would get lost in the corridors. It seemed his progress was two steps forward and one step backward. It was a challenge, but he had to admit that being back in the Maze, hunting for Cheese, wasn't nearly as bad as he feared it might be.
As time went on he began to wonder if it was realistic for him to expect to find New Cheese. He wondered if he had bitten off more than he could chew. Then he laughed, realizing that he had nothing to chew on at that moment.
Whenever he started to get discouraged, he reminded himself that what he was doing, as uncomfortable as it was at the moment, was in reality much better than staying in the Cheeseless situation. He was taking control, rather than simply letting things happen to him.
Then he reminded himself, if Sniff and Scurry could move on, so could he!
Later, as Haw looked back on things, he realized that the Cheese at Cheese Station C had not just disappeared overnight, as he had once believed.
The amount of Cheese that had been there toward the end had been getting smaller, and what was left had grown old. It didn't taste as good.
Mold may even have begun to grow on the Old Cheese, although he hadn't noticed it. He had to admit however, that if he had wanted to, he probably could have seen what was coming. But he didn't.
Haw now realized that the change probably would not have taken him by surprise if he had been watching what was happening all along and if he had anticipated change. Maybe that's what Sniff and Scurry had been doing.
He decided he would stay more alert from now on. He would expect change to happen and look for it. He would trust his basic instincts to sense when change was going to occur and be ready to adapt to it.
He stopped for a rest and wrote on the wall of the Maze:
Sometime later, after not finding Cheese for what seemed like a long time, Haw finally came across a huge Cheese Station, which looked promising. When he went inside, however, he was most disappointed to discover that the Cheese Station was empty.
"This empty feeling has happened to me too often," he thought. He felt like giving up. Haw was losing his physical strength. He knew he was lost and was afraid he would not survive.
He thought about turning around and heading back to Cheese Station C. At least, if he made it back, and Hem was still there, Haw wouldn't be alone.
Then he asked himself the same question again, "What would I do if I weren't afraid?"
Haw thought he was past his fear, but he was afraid more ofren than he liked to admit, even to himself. He wasn't always sure what he was afraid of, but, in his weakened condition, he knew now he was simply fearful of going on alone. Haw didn't know it, but he was running behind because he was still
weighed down by fearful beliefs.
Haw wondered if Hem had moved on, or if he was still paralyzed by his own fears. Then, Haw remembered the times when he had felt his best in the Maze. It was when he was moving along.
He wrote on the wall, knowing it was as much a reminder to himself as it was a marking for his friend Hem, hopefully, to follow:
Haw looked down the dark passageway and was aware of his fear. What lay ahead? Was it empty?
Or worse, were there dangers lurking? He began to imagine all kinds of frightening things that could happen to him. He was scaring himself to death.
Then he laughed at himself. He realized his fears were making things worse. So he did what he would do if he weren't afraid. He moved in a new direction.
As he started running down the dark corridor he began to smile. Haw didn't realize it yet, but he was discovering what nourished his soul. He was letting go and trusting what lay ahead for him, even though he did not know exactly what it was.
To his surprise, Haw started to enjoy himself more and more. "Why do I feel so good?" he wondered. "I don't have any Cheese and I don't know where I am going."
Before long, he knew why he felt good. He stopped to write again on the wall:
Haw realized he had been held captive by his own fear. Moving in a new direction had freed him. Now he felt the cool breeze that was blowing in this part of the Maze and it was refreshing. He took in some deep breaths and felt invigorated by the movement. Once he had gotten past his fear, it turned out to be more enjoyable than he once believed it could be.
Haw hadn't felt this way for a long time. He had almost forgotten how much fun it was to go for it.
To make things even better. Haw started to paint a picture in his mind again. He saw himself in great realistic detail, sitting in the middle of a pile of all his favorite cheeses—from Cheddar to Brie!
He saw himself eating the many cheeses he liked, and he enjoyed what he saw. Then he imagined how much he would enjoy all their great tastes.
The more clearly he saw the image of himself enjoying New Cheese, the more real and believable it became. He could sense that he was going to find it.
He wrote:
Haw kept thinking about what he could gain instead of what he was losing.
He wondered why he had always thought that a change would lead to something worse. Now he realized that change could lead to something better.
"Why didn't I see this before?" he asked himself.
Then he raced through the Maze with greater strength and agility. Before long he spotted a Cheese Station and became excited as he noticed little pieces of New Cheese near the entrance.
They were types of Cheese he had never seen before, but they looked great. He tried them and found that they were delicious. He ate most of the New Cheese bits that were available and put a few in his pocket to have later and perhaps share with Hem. He began to regain his strength.
He entered the Cheese Station with great excitement. But, to his dismay, he found it was empty. Someone had already been there and had left only the few bits of New Cheese.
He realized that if he had moved sooner, he would very likely have found a good deal of New Cheese here.
Haw decided to go back and see if Hem was ready to join him. As he retraced his steps, he stopped and wrote on the wall:
After a while Haw made his way back to Cheese Station C and found Hem. He offered Hem bits of New Cheese, but was turned down.
Hem appreciated his friend's gesture but said, "I don't think I would like New Cheese. It's not what I'm used to. I want my own Cheese back and I'm not going to change until I get what I want."
Haw just shook his head in disappointment and reluctantly went back out on his own. As he returned to the farthest point he had reached in the Maze, he missed his friend, but realized he liked what he was discovering. Even before he found what he hoped would be a great supply of New Cheese, if ever, he knew that what made him happy wasn't just having Cheese.
He was happy when he wasn't being run by his fear. He liked what he was doing now. Knowing this. Haw didn't feel as weak as he did when he stayed in Cheese Station C with no Cheese. Just realizing he was not letting his fear stop him, and knowing that he had taken a new direction, nourished him and gave him strength.
Now he felt that it was just a question of time before he found what he needed. In fact, he sensed he had already found what he was looking for.
He smiled as he realized:
Haw realized again, as he had once before, that what you are afraid of is never as bad as what you imagine. The fear you let build up in your mind is worse than the situation that actually exists.
He'd been so afraid of never finding New Cheese that he didn't even want to start looking.
But since starting his journey, he had found enough Cheese in the corridors to keep him going. Now he looked forward to finding more. Just looking ahead was becoming exciting.
His old thinking had been clouded by his worries and fears. He used to think about not having enough Cheese, or not having it last as long as he wanted. He used to think more about what could go wrong than what could go right.
But that had changed in the days since he had left Cheese Station C. He used to believe that Cheese should never be moved and that change
wasn't right.
Now he realized it was natural for change to continually occur, whether you expect it or not.
Change could surprise you only if you didn't expect it and weren't looking for it.
When he realized he had changed his beliefs, he paused to write on the wall:
Haw hadn't found any Cheese yet, but as he ran through the Maze, he thought about what he had already learned.
Haw now realized that his new beliefs were encouraging new behaviors. He was behaving differently than when he kept returning to the same cheeseless station.
He knew that when you change what you believe, you change what you do. You can believe that a change will harm you and resist it. Or you can believe that finding New Cheese will help you and embrace the change.
It all depends on what you choose to believe. He wrote on the wall:
Haw knew he would be in better shape now if he had dealt with the change much sooner and left Cheese Station C earlier. He would feel stronger in body and spirit and he could have coped better with the challenge of finding New Cheese. In fact, he probably would have found it by now if he had expected change, rather than wasting time denying that the change had already taken place.
He used his imagination again and saw himself finding and savoring New Cheese. He decided to proceed into the more unknown parts of the Maze, and found little bits of Cheese here and there. Haw began to regain his strength and confidence.
As he thought back on where he had come from. Haw was glad he had written on the wall in many places. He trusted that it would serve as a marked trail for Hem to follow through the Maze, if he ever chose to leave Cheese Station C.
Haw just hoped he was heading in the right direction. He thought about the possibility that Hem would read The Handwriting On The Wall and find his way.
He wrote on the wall what he had been thinking about for some time:
By now, Haw had let go of the past and was adapting to the present.
He continued on through the Maze with greater strength and speed. And before long, it happened. When it seemed like he had been in the Maze forever, his journey—or at least this part of his journey—ended quickly and happily.
Haw proceeded along a corridor that was new to him, rounded a corner, and found New Cheese at Cheese Station N!
When he went inside, he was startled by what he saw. Piled high everywhere was the greatest supply of Cheese he had ever seen. He didn't recognize all
that he saw, as some kinds of Cheese were new to him.
Then he wondered for a moment whether it was real or just his imagination, until he saw his old friends Sniff and Scurry.
Sniff welcomed Haw with a nod of his head, and Scurry waved his paw. Their fat little bellies showed that they had been here for some time.
Haw quickly said his hellos and soon took bites of every one of his favorite Cheeses. He pulled off his shoes, tied the laces together, and hung them around his neck in case he needed them again.
Sniff and Scurry laughed. They nodded their heads in admiration. Then Haw jumped into the New Cheese. When he had eaten his fill, he lifted a piece of fresh Cheese and made a toast. "Hooray for Change!"
As Haw enjoyed the New Cheese, he reflected on what he had learned. He realized that when he had been afraid to change he had been holding on to the illusion of Old Cheese that was no longer there.
So what was it that made him change? Was it the fear of starving to death? Haw smiled as he thought it certainly helped.
Then he laughed and realized that he had started to change as soon as he had learned to laugh at himself and at what he had been doing wrong. He realized the fastest way to change is to laugh at your own folly—then you can let go and quickly move on.
He knew he had learned something useful about moving on from his mice friends, Sniff and Scurry.
They kept life simple. They didn't overanalyze or overcomplicate things. When the situation changed and the Cheese had been moved, they changed and moved with the Cheese. He would remember that.
Haw had also used his wonderful brain to do what Little people do better than mice.
He envisioned himself—in realistic detail—finding something better—much better.
He reflected on the mistakes he had made in the past and used them to plan for his future. He knew that you could learn to deal with change.
You could be more aware of the need to keep things simple, be flexible, and move quickly.
You did not need to overcomplicate matters or confuse yourself with fearful beliefs.
You could notice when the little changes began so that you would be better prepared for the big change that might be coming.
He knew he needed to adapt faster, for if you do not adapt in time, you might as well not adapt at all.
He had to admit that the biggest inhibitor to change lies within yourself, and that nothing gets better until you. change.
Perhaps most importantly, he realized that there is always New Cheese out there whether you recognize it at the time, or not. And that you are rewarded with it when you go past your fear and enjoy the adventure.
He knew some fear should be respected, as it can keep you out of real danger. But he realized most of his fears were irrational and had kept him from changing when he needed to.
He didn't like it at the time, but he knew that the change had turned out to be a blessing in disguise as it led him to find better Cheese.
He had even found a better part of himself.
As Haw recalled what he had learned, he thought about his friend Hem. He wondered if Hem had read any of the sayings Haw had written on the wall at Cheese Station C and throughout the Maze.
Had Hem ever decided to let go and move on?
Had he ever entered the Maze and discovered what could make his life better?
Or was Hem still hemmed in because he would not change?
Haw thought about going back again to Cheese Station C to see if he could find Hem—assuming that Haw could find his way back there. If he found Hem, he thought he might be able to show him how to get out of his predicament. But Haw realized that he had already tried to get his friend to change.
Hem had to find his own way, beyond his comforts and past his fears. No one else could do it for him, or talk him into it. He somehow had to see the advantage of changing himself.
Haw knew he had left a trail for Hem and that he could find his way, if he could just read The Handwriting On The Wall.
He went over and wrote down a summary of what he had learned on the largest wall of Cheese Station N. He drew a large piece of cheese around all the insights he had become aware of, and smiled as he looked at what he had learned:
Haw realized how far he had come since he had been with Hem in Cheese Station C, but knew it would be easy for him to slip back if he got too comfortable. So, each day he inspected Cheese Station N to see what the condition of his Cheese was. He was going to do whatever he could to avoid being surprised by unexpected change.
While Haw still had a great supply of Cheese, he often went out into the Maze and explored new areas to stay in touch with what was happening around him. He knew it was safer to be aware of his real choices than to isolate himself in his comfort zone.
Then, Haw heard what he thought was the sound of movement out in the Maze. As the noise grew louder, he realized that someone was coming.
Could it be that Hem was arriving? Was he about to turn the corner?
Haw said a little prayer and hoped—as he had many times before—that maybe, at last, his friend was finally able to ...
A Discussion
Later That Same Day
When Michael finished telling the story, he looked around the room and saw his former classmates smiling at him.
Several thanked him and said they got a good deal out of the story.
Nathan asked the group, "What would you think of getting together later and maybe discussing it?"
Most of them said they would like to talk about it, and so they arranged to meet later for a drink before dinner.
That evening, as they gathered in a hotel lounge, they began to kid each other about finding their "Cheese" and seeing themselves in the Maze.
Then Angela asked the group good-naturedly, "So, who were you in the story? Sniff, Scurry, Hem or Haw?"
Carlos answered, "Well, I was thinking about that this afternoon. I clearly remember a time before I had my sporting goods business, when I had a rough encounter with change.
"I wasn't Sniff—1 didn't sniff out the situation and see the change early. And I certainly wasn't Scurry—1 didn't go into action immediately.
"I was more like Hem, who wanted to stay in familiar territory. The truth is, I didn't want to deal with the change. I didn't even want to see it."
Michael, who felt like no time had passed since he and Carlos were close friends in school, asked, "What are we talking about here, buddy?"
Carlos said, "An unexpected change of jobs." Michael laughed. "You were fired?"
"Well, let's just say I didn't want to go out looking for New Cheese. I thought I had a good reason why change shouldn't happen to me. So, I was pretty upset at the time."
Some of their former classmates who had been quiet in the beginning felt more comfortable now and spoke up, including Frank, who had gone into the military.
"Hem reminds me of a friend of mine," Frank said. "His department was closing down, but he didn't want to see it. They kept relocating his people. We all tried to talk to him about the many other opportunities that existed in the company for those who wanted to be flexible, but he didn't think he had to change. He was the only one who was surprised when his department closed.
Now he's having a hard time adjusting to the change he didn't think should happen."
Jessica said, "I didn't think it should happen to me either, but my 'Cheese' has been moved more than once, especially in my personal life, but we can get to that later."
Many in the group laughed, except Nathan. "Maybe that's the whole point," Nathan said. "Change happens to all of us."
He added, "I wish my family had heard the Cheese story before this. Unfortunately we didn't want to see the changes coming in our business, and now it's too late—we're having to close many of our stores."
That surprised many in the group, because they thought Nathan was lucky to be in a secure business he could depend on, year after year.
"What happened?" Jessica wanted to know.
"Our chain of small stores suddenly became old fashioned when the mega- store came to town with its huge inventory and low prices. We just couldn't compete with that.
"I can see now that instead of being like Sniff and Scurry, we were like Hem. We stayed where we were and didn't change. We tried to ignore what was happening and now we are in trouble. We could have taken a couple of lessons from Haw—because we certainly couldn't laugh at ourselves and change what we were doing."
Laura, who had become a successful business-woman, had been listening, but had said very little until now. "I thought about the story this afternoon too," she said. "I wondered how I could be more like Haw and see what I'm doing wrong, laugh at myself, change and do better."
She said, "I'm curious. How many here are afraid of change?" No one responded so she suggested, "How about a show of hands?"
Only one hand went up. "Well, it looks like we've got one honest person in our group!" she said. And then continued, "Maybe you'll like this next question better. How many here think other people are afraid of change?" Practically everyone raised their hands. Then they all started laughing.
"What does that tell us?" "Denial," Nathan answered. "Sure," Michael admitted. "Sometimes we're not even aware that we're afraid.
I know I wasn't. When I first heard the story, I loved the question, 'What would you do if you weren't afraid?'"
Then Jessica added, "Well, what I got from the story is that change is happening everywhere and that I will do better when I can adjust to it quickly."
"I remember years ago when our company was selling our encyclopedia as a set of more than twenty books. One person tried to tell us that we should put our whole encyclopedia on a single computer disk and sell it for a fraction of the cost. It would be easier to update, would cost us so much less to manufacture, and so many more people could afford it. But we all resisted."
"Why did you resist?" Nathan asked.
"Because, we believed then that the backbone of our business was our large sales force, who called on people door-to-door. Keeping our sales force depended on the big commissions they earned from the high price of our product. We had been doing this successfully for a long time and thought it would go on forever."
Laura said, "Maybe that's what it meant in the story about Hem and Haw's arrogance of success.
They didn't notice they needed to change what had once been working." Nathan said, "So you thought your old Cheese was your only Cheese." "Yes, and we wanted to hang on to it.
"When I think back on what happened to us, I see that it's not just that they 'moved the Cheese' but that the 'Cheese' has a life of its own and eventually runs out.
"Anyway, we didn't change. But a competitor did and our sales fell badly. We've been going through a difficult time. Now, another big technological change is happening in the industry and no one at the company seems to want to deal with it. It doesn't look good. I think I could be out of a job soon."
"It's MAZE time!" Carlos called out. Everyone laughed, including Jessica. Carlos turned to Jessica and said, "It's good that you can laugh at yourself."
Frank offered, "That's what / got out of the story. I tend to take myself too seriously. I noticed how Haw changed when he could finally laugh at himself and at what he was doing. No wonder he was called Haw."
The group groaned at the obvious play on words.
Angela asked, "Do you think that Hem ever changed and found New Cheese?"
Elaine said, "I think he did."
"I don't," Cory said. "Some people never change and they pay a price for it. I see people like Hem in my medical practice. They feel entitled to their 'Cheese.' They feel like victims when ifs taken away and blame others. They get sicker than people who let go and move on."
Then Nathan said quietly, as though he was talking to himself, "I guess the question is, 'What do we need to let go of and what do we need to move on to?'"
No one said anything for a while.
"I must admit," Nathan said, "I saw what was happening with stores like ours in other parts of the country, but I hoped it wouldn't affect us. I guess it's a lot better to initiate change while you can than it is to try to react and adjust to it. Maybe we should move our own Cheese."
"What do you mean?" Frank asked.
Nathan answered, "I can't help but wonder where we would be today if we had sold the real estate under all our old stores and built one great modern store to compete with the best of them."
Laura said, "Maybe that's what Haw meant when he wrote on the wall 'Savor the adventure and move with the Cheese.'"
Frank said, "I think some things shouldn't change. For example, I want to hold on to my basic values. But I realize now that I would be better off if I had moved with the 'Cheese' a lot sooner in my life."
"Well, Michael, it was a nice little story,” Richard, the class skeptic, said, "but how did you actually put it into use in your company?"
The group didn't know it yet, but Richard was experiencing some changes himself. Recently separated from his wife, he was now trying to balance his career with raising his teenagers.
Michael replied, "You know, I thought my job was just to manage the daily problems as they came up when what I should have been doing was looking ahead and paying attention to where we were going.
"And boy did I manage those problems—twenty-four hours a day. I wasn't a lot of fun to be around. I was in a rat race, and I couldn't get out."
Laura said, "So you were managing when you needed to be leading."
"Exactly," Michael said. "Then when I heard the story of Who Moved My Cheese?, I realized my job was to paint a picture of 'New Cheese' that we
would all want to pursue, so we could enjoy changing and succeeding, whether it was at work or in life."
Nathan asked, "What did you do at work?"
"Well, when I asked people in our company who they were in the Story, I saw we had every one of the four characters in our organization. I came to see that the Sniffs, Scurrys, Hems and Haws each needed to be treated differently.
"Our Sniffs could sniff out changes in the marketplace, so they helped us update our corporate vision. They were encouraged to identify how the changes could result in new products and services our customers would want. The Sniffs loved it and told us they enjoyed working in a place that recognized change and adapted in time.
"Our Scurrys liked to get things done, so they were encouraged to take actions, based on the new corporate vision. They just needed to be monitored so they didn't scurry off in the wrong direction.
They were then rewarded for actions that brought us New Cheese. They liked working in a company that valued action and results."
"What about the Hems and Haws?" Angela asked.
"Unfortunately, the Hems were the anchors that slowed us down," Michael answered. "They were either too comfortable or too afraid to change.
Some of our Hems changed only when they saw the sensible vision we painted that showed them how changing would work to their advantage.
"Our Hems told us they wanted to work in a place that was safe, so the change needed to make sense to them and increase their sense of security. When they realized the real danger of not changing, some of them changed and did well. The vision helped us turn many of our Hems into Haws."
"What did you do with the Hems who didn't change?" Frank wanted to know. "We had to let them go," Michael said sadly.
"We wanted to keep all our employees, but we knew if our business didn't change quickly enough, we would all be in trouble."
Then he said, "The good news is that while our Haws were initially hesitant, they were openminded enough to learn something new, act differently and adapt in time to help us succeed.
"They came to expect change and actively look for it. Because they understood human nature, they helped us paint a realistic vision of New Cheese that made good sense to practically everyone.
"They told us they wanted to work in an organization that gave people the confidence and tools to change. And they helped us keep our sense of humor as we went after our New Cheese."
Richard commented, "You got all that from a little story?"
Michael smiled. "It wasn't the story, but what we did differently based on what we took from it."
Angela admitted, "I'm a little bit like Hem, so for me, the most powerful part of the story was when Haw laughed at his fear and went on to paint a picture in his mind where he saw himself enjoying 'New Cheese.' It made going into the Maze less fearful and more enjoyable. And he eventually got a better deal. That's what I want to do more often."
Frank grinned. "So even Hems can sometimes see the advantage of changing."
Carlos laughed, "Like the advantage of keeping their jobs." Angela added, "Or even getting a good raise."
Richard, who had been frowning during the discussion, said, "My manager's been telling me our company needs to change. I think what she's really telling me is that / need to, but I haven't wanted to hear it. I guess I never really knew what the 'New Cheese' was that she was trying to move us to. Or how I could gain from it."
A slight smile crossed Richard's face as he said, "I must admit I like this idea of seeing 'New Cheese' and imagining yourself enjoying it. It lightens everything up. When you see how it can make things better, you get more interested in making the change happen.
"Maybe I could use this in my personal life," he added. "My children seem to think that nothing in their lives should ever change. I guess they're acting like Hem—they're angry. They're probably afraid of what the future holds. Maybe I haven't painted a realistic picture of 'New Cheese' for them. Probably because I don't see it myself."
The group was quiet as several people thought about their own lives.
"Well," Jessica said, "most people here have been talking about jobs, but as I listened to the story, I also thought about my personal life. I think my current relationship is 'Old Cheese' that has some pretty serious mold on it."
Cory laughed in agreement. "Me too. I probably need to let go of a bad relationship."
Angela countered, "Or, perhaps the 'Old Cheese' is just old behavior. What
we really need to let go of is the behavior that is the cause of our bad relationships. And then move on to a better way of thinking and acting."
"Ouch!" Cory reacted. "Good point. The New Cheese is a new relationship with the same person."
Richard said, "I'm beginning to think there is more to this than I thought. I like the idea of letting go of old behavior instead of letting go of the relationship. Repeating the same behavior will just get you the same results.
"As far as work goes, maybe instead of changing jobs, I should be changing the way I am doing my job. I'd probably have a better position by now if I did."
Then Becky, who lived in another city but had returned for the reunion, said, "As I was listening to the story and to everyone's comments here, I've had to laugh at myself. I've been like Hem for so long, hemming and hawing and afraid of change. I didn't realize how many other people did this as well. I'm afraid I've passed it on to my children without even knowing it.
"As I think about it, I realize change really can lead you to a new and better place, although you're afraid it won't at the time.
"I remember a time when our son was a sophomore in high school. My husband's job required us to move from Illinois to Vermont and our son was upset because he had to leave his friends. He was a star swimmer and the high school in Vermont had no swim team. So, he was angry with us for making him move.
"As it turned out, he fell in love with the Vermont mountains, took up skiing, skied on his college team and now lives happily in Colorado.
"If we had all enjoyed this Cheese story together, over a cup of hot chocolate, we could have saved our family a lot of stress."
Jessica said, "I'm going home to tell my family this story. I'll ask my children who they think I am—Sniff, Scurry, Hem or Haw—and who they feel they are. We could talk about what we feel our family's Old Cheese is and what our New Cheese could be"
"That's a good idea," Richard said, surprising everyone—even himself.
Frank then commented, "I think I'm going to be more like Haw and move with the Cheese and enjoy it! And I'm going to pass this story along to my friends who are worried about leaving the military and what the change might mean to them. It could lead to some interesting discussions."
Michael said, "Well, that's how we improved our business. We had several discussions about what we got from the Cheese story and how we could apply it to our situation. It was great because we had language that was fun for us to use to talk about how we were dealing with change. It was very
effective, especially as it spread deeper into the company." Nathan asked, "What do you mean by 'deeper'?"
"Well, the further we went into our organization, the more people we found who felt they had less power. They were understandably more afraid of what the change imposed from above might do to them. So they resisted change.
"In short, a change imposed is a change opposed.
"But when the Cheese Story was shared with literally everyone in our organization, it helped us change the way we looked at change. It helped everyone laugh, or at least smile, at their old fears and want to move on.
"I only wished I'd heard the Cheese story sooner," Michael added. "How come?" Carlos asked.
"Because by the time we got around to addressing the changes, our business had already fallen off so badly that we had to let people go, as I said earlier, including some good friends. It was hard on all of us. However, those who stayed and most of those who left said the Cheese story helped them see things differently and eventually cope better.
"Those who had to go out and look for a new job said it was hard at first but recalling the story was a great help to them."
Angela asked, "What helped them most?"
Michael replied, "After they got past their fear, they told me the best thing was realizing that there was New Cheese out there just waiting to be found!
"They said holding a picture of New Cheese in their minds—seeing themselves doing well in a new job—made them feel better, and helped them do better in job interviews. Several got better jobs."
Laura asked, "What about the people who remained in your company?"
"Well" Michael said, "instead of complaining about the changes that were happening, people now said, 'They just moved our Cheese. Let's look for the New Cheese.' It saved a lot of time and reduced stress.
"Before long, the people who had been resisting saw the advantage of changing. They even helped bring about change."
Cory said, "Why do you think they changed?" "They changed after the peer pressure in our company changed." He asked, "What happens in most organizations you've been in when a
change is announced by top management? Do most people say the change is a great idea or a bad idea?"
"A bad idea," Frank answered. "Yes" Michael agreed. "Why?"
Carlos said, "Because people want things to stay the same and they think the change will be bad for them. When one person says the change is a bad idea, others say the same."
"Yes, they may not really feel that way," Michael said, "but they agree in order to fit in. That's the sort of peer pressure that fights change in any organization."
Becky asked, "So how were things different after people heard the Cheese story?"
Michael said simply, "The peer pressure changed. No one wanted to look like Hem!"
Everyone laughed.
"They wanted to sniff out the changes ahead of time and scurry into action, rather than get hemmed in and be left behind."
Nathan said, "That's a good point. No one in our company would want to look like Hem. They might even change. Why didn't you tell us this story at our last reunion? This could work."
Michael said, "It does work."
"It works best, of course, when everyone in your organization knows the story—whether it is in a large corporation, a small business, or your family —because an organization can only change when enough people in it change."
Then he offered one last thought. "When we saw how well it worked for us, we passed the story along to people we wanted to do business with, knowing they were also dealing with change. We suggested we might be their 'New Cheese' that is, better partners for them to succeed with. It led to new business."
That gave Jessica several ideas and reminded her that she had some early sales calls in the morning. She looked at her watch and said, "Well, it's time for me to leave this Cheese Station and find some New Cheese."
The group laughed and began saying their goodbyes. Many of them wanted to continue the conversation but needed to leave. As they left, they thanked Michael again.
He said, "I'm very glad you found the story so useful and I hope that you will have the opportunity to share it with others soon."
Services
Keynote Presentations, Change Leader Certification and Learning Programs Products
The 'New Cheese 'Experience
An interactive program used successfully by many organizations around the world to help individuals and organizations change and win.
Who Moved My Cheese? The Movie:
A 13 minute animated movie on videocassette tells the Story of Who Moved My Cheese? through the adventures of Sniff, Scurry, Hem and Haw, as a way to introduce change in your organization in a fun and non-threatening way.
Aft A-Mawng Change Profile:
A self-scoring tool. Find out who you are, what personalities are at work around you, and how you can work together to change and win!
NEW! Who Moved My Cheese? Personal Planner Inserts / Binder:
This daily planner will help you keep track of your most important 'Cheese' things to do, notes and contact information using Cheese language in a fun way.
Fun, Practical Reminders
Posters, Day-to-Day Desk Calendar, Coffee Mugs, Post-It Notes, Cheese Squeezes, Maze Pens, Logo Shirts, Handwriting on the Wall Cards, and more!
Book 18 :
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
The Book in Three Sentences
Finding something important and meaningful in your life is the most productive use of your time and energy. This is true because every life has problems associated with it and finding meaning in your life will help you sustain the effort needed to overcome the particular problems you face. Thus, we can say that the key to living a good life is not giving a fuck about more things, but rather, giving a fuck only about the things that align with your personal values.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck summary
This is my book summary of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson. My notes are informal and often contain quotes from the book as well as my own thoughts. This summary also includes key lessons and important passages from the book.
· Conventional self-help advice which tells you to visualize success and think about the type of person you want to be only reinforces the idea that you are not that thing.
· Everyone wants you to believe that the secret to a good life is to have a nicer job or a better car or a prettier girlfriend.
· The key to a good life is not giving a fuck about more; it’s giving a fuck about less, giving a fuck about only what is true and immediate and important.
· We are no longer facing a material crisis. We have plenty of resources: TVs and clothes and goods that we don’t need. The problem we face is existential and spiritual. We have so much stuff and so many opportunities that we don’t know what to give a fuck about anymore.
· Because there’s an infinite amount of things we can now see or know, there are also an infinite number of ways we can discover that we don’t measure up, that we’re not good enough, that things aren’t as great as they could be.
· The desire for a more positive experience is itself a negative experience. And, paradoxically, the acceptance of one’s negative experience is itself a positive experience.
· Pursuing something only reinforces that you lack it in the first place.
· Accepting your experience of life as being great and wonderful is the single greatest thing you can do for your happiness.
· “You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.” -Albert Camus
· Everything worthwhile in life is won through surmounting the associated negative experience.
· If you are able to not give a fuck about the pain your goals require, then you become unstoppable.
· The moments when we don’t give a fuck and take action are often the moments that most define the course of our lives.
· You are going to die someday. Everyone you know is going to die soon. And in your short life you only have a certain amount of fucks to give.
· Learning how to focus and prioritize your thoughts effectively based on finely honed personal values is perhaps the greatest and most important struggle in life.
· Subtlety #1: Not giving a fuck is not about being indifferent. It just means you’re comfortable with being different. Don’t say fuck it to everything in life, just to the unimportant things.
· Subtlety #2: To not give a fuck about adversity, you must first care about something more important than adversity.
· Subtlety #3: Whether you realize it or not, you are always choosing what to give a fuck about. The key is to gradually prune the things you care about, so that you only give a fuck on the most important of occasions.
· When a person has no problems, the mind automatically finds a way to invent some.
· I think what most people — especially educated, pampered middle-class white people — consider “life problems” are really just side effects of not having anything more important to worry about.
· Finding something important and meaningful in your life is perhaps the most productive use of your time and energy.
· It’s okay for things to suck some of the time.
· Practical enlightenment is the act of becoming comfortable with the idea that some suffering is always inevitable.
· There is no value in suffering when it is done without purpose.
· Don't hope for a life without problems. Hope for a life with good problems.
· Problems never stop. They merely get exchanged or upgraded.
· Happiness is found in solving problems, not avoiding them.
· True happiness occurs only when you find the problems you enjoy having and enjoy solving. Happiness is wanting the problems you have and wanting to solve them.
· Emotions are simply biological signals designed to nudge you in the direction of beneficial change.
· Negative emotions are a sign that something is going unaddressed. They are a call to action. Positive emotions are the reward for taking the correct action.
· We should question our emotions because they are not always right.
· Don’t ask yourself what you want out of life. It’s easy to want success and fame and happiness and great sex. Everybody wants those things. A much more interesting question to ask yourself is, “What kind of pain do I want?” What you are willing to struggle for is a greater determinant of how our lives turn out.
· You can’t merely be in love with the result. Everybody loves the result. You have to love the process.
· The climb to the top is a never-ending upward spiral with new problems always surfacing and new processes that you must fall in love with. You are never allowed to stop climbing because the entire point is to love the climb. If you ever stop loving the climb, the results will never come.
· Self-esteem, by itself, is overrated. It doesn’t help to feel good about yourself unless you have a good reason for feeling that way. The struggle makes self-esteem useful, not the participation trophy.
· Your problems are not privileged in their severity or pain. You are not unique in your suffering.
· The more exposed we are to opposing viewpoints, the more we seem to get upset that those other viewpoints exist. This seems like a logical trend to me because before the internet and our hyper-connected modern world, people didn’t have as much likelihood of running into ideas that disagreed with their own. Today, alternate ideas are far more likely to cross your radar screen.
· Most of us are pretty average at most things we do. Even if you’re exceptional at one thing, chances are you’re average or below average at most other things.
· Our lives today are filled with information from the extremes of the bell curve of human experience. The best of the best, worst of the worst, and most upsetting of the upsetting. We only see the most exceptional news stories because that’s what drives revenue. This is a real problem when it comes to comparison because you can only be exceptional in one thing thing and you’re going to be below average in nearly everything else. That makes comparison a very dangerous game to play.
· The problem is that the pervasiveness of technology and mass marketing is screwing up a lot of people’s expectations for themselves.
· One of the most pervasive narratives about masculinity in our culture is that the most valuable thing a man can attain is sex and it’s worth sacrificing nearly anything to get it. (Interestingly, this corresponds to one of the dominant female narratives, which is that the greatest thing a woman can be is beautiful.)
· People who are exceptional become that way by thinking they are average and focusing on improvement. You don’t become exceptional by believing you are exceptional.
· The more uncomfortable the answer, the more likely it is to be true.
· Problems are inevitable, but what they mean is flexible. We get to control what our problems mean to us based on how we choose to think about them and how we choose to measure them. The way we measure success influences how we view the problems we face.
· “Pleasure is a false god. Research shows that people who focus their energy on superficial pleasures end up more anxious, more emotionally unstable, and more depressed. Pleasure is the most superficial form of life satisfaction and therefore the easiest to obtain and the easiest to lose.”
· People who base their self-worth on being right about everything prevent themselves from learning from their mistakes.
· “One day, in retrospect, the years of struggle will strike you as the most beautiful.” -Sigmund Freud
· People who are terrified of what others think about them are actually terrified of all the negative things they think about themselves being reflected back at them.
· When we feel that we’re choosing our problems, we feel empowered. When we feel that our problems are being forced upon us against our will, we feel victimized and miserable.
· We don’t always control what happens to us. But we always control how we interpret what happens to us, as well as how we respond.
· Accepting responsibility for our problems is the first step to solving them.
· A lot of people hesitate to take responsibility for their problems because they believe that to be responsible for your problems is also to be at fault for your problems. This is not true. We are responsible for experiences that aren’t our fault all the time. This is part of life.
· People will often fight over who gets to be responsible for successful and happiness. But taking responsibility for our problems is far more important because that’s where real learning comes from.
· Growth is an endlessly iterative process. When we learn something new, we don’t go from “wrong” to “right.” Rather, we go from wrong to slightly less wrong. We shouldn’t seek to find the ultimate “right” answer for ourselves, but rather, we should seek to chip away at the ways that we’re wrong today so that we can be a little less wrong tomorrow.
· Certainty is the enemy of growth.
· All beliefs are wrong—some are just less wrong than others.
· Counterintuitive insight by Baumeister regarding evil: some of the worst criminals often felt good about themselves. Low self-esteem was not always associated with evil acts.
· The more you try to become certain about a particular issue, the more uncertain and insecure you will feel.
· The more you embrace being uncertain and not knowing, the more comfortable you will feel in knowing what you don’t know.
· The man who believes he knows everything learns nothing.
· Manson’s Law of Avoidance: The more something threatens your identity, the more you will avoid it. The more something threatens how you view yourself, the more you will avoid getting around to doing it.
· If I believe I’m a nice guy, I’ll avoid situations that could potentially contradict that belief. If I believe I’m an awesome cook, I’ll seek out opportunities to prove that to myself over and over again. The belief always takes precedence.
· Manson’s idea of “kill yourself” is similar to Paul Graham’s idea of “keep your identity small.” The central point is that if you don’t have an identity to protect, then change becomes much easier.
· For any change to happen in your life, you must accept that you were wrong about something you were doing before.
· “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” -Aristotle
· If it feels like it’s you versus the world, chances are it’s really just you versus yourself.
· The magnitude of your success is tied to how many times you’ve failed at that thing.
· Goals are limited in the amount of happiness they can provide in our lives because they are finite. Once you achieve the goal, it can no longer provide happiness because the finish line has been crossed. Paradoxically, then, by choosing processes as your focus, you can increase your overall, lifelong happiness by focusing on the process and not the goal. Processes never end, which means happiness can continue indefinitely.
· Action isn’t just the effect of motivation; it’s also the cause of it. Do something and inspiration will follow.
· How do you write a tons of books? Write “200 crappy words per day” and you’ll find motivation often flows out of you.
· Manson’s “do something” principle sounds a lot like the philosophy behind the 2-minute rule. Do something now, even if it’s really small, and let good actions cascade as a result.
· To truly appreciate something, you must confine yourself to it. There’s a certain level of joy and meaning that you reach in life only when you’ve spent decades investing in a single relationship, a single craft, a single career. And you cannot achieve those decades of investment without rejecting the alternatives.
· The mark of an unhealthy relationship is when two people try to solve each other’s problems in order to feel good about themselves.
· Trust is the most important ingredient in any relationship for the simple reason that without trust the relationship doesn’t actually mean anything.
· Investing deeply in one person, one place, one job, one activity might deny us the breadth of experience we’d like, but pursuing a breadth of experience denies us the opportunity to enjoy the rewards of depth of experience.
· Commitment, in its own way, offers a wealth of opportunity and experiences that would never otherwise be available to you, no matter how many surface level experiences you pursued.
· Rejection of alternatives liberates us. In a strange way, commitment to one thing offers more freedom than anything else because it relieves you of all the second guessing about what else is out there.
· If there is no reason to do anything, if life is pointless, then there is also no reason to not do anything. What do you have to lose? You’re going to die anyway, so your fears and embarrassments and failures don’t mean anything. You might as well try.
· All of the meaning in our life is shaped by our innate desire to never truly die. Our physical bodies will die, but we cling to the idea that we can live on through religion, politics, sports, art, and technological innovation.
· The only way to be comfortable with death is to understand and see yourself as something bigger than yourself, to contribute to some much larger entity.
· It is the act of choosing your values and living by them that makes you great, not any outcome or accomplishment.
· “We’re all going to die, all of us. What a circus! That alone should make us love each other, but it doesn’t.” -Charles Bukowski
keep it that way....
the final of our journey now let’s end it with my religion PHILOSOPHY :
some of the greatest Philosophers and some of their Ideas,
1. Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274)
Thomas Aquinas was a 13th century Dominican friar, theologian and Doctor of the Church, born in what is known today as the Lazio region of Italy. His most important contribution to Western thought is the concept of natural theology (sometimes referred to as Thomism in tribute to his influence). This belief system holds that the existence of God is verified through reason and rational explanation, as opposed to through scripture or religious experience. This ontological approach is among the central premises underpinning modern Catholic philosophy and liturgy. His writings, and Aquinas himself, are still considered among the preeminent models for Catholic priesthood. His ideas also remain central to theological debate, discourse, and modes of worship.
Aquinas’ Big Ideas
Adhered to the Platonic/Aristotelian principle of realism, which holds that certain absolutes exist in the universe, including the existence of the universe itself;
Focused much of his work on reconciling Aristotelian and Christian principles, but also expressed a doctrinal openness to Jewish and Roman philosophers, all to the end of divining truth wherever it could be found;
The Second Vatican Council (1962–65) declared his Summa Theolgoiae — a compendium of all the teachings of the Catholic Church to that point — “Perennial Philosophy.”
Aquinas’ Key Works
Summa Theologica (1265–74)
Thomas Aquinas: Selected Writings
2. Aristotle (384–322 BCE)
Aristotle is among the most important and influential thinkers and teachers in human history, often considered — alongside his mentor, Plato — to be a father of Western Philosophy.” Born in the northern part of ancient Greece, his writings and ideas on metaphysics, ethics, knowledge, and methodological inquiry are at the very root of human thought. Most philosophers who followed — both those who echoed and those who opposed his ideas — owed a direct debt to his wide-ranging influence. Aristotle’s enormous impact was a consequence both of the breadth of his writing and his personal reach during his lifetime.
In addition to being a philosopher, Aristotle was also a scientist, which led him to consider an enormous array of topics, and largely through the view that all concepts and knowledge are ultimately based on perception. A small sampling of topics covered in Aristotle’s writing includes physics, biology, psychology, linguistics, logic, ethics, rhetoric, politics, government, music, theatre, poetry, and metaphysics. He was also in a unique position to prevail directly over thinking throughout the known world, tutoring a young Alexander the Great at the request of the future conqueror’s father, Phillip II of Macedon. This position of influence gave Aristotle the means to establish the library at Lyceum, where he produced hundreds of writings on papyrus scrolls. And of course, it also gave him direct sway over the mind of a man who would one day command an empire stretching from Greece to northwestern India. The result was an enormous sphere of influence for Aristotle’s ideas, one that only began to be challenged by Renaissance thinkers nearly 2,000 years later.
Aristotle’s Big Ideas
Asserted the use of logic as a method of argument and offered the basic methodological template for analytical discourse;
Espoused the understanding that knowledge is built from the study of things that happen in the world, and that some knowledge is universal — a prevailing set of ideas throughout Western Civilization thereafter;
Defined metaphysics as “the knowledge of immaterial being,” and used this framework to examine the relationship between substance (a combination of matter and form) and essence, from which he devises that man is comprised from a unity of the two.
Aristotle’s Key Works
The Metaphysics
Nicomachean Ethics
Poetics
3. Confucius (551–479 BCE)
Chinese teacher, writer, and philosopher Confucius viewed himself as a channel for the theological ideas and values of the imperial dynasties that came before him. With an emphasis on family and social harmony, Confucius advocated for a way of life that reflected a spiritual and religious tradition, but which was also distinctly humanist and even secularist. Confucius — thought to be a contemporary of Taoist progenitor Lao-Tzu — had a profound impact on the development of Eastern legal customs and the emergence of a scholarly ruling class. Confucianism would engage in historic push-pull with the philosophies of Buddhism and Taoism, experiencing ebbs and flows in influence, its high points coming during the Han (206 BCE–220 CE), Tang (618–907 CE), and Song (960–1296 CE) Dynasties. As Buddhism became the dominant spiritual force in China, Confucianism declined in practice. However, it remains a foundational philosophy underlying Asian and Chinese attitudes toward scholarly, legal, and professional pursuits.
Confucius’ Big Ideas
Developed a belief system focused on both personal and governmental morality through qualities such as justice, sincerity, and positive relationships with others;
Advocated for the importance of strong family bonds, including respect for the elder, veneration of one’s ancestors, and marital loyalty;
Believed in the value of achieving ethical harmony through skilled judgment rather than knowledge of rules, denoting that one should achieve morality through self-cultivation.
Confucius’ Key Works
The Analects
The Complete Confucius
4. René Descartes (1596–1650)
A French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist, Descartes was born in France but spent 20 years of his life in the Dutch Republic. As a member of the Dutch States Army, then as the Prince of Orange and subsequently as Stadtholder (a position of national leadership in the Dutch Republic), Descartes wielded considerable intellectual influence over the period known as the Dutch Golden Age. He often distinguished himself by refuting or attempting to undo the ideas of those that came before him.
Descartes’ Big Ideas
Discards belief in all things that are not absolutely certain, emphasizing the understanding of that which can be known for sure;
Is recognized as the father of analytical geometry;
Regarded as one of the leading influences in the Scientific Revolution — a period of intense discovery, revelation, and innovation that rippled through Europe between the Renaissance and Enlightenment eras (roughly speaking, 15th to 18th centuries).
Descartes’ Key Works
Meditations on First Philosophy (1641)
Principles of Philosophy (1644)
The Passions of the Soul and Other Late Philosophical Writings (1649)
5. Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 82)
A Boston-born writer, philosopher, and poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson is the father of the transcendentalist movement. This was a distinctly American philosophical orientation that rejected the pressures imposed by society, materialism, and organized religion in favor of the ideals of individualism, freedom, and a personal emphasis on the soul’s relationship with the surrounding natural world. Though not explicitly a “naturalist” himself, Emerson’s ideals were taken up by this 20th century movement. He was also seen as a key figure in the American romantic movement.
Emerson’s Big Ideas
Wrote on the importance of subjects such as self-reliance, experiential living, and the preeminence of the soul;
Referred to “the infinitude of the private man” as his central doctrine;
Was a mentor and friend to fellow influential transcendentalist Henry David Thoureau.
Emerson’s Key Works
Nature and Other Essays (1836)
Essays: First and Second Series (1841,1844)
6. Michel Foucault (1926-1984)
Historian, social theorist, and philosopher Michel Foucault, born in the riverfront city of Poiltiers, France, dedicated much of his teaching and writing to the examination of power and knowledge and their connection to social control. Though often identified as a postmodernist, Foucault preferred to think of himself as a critic of modernity. His service as an international diplomat on behalf of France also influenced his understanding of social constructs throughout history and how they have served to enforce racial, religious, and sexual inequality. His ideals have been particularly embraced by progressive movements, and he allied with many during his lifetime. Active in movements against racism, human rights abuses, prisoner abuses, and marginalization of the mentally ill, he is often cited as a major influence in movements for social justice, human rights, and feminism. More broadly speaking, his examination of power and social control has had a direct influence on the studies of sociology, communications, and political science.
Foucault’s Big Ideas
Held the conviction that the study of philosophy must begin through a close and ongoing study of history;
Demanded that social constructs be more closely examined for hierarchical inequalities, as well as through an analysis of the corresponding fields of knowledge supporting these unequal structures;
Believed oppressed humans are entitled to rights and they have a duty to rise up against the abuse of power to protect these rights.
Foucault’s Key Works
The Order of Things: An Archaeology of the Human Sciences (1966)
The Archaeology of Knowledge: And the Discourse on Language (1969)
Discipline & Punish: The Birth of the Prison (1975)
7. David Hume (1711–77)
A Scottish-born historian, economist, and philosopher, Hume is often grouped with thinkers such as John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, and Sir Francis Bacon as part of a movement called British Empiricism. He was focused on creating a “naturalistic science of man” that delves into the psychological conditions defining human nature. In contrast to rationalists such as Descartes, Hume was preoccupied with the way that passions (as opposed to reason) govern human behavior. This, Hume argued, predisposed human beings to knowledge founded not on the existence of certain absolutes but on personal experience. As a consequence of these ideas, Hume would be among the first major thinkers to refute dogmatic religious and moral ideals in favor of a more sentimentalist approach to human nature. His belief system would help to inform the future movements of utilitarianism and logical positivism, and would have a profound impact on scientific and theological discourse thereafter.
Hume’s Big Ideas
Articulated the “problem of induction,” suggesting we cannot rationally justify our belief in causality, that our perception only allows us to experience events that are typically conjoined, and that causality cannot be empirically asserted as the connecting force in that relationship;
Assessed that human beings lack the capacity to achieve a true conception of the self, that our conception is merely a “bundle of sensations” that we connect to formulate the idea of the self;
Hume argued against moral absolutes, instead positing that our ethical behavior and treatment of others is compelled by emotion, sentiment, and internal passions, that we are inclined to positive behaviors by their likely desirable outcomes.
Hume’s Key Works
A Treatise of Human Nature (1739)
An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals (1751)
The History Of England (1754–62)
8. Immanuel Kant (1724–1804)
Prussian-born (and therefore identified as a German philosopher), Kant is considered among the most essential figures in modern philosophy, an advocate of reason as the source for morality, and a thinker whose ideas continue to permeate ethical, epistemological, and political debate. What perhaps most distinguishes Kant is his innate desire to find a synthesis between rationalists like Descartes and empiricists like Hume, to decipher a middle ground that defers to human experience without descending into skepticism. To his own way of thinking, Kant was pointing a way forward by resolving a central philosophical impasse.
Kant’s Big Ideas
Defined the “Categorical imperative,” the idea that there are intrinsically good and moral ideas to which we all have a duty, and that rational individuals will inherently find reason in adhering to moral obligation;
Argued that humanity can achieve a perpetual peace through universal democracy and international cooperation;
Asserted that the concepts of time and space, as well as cause and effect, are essential to the human experience, and that our understanding of the world is conveyed only by our senses and not necessarily by the underlying (and likely unseen) causes of the phenomena we observe.
Kant’s Key Works
Critique of Pure Reason (1781)
Critique of Judgment (1790)
The Metaphysics of Morals (1797)
9. Søren Kierkegaard (1813–55)
A Danish theologian, social critic, and philosopher, Kierkegaard is viewed by many as the most important existentialist philosopher. His work dealt largely with the idea of the single individual. His thinking tended to prioritize concrete reality over abstract thought. Within this construct, he viewed personal choice and commitment as preeminent. This orientation played a major part in his theology as well. He focused on the importance of the individual’s subjective relationship with God, and his work addressed the themes of faith, Christian love, and human emotion. Because Kierkegaard’s work was at first only available in Danish, it was only after his work was translated that his ideas proliferated widely throughout Western Europe. This proliferation was a major force in helping existentialism take root in the 20th century.
Kierkegaard’s Big Ideas
Explored the idea of objective vs. subjective truths, and argued that theological assertions were inherently subjective and arbitrary because they could not be verified or invalidated by science;
Was highly critical of the entanglement between State and Church;
First described the concept of angst, defining it as a dread the comes from anxieties over choice, freedom, and ambiguous feelings.
Kierkegaard’s Key Works
The Concept of Dread (1844)
Concluding Unscientific Postscript to Philosophical Fragments, Volume 1 (1846)
Practice in Christianity (1850)
10. Lao-Tzu (also Laozi, lived between the 6th and 4th century BCE)
Historians differ on exactly when Lao-Tzu lived and taught, but it’s largely held that some time between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE, the “old master” founded philosophical Taoism. Viewed as a divine figure in traditional Chinese religions, his ideas and writings would form one of the major pillars (alongside Confucius and the Buddha) for Eastern thought. Lao-Tzu espoused an ideal life lived through the Dao or Tao (roughly translated as “the way”). As such, Taoism is equally rooted in religion and philosophy. In traditional telling, though Lao-Tzu never opened a formal school, he worked as an archivist for the royal court of Zhou Dynasty. This gave him access to an extensive body of writing and artifacts, which he synthesized into his own poetry and prose. As a result of his writing, his influence spread widely during his lifetime. In fact, one version of his biography implies he may well have been a direct mentor to the Buddha (or, in some versions, was the Buddha himself). There are lot of colorful narratives surrounding Lao-Tzu, some of which are almost certainly myth. In fact, there are some historians who even question whether or not Lao-Tzu was a real person. Historical accounts differ on who he was, exactly when he lived and which works he contributed to the canon of Taoism. However, in most traditional tellings, Lao-Tzu was the living embodiment of the philosophy known as Taoism and author of its primary text, the Tao Te Ching.
Lao-Tzu’s Big Ideas
Espoused awareness of the self through meditation;
Disputed conventional wisdom as inherently biased, and urged followers of the Tao to find natural balance between the body, senses, and desires;
Urged individuals to achieve a state of wu wei, freedom from desire, an early staple tenet of Buddhist tradition thereafter.
Lao-Tzu’s Key Works
Tao Te Ching
11. John Locke (1632–1704)
An English physicist and philosopher, John Locke was a prominent thinker during the Enlightenment period. Part of the movement of British Empiricism alongside fellow countrymen David Hume, Thomas Hobbes, and Sir Francis Bacon, Locke is regarded as an important contributor to the development of the social contract theory and is sometimes identified as the father of liberalism. Indeed, his discourses on identity, the self, and the impact of sensory experience would be essential revelations to many Enlightenment thinkers and, consequently, to real revolutionaries. His philosophy is said to have figured prominently into the formulation of the Declaration of Independence that initiated America’s war for independence from the British.
Locke’s Big Ideas
Coined the term tabula rasa (blank slate) to denote that the human mind is born unformed, and that ideas and rules are only enforced through experience thereafter;
Established the method of introspection, focusing on one’s own emotions and behaviors in search of a better understanding of the self;
Argued that in order to be true, something must be capable of repeated testing, a view that girded his ideology with the intent of scientific rigor.
Locke’s Key Works
Two Treatises of Government (1689)
An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690)
Some Thoughts Concerning Education (1693)
12. Niccolo Machiavelli (1469–1527)
Niccolo di Bernardo dei Machiavelli is at once among the most influential and widely debated of history’s thinkers. A writer, public office-holder, and philosopher of Renaissance Italy, Machiavelli both participated in and wrote prominently on political matters, to the extent that he has even been identified by some as the father of modern political science. He is also seen as a proponent of deeply questionable — some would argue downright evil — values and ideas. Machiavelli was an empiricist who used experience and historical fact to inform his beliefs, a disposition which allowed him to divorce politics not just from theology but from morality as well. His most prominent works described the parameters of effective rulership, in which he seems to advocate for leadership by any means which retain power, including deceit, murder, and oppression. While it is sometimes noted in his defense that Machiavelli himself did not live according to these principles, this “Machiavellian” philosophy is often seen as a template for tyranny and dictatorship, even in the present day.
Machiavelli’s Big Ideas
Famously asserted that while it would be best to be both loved and feared, the two rarely coincide, and thus, greater security is found in the latter;
Identified as a “humanist,” and believed it necessary to establish a new kind of state in defiance of law, tradition and particularly, the political preeminence of the Church;
Viewed ambition, competition and war as inevitable parts of human nature, even seeming to embrace all of these tendencies.
Machiavelli’s Key Works
Discourses on Livy (1531)
The Prince (1532)
The Art Of War (1519–20)
13. Karl Marx (1818–83)
A German-born economist, political theorist, and philosopher, Karl Marx wrote some of the most revolutionary philosophical content ever produced. Indeed, so pertinent was his writing to the human condition during his lifetime, he was exiled from his native country. This event would, however, also make it possible for his most important ideas to find a popular audience. Upon arriving in London, Marx took up work with fellow German Friedrich Engels. Together, they devised an assessment of class, society, and power dynamics that revealed deep inequalities, and exposed the economic prerogatives for state-sponsored violence, oppression, and war. Marx predicted that the inequalities and violence inherent in capitalism would ultimately lead to its collapse. From its ashes would rise a new socialist system, a classless society where all participants (as opposed to just wealthy private owners) have access to the means for production. What made the Marxist system of thought so impactful though was its innate call to action, couched in Marx’s advocacy for a working class revolution aimed at overthrowing an unequal system. The philosophy underlying Marxism, and his revolutionary fervor, would ripple throughout the world, ultimately transforming entire spheres of thought in places like Soviet Russia, Eastern Europe, and Red China. In many ways, Karl Marx presided over a philosophical revolution that continues in the present day in myriad forms of communism, socialism, socialized democracy, and grassroots political organization.
Marx’s Big Ideas
Advocated a view called historical materialism, arguing for the demystification of thought and idealism in favor of closer acknowledgement of the physical and material actions shaping the world;
Argued that societies develop through class struggle, and that this would ultimately lead to the dismantling of capitalism;
Characterized capitalism as a production system in which there are inherent conflicts of interest between the bourgeoisie (the ruling class), and the proletariat (the working class), and that these conflicts are couched in the idea that the latter must sell their labor to the former for wages that offer no stake in production.
Marx’s Key Works
Critique of Hegel’s “Philosophy Of Right” (1843)
The Communist Manifesto (1848)
Capital: Volume 1: A Critique of Political Economy (1867)
14. John Stuart Mill (1806–73)
British economist, public servant, and philosopher John Stuart Mill is considered a linchpin of modern social and political theory. He contributed a critical body of work to the school of thought called liberalism, an ideology founding on the extension of individual liberties and economic freedoms. As such, Mill himself advocated strongly for the preserving of individual rights and called for limitations to the power and authority of the state over the individual. Mill was also a proponent of utilitarianism, which holds that the best action is one that maximizes utility, or stated more simply, one that provide the greatest benefit to all. This and other ideas found in Mill’s works have been essential to providing rhetorical basis for social justice, anti-poverty, and human rights movements. For his own part, as a member of Parliament, Mill became the first office-holding Briton to advocate for the right of women to vote.
Mill’s Big Ideas
Advocated strongly for the human right of free speech, and asserted that free discourse is necessary for social and intellectual progress;
Determined that most of history can be understood as a struggle between liberty and authority, and that limits must be placed on rulership such that it reflects society’s wishes;
Stated the need for a system of “constitutional checks” on state authority as a way of protecting political liberties.
Mill’s Key Works
On Liberty and the Subjection of Women (1859, 1869)
Utilitarianism (1861)
15. Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
Friedrich Nietzsche was a poet, cultural critic, and philosopher, as well as possessor of among the most gifted minds in human history. The German thinker’s system of ideas would have a profound impact on the Western World, contributing deeply to intellectual discourse both during and after his life. Writing on an enormous breadth of subjects, from history, religion and science to art, culture and the tragedies of Greek and Roman Antiquity, Nietzsche wrote with savage wit and a love of irony. He used these forces to pen deconstructive examinations of truth, Christian morality, and the impact of social constructs on our formulation of moral values. Also essential to Nietzshe’s writing is articulation of the crisis of nihilism, the basic idea that all things lack meaning, including life itself. This idea in particular would remain an important component of the existentialist and surrealist movements that followed.
Nietzsche’s Big Ideas
Favored perspectivism, which held that truth is not objective but is the consequence of various factors effecting individual perspective;
Articulated ethical dilemma as a tension between the master vs. slave morality; the former in which we make decisions based on the assessment of consequences, and the latter in which we make decisions based on our conception of good vs. evil;
Believed in the individual’s creative capacity to resist social norms and cultural convention in order to live according to a greater set of virtues.
Nietzsche’s Key Works
The Birth of Tragedy (1872)
The Gay Science (1882)
On the Genealogy of Morals and Ecce Homo (1887, 1908)
16. Plato (428/427?–348/347? BCE)
Greek philosopher and teacher Plato did nothing less than found the first institution of higher learning in the Western World, establishing the Academy of Athens and cementing his own status as the most important figure in the development of western philosophical tradition. As the pupil of Socrates and the mentor to Aristotle, Plato is the connecting figure in what might be termed the great triumvirate of Greek thought in both philosophy and science. A quote by British philosopher Alfred North Whitehead sums up the enormity of his influence, noting “the safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato.” Indeed, it could be argued that Plato founded political philosophy, introducing both the dialectic and dialogic forms of writing as ways to explore various areas of thought. (Often, in his dialogues, he employed his mentor Socrates as the vessel for his own thoughts and ideas.) While he was not the first individual to partake of the activity of philosophy, he was perhaps the first to truly define what it meant, to articulate its purpose, and to reveal how it could be applied with scientific rigor. This orientation provided a newly concreted framework for considering questions of ethics, politics, knowledge, and theology. Such is to say that it is nearly impossible to sum up the impact of Plato’s ideas on science, ethics, mathematics, or the evolution of thought itself other than to say it has been total, permeating, and inexorable from the tradition of rigorous thinking itself.
Plato’s Big Ideas
Expressed the view, often referred to as Platonism, that those whose beliefs are limited only to perception are failing to achieve a higher level of perception, one available only to those who can see beyond the material world;
Articulated the theory of forms, the belief that the material world is an apparent and constantly changing world but that another, invisible world provides unchanging causality for all that we do see;
Held the foundational epistemological view of “justified true belief,” that for one to know that a proposition is true, one must have justification for the relevant true proposition.
Plato’s Key Works
The Republic (380 BCE)
The Laws (348 BCE)
Plato: Complete Works
17. Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–78)
Rousseau was a writer, philosopher, and — unique among entrants on this list — a composer of operas and classical compositions. Born in Geneva, then a city-state in the Swiss Confederacy, Rousseau would be one of the most consequential thinkers of the Enlightenment era. His ideas on human morality, inequality, and most importantly, on the right to rule, would have an enormous and definable impact not just on thinking in Europe, but on the actual power dynamics within Western Civilization. Indeed, his most important works would identify personal property as the root to inequality and would refute the premise that monarchies are divinely appointed to rule. Rousseau proposed the earth-shattering idea that only the people have a true right to rule. These ideas fomented the French Revolution, and more broadly, helped bring an end to a centuries-old entanglement between Church, Crown, and Country. Rousseau may be credited for providing a basic framework for classical republicanism, a form of government centered around the ideas of civil society, citizenship, and mixed governance.
Rousseau’s Big Ideas
Suggested that Man was at his best in a primitive state — suspended between brute animalistic urges on one end of the spectrum and the decadence of civilization on the other — and therefore uncorrupted in his morals;
Suggested that the further we deviate from our “state of nature,” the closer we move to the “decay of the species,” an idea that comports with modern environmental and conservationist philosophies;
Wrote extensively on education and, in advocating for an education that emphasizes the development of individual moral character, is sometimes credited as an early proponent of child-centered education.
Rousseau’s Key Works
A Discourse on Inequality) (1754)
The Social Contract (1762)
Emile: Or On Education (1762)
18. Jean-Paul Sartre (1905–80)
A French novelist, activist, and philosopher, Sartre was a leading exponent of the 20th century existentialist movement as well as a vocal proponent of Marxism and socialism. He advocated for resistance to oppressive social constructs and argued for the importance of achieving an authentic way of being. His writing coincided with, and contrasted, the sweep of fascism through Europe, the rise of authoritarian regimes, and the spread of Nazism. Sartre’s ideas took on increased importance during this time, as did his actions. Sartre became active in the socialist resistance, which aimed its activities at French Nazi collaborators. Of note, one of his activist collaborators was both a romantic partner and a fellow major cohort of existentialism, Simone de Beauvoir. Following the war, Sartre’s writing and political engagement centered on efforts at anticolonialism, including involvement in the resistance to French colonization of Algeria. In fact, his involvement earned Sartre two near-miss bomb attacks at the hands of French paramilitary forces. Also notable, Sartre was supportive of the Soviet Union throughout his lifetime. Though occasionally serving to raise issues regarding human rights abuses as an outside observer, he praised the Soviet Union’s attempt at manifesting Marxism.
Sartre’s Big Ideas
Believed that human beings are “condemned to be free,” that because there is no Creator who is responsible for our actions, each of us alone is responsible for everything we do;
Called for the experience of “death consciousness,” an understanding of our mortality that promotes an authentic life, one spent in search of experience rather than knowledge;
Argued that the existence of free will is in fact evidence of the universe’s indifference to the individual, an illustration that our freedom to act toward objects is essentially meaningless and therefore of no consequence to be intervened upon by the world.
Sartre’s Key Works
Being and Nothingness (1943)
Existentialism Is a Humanism (1946)
Critique of Dialectical Reason, Volume One (1960)
19. Socrates (470–399 BCE)
A necessary inclusion by virtue of his role as, essentially, the founder of Western Philosophy, Socrates is nonetheless unique among entrants on this list for having produced no written works reflecting his key ideas or principles. Thus, the body of his thoughts and ideas is left to be deciphered through the works of his two most prominent students, Plato and Xenophon, as well as to the legions of historians and critics who have written on him since. The classical Greek thinker is best known through Plato’s dialogues, which reveal a key contributor to the fields of ethics and education. And because Socrates is best known as a teacher of thought and insight, it is perhaps appropriate that his most widely recognized contribution is a way of approaching education that remains fundamentally relevant even today. The so-called Socratic Method, which involves the use of of questioning and discourse to promote open dialogue on complex topics and to lead pupils to their own insights, is on particular display in the Platonic dialogues. His inquisitive approach also positioned him as a central social and moral critic of the Athenian leadership, which ultimately led to his trial and execution for corrupting the minds of young Athenians.
Socrates’ Big Ideas
Argued that Athenians were wrong-headed in their emphasis on families, careers, and politics at the expense of the welfare of their souls;
Is sometimes attributed the statement “I know that I know nothing,” to denote an awareness of his ignorance, and in general, the limitations of human knowledge;
Believed misdeeds were a consequence of ignorance, that those who engaged in nonvirtuous behavior did so because they didn’t know any better.
Socrates’ Key Works
Early Socratic Dialogues
20. Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951)
Born in Austria to a wealthy family, Wittgenstein is one of philosophy’s more colorful and unusual characters. He lived a life of eccentricity and professional nomadism, dabbling in academia, military service, education, and even as a hospital orderly. Moreover, during his life, he wrote voluminously but published only a single manuscript. And yet, he was recognized by his contemporaries as a genius. The posthumous publication of his many volumes confirmed this view for future generations, ultimately rendering Wittgenstein a towering figure in the areas of logic, semantics, and the philosophy of mind. His investigations of linguistics and psychology would prove particularly revelatory, offering a distinctive window through which to newly understand the nature of meaning and the limits of human conception.
Wittgenstein’s Big Ideas
Argued that conceptual confusion about language is the basis for most intellectual tension in philosophy;
Asserted that the meaning of words presupposes our understanding of that meaning, and that our particular assignment of meaning comes from the cultural and social constructs surrounding us;
Resolved that because thought is inextricably tied to language, and because language is socially constructed, we have no real inner-space for the realization of our thoughts, which is to say that the language of our thoughts renders our thoughts inherently socially constructed.
Wittgenstein’s Key Works
Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus (1921)
Philosophical Investigations (1953)
On Certainty (1969)
Aristotle: Politics from the ideal to the real world
Unlike most philosophers, Aristotle’s political experience is undeniable as he was tutor of Alexander the Great, King of Macedonia’s. Vs Plato, Aristotle has nurtured his political power while coasting in attending as Plato and his political theories. Politics, his work on political philosophy major result of these experiences, which sit the legitimacy of this work.
Policy aims to define political science and its object via a description of the nature of political regimes. The approach of Aristotle differs from Plato, who prefers to build an ideal political system and theoretical, while Aristotle prefers a realistic and descriptive, which prefigures sociological approaches or phenomenological twentieth century.
Overview of Aristotle’s Politics:
All associations are formed in order to achieve the Good, Aristotle poses in the preamble. Greek city, or polis, the association is most common in the Greek world, containing all other associations, such as families and associations. As such, the City should seek the greatest good. This induces a teleological vision of politics. Aristotle concludes that “man is a political animal” we can not achieve the good life by living in a polis. In presenting the economic relations within the city, Aristotle defends private property, capitalism condemns excessive and slavery.
Aristotle identifies citizenship with the exercise of a public charge. In the case of a revolution, where citizenship and constitutional change, the citizen can not be held responsible for his actions before the revolution. This principle guided all amnesty laws around the world.
Aristotle and the six forms of political regimes:
Aristotle identifies six types of constitution, three to be fair (monarchy / aristocracy / democracy), and three considered unfair (tyranny / oligarchy / anarchy). The test of a constitution is the common good: a plan is just as it benefits everyone:
The Monarchy: A constitution is a monarchy if power is exercised by a person and that the laws are the public good. But if the monarch has the power in the interest of the monarchy becomes tyranny.
The aristocracy is an aristocracy constitution when the power is controlled by an elite for the good of all, but degenerates into an oligarchy if the leaders are bad.
Democracy: democracy is the regime of the people but the plan may pay into anarchy when demagogues take power.
Justice in Politic
Aristotle proposes a principle of distributive justice, so that benefits are distributed to different people in different ways, depending on the contribution of each to the welfare of the city.
In books IV to VI, Aristotle turns his theoretical speculations to look like a politoloque political institutions as they exist in the Greek world. He observes that needs Cities vary widely in terms of their wealth, their people, their political classes. The highest voltage recorded by Aristotle economic inequality between rich and poor, generating division in the Cities. That is why Aristotle advocates the establishment of a strong middle class, the only way to maintain a balance and protect the city against corruption and oppression. In this, Aristotle political intuition is quite modern and inspire particular Rawls in his Theory of Justice.
Aristotle and the separation of powers
The three branches of government are the legislative civic (based on the deliberation meeting), the executive and the judiciary: the legislature creates the laws that the executive implements and enforces the judiciary. According to Aristotle, the access to public office does not have to be equal, but we must be careful to exclude a group of power, because the exclusion of power is the seed of sedition, ie the regime’s corruption. Powers have to be separated.
In books VII and VIII, Aristotle draws his ideal state: the Constitution’s role would be to ensure the happiness of each and all, promoting life theoretical (contemplative life facing the wisdom and the search for truth). Because even though Aristotle gives to political action a certain dignity, the fact remains that the intellectual life must prevail because the policy is to be used as a means of contemplation. The ideal city should be big enough to live in self-sufficiency, but small enough to ensure the social link between people. Of course, this conception of the perfect state based on two assumptions:
A direct regime (non-representative)
Slavery, which allows citizens to exercise their public duties. Slavery and the condition of the freedom of the citizen. This point will angle of attack to Hegel’s Philosophy of Right to denounce the so-called “beautiful Greek liberty” actually based on slavery.
Conclusion on Aristotle’s Political Thought:
Aristotle, representative of the rationalist tradition in politics, his political theory based on naturalistic assumptions (man must live in community) and defends a conception of citizenship sophisticated, making civic engagement a cornerstone of a good constitution. His approach to non-normative constitutions is an innovation. In summary, whatever the form of government, only account its nature and principle. This is a lesson that retain Montesquieu in The Spirit of Laws.
The Classical Educational Concepts of Socrates, Plato & Aristotle
Classical Educational Concepts of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle By
Martin Mares
‘'The unexamined life is not worth living for a human being.''
-Socrates (Plato, Apology 38a)
Let us start with a bold statement that it is necessary to realise that many ancient scholars provided us with the knowledge that has been far beyond our imagination for hundreds of years. I hold the view that contemporary culture starts to discover that ancient philosophy is not a discipline that belongs to old libraries, but it can be instead sifted through and used to implement specific concept into our post-modern world. In this paper, I will discuss the concept of education presented by three great philosophers and true masters of this wisdom-loving discipline. It would be undoubtedly beneficial to analyse the ideas of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle in greater depth to figure out what might be useful for contemporary concepts of education. I will focus on the modern use of certain educational concepts in the second part of this essay, and therefore we should start with explanation and comparative analysis of these concepts as introduced by three great masters of classical philosophy – Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.
Socrates’s Model of Education
In the beginning, it is necessary to mention that Socrates’ theories about education are mainly preserved in Plato’s writings since Socrates did not write down any of his teachings. Socrates was somehow unique and different compared to his student Plato and Aristotle because Socrates believed that the education not a process of learning. In the dialogue Meno, it is mentioned that Socrates believed that our souls are immortal and same can be applied to our knowledge, but each time we are born again, we lost all the knowledge, and therefore we must educate ourselves to remind us of our lost knowledge (Plato, Meno 85b,c). Socrates emphasised that he is not teaching, but he is merely reminding {maieutics} us of the truth, which is already inside us (Plato, Theaetetus, 155d). To awaken the truth within us, we need to employ question and answers. Unlike Plato in his Academia or Socrates in Lyceum, Socrates did not teach people in an institution, school or one particular place. Socrates roamed through streets, gardens, squares and agora in Athens with his followers and debated about things such as justice, politics, and beauty, a way of life, law and so forth (Plato, Apology, 22c,d,e). According to Socrates, everything is opened to question,
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answers and criticism (Plato, Gorgias 482c). Socrates was perhaps the most liberal and unconventional compared to his student Plato and Plato’s student Aristotle. Socrates claimed we should question a law, religion, politics and so forth (Plato, Apology 39c,d). Furthermore, Socrates highly rejected Sophists' idea that wisdom is a rational knowledge which should serve primarily to self-centred interests. Consequently, it is evident that Socrates' way of education was the most liberal one and without any further order, examinations or regulations. It was merely about individual's willingness to join and participate in the debate. Socrates employed a new method called dialectic, which consists of the abovementioned questions, answers and critical thinking. Socrates encouraged his followers to think critically to expand their knowledge because it allows us to understand better the world that surrounds us (Plato, Apology 30a,b). According to Socrates, we can educate ourselves by thinking critically, questioning beliefs and finding answers. On the other hand, Socrates claimed that philosophy is the far-reaching quest for wisdom, though this quest is never-ending because we simply cannot find all answers such a question of the afterlife, which Socrates himself reflected before he was executed (Plato, Apology 41d). Fortunately, Socrates’ ideas have survived in Plato’s Dialogs, although Plato later followed significantly less liberal opinion when it comes to education.
Plato’s Scheme of Education
Plato started as a student of Socrates, and we can trace many Socratic influences in Plato's philosophy, though Plato later shifts towards more utilitarian, institutionalised and state-controlled education as opposed to Socrates' liberal and all-encompassing search for the truth – Aletheia. His personal experiences undoubtedly influenced Plato's ideas during the time of Spartan domination over Athens. Even though Spartan domination was severely compromised the progress of Athenian culture, Plato was able to observe Spartan methods of education and implement certain aspects of Spartan order into his theories. First of all, Plato introduced a concept of education which is closely tied to his more broad concept of virtues such as prudence, courage, temperance and justice (Plato, Republic, Book V. 455c–456a). Justice is universal for all people, but other virtues are connected to particular class or group of individuals based on their profession and desired contribution to the society (Plato, Republic, book IV. 425b). Consequently, education should teach the specific group of people to maintain the balance associated with certain virtue such as a balance of temperance for artisans, prudence for political leaders or courage for soldiers (Plato, Republic, Book II. 377a,b}. Furthermore, the length of education is determined by a series of examinations each 10, respectively 15 years to decide which individual is capable of higher and higher studies up to an age of fifty. Those that failed to pass examinations were automatically sent to participate in activities and work associated with them, e.g. group of artisans (Plato, Republic, Book III. 409a,b). Those who pass all examinations and finished their education at the age of fifty were selected as ideal rules of the society (Plato, Republic, Book V. 473c).
Plato also believes that education is necessary to key to free individuals from their primal state of ignorance and sensually driven {lower eros} being. People need to be released from the clutches of such existence, and this can be achieved only
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through the education, which in Plato’s theory serves as a form of therapy to cure the individual of his ignorance. In other words, education helps people to maintain self- control and the healthy balance of virtues. This explanation can also be found in Plato’s Allegory of Cave which emphasises the need to liberate people from prison full of shadows and ignorance of the truth (Plato, Republic, Book VII. 516a–516b). According to Plato, it is a task of the philosopher to liberate people from oblivion through education (Plato, Republic, Book IX. 586a-b). Plato’s education is, therefore, similar to something as the cure for the entire structure of the polis. The success of such education relies on individual ability to embrace the truth. The most important point is that Plato suggests that the education has a goal, and this goal is nothing less than wisdom {episteme} and ability to introspect good and beauty in itself (Plato, Republic, Book VII. 516c). In other words, wisdom for Plato is tied to contemplation and wisdom does not represent quantification or aggregation of knowledge. Subsequently, Plato emphasised the mutual dependence of virtue and knowledge, while virtue in a Platonic sense can be explained as a configuration of mind to incline to specific values such as soldiers’ mind inclination to the virtue of courage. Consequently, it is the purpose of education to teach for instance soldier how to maintain the healthy balance of courage to avoid cowardice or recklessness (Plato, Republic, Book III). Furthermore, Plato believed that education should be controlled by the state and should primarily serve to produce different classes of specialised individuals in order to fulfil needs of the polis This view might differ slightly from Socrates and his idea that individual should be able to self-educate himself per se and therefore there is no need for institutionalised education. On the other hand, Plato also opposed to the idea of private property, and he despised the idea that one can pay for education and therefore the idea that one can buy the knowledge (Plato, Republic, Book VIII. 552b). In conclusion, Plato's scheme of education is deeply connected to another concept from Plato's theory such as the role and distribution of virtues in the polis {society}. If we compare Socrates and Plato, we might see significant difference in Socrates' liberal and free approach to education as being an activity which helps us to follow the path of never-ending quest for wisdom, whereas Plato's view of education revolves more around creating the best model of a city-state based on precise social stratification, state-controlled education and producing the ideal rulers – philosopher kings. In other words, Plato's education helps to create not necessarily wisdom-loving society like in Socrates' theory or good-life in Aristotle's concept, but Plato instead introduces a system of education that aims to create the most useful theory for the utilitarian and slightly totalitarian polis.
Aristotle’s Educational System
Let us begin with the claim that education in Aristotelian philosophy is the most crucial pillar of the polis because one can become ‘complete person' only when he has educated the person (Aristotle, Book I, 1253a.2). Henceforth, education is immensely valuable because of it the pillar of a prosperous society in the general sense. In the beginning, one must be introduced and educated in the pure philosophy of life. Unfortunately, such a concept is not that simple because it does
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not work in the way of accumulation of knowledge, but it rather works on principles that emphasised the cultivation of thorough understanding of ethics and politics. In addition to previous steps, a learner can maintain a deeper understating of morality through the process of education itself. This is the crucial point since Aristotelian view tells us that higher morality of people helps them to get rid of selfish or egotistical and make them better members of the polis {society}. Subsequently, the deeper sense of morality helps people to distinguish what is just correct and what is truly good, which results in better cooperation and well-organised society that can achieve goals for the common good (Aristotle, Book VII, 1323b.1). It is evident that Aristotle saw an inseparable connection between the welfare of individuals and the welfare of the polis {society]. Consequently, the Aristotelian model of learning should produce the perfect unity of physical, intellectual and moral education. However, morality seems to be more complicated in the Aristotelian principle, since Aristotle argued that being the good man is not the same thing as being the good citizen. Being good citizen means that one knows the difference between civic virtues and vices, although this does not automatically mean that one has to be the moral man at the same time (Aristotle, Book III, 1276b.34). In conclusion, Aristotelian education aims to make one a good citizen of the polis and therefore the education is tailored to make citizens good and happy because only good citizens can create a good society – the good city-state. Furthermore, it is crucial to focus on Aristotle's division of education regarding its usefulness for the Athenian city-state – polis (Aristotle, Book III, 1280b.30–1281a.3). It is important to realise that Aristotle's education provides the model which helps to maintain the balance between body, mind and soul or synthesis of theoretical, practical and technical tasks. In conclusion, one should study, e.g. dancing, physical exercise, rhetoric, natural sciences and philosophy to maintain the perfect balance in education.
On the other hand, learners should not rely exclusively on education based on reason revealing causes of things, but students should also cultivate their learning through habits (Aristotle, Book I, 1094b.24). We can explain learning through habits as performing the same actions to strengthen the quality which is attached to specific noble actions such as performing speeches regularly will lead to better rhetoric. In conclusion, the education in the Aristotelian sense is a combination of learning through the reason and habits as well. However, Aristotle emphasised that such type of education should last for the entire life, though certain disciplines should be learned during the specific age such as gymnastics should be introduced to learners at the early age and so forth. Also, it also provides the opportunity to study as long as one is willing to study after the last phase of Aristotle’s model. This point shows a remarkable difference from Plato's methods of education since Plato argued that only the most gifted ones are aspiring to become ideal rulers- philosopher kings should be allowed to study after they successfully pass specific examinations each 10, respectively 15 years. Plato clearly defined those specific professions needed the particular portion of the educational process, and if they failed to pass the examination for higher level, they should leave the education and began to practice assigned occupation such as businessman or clergyman for instance. Aristotle did not
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agree with limitations when it comes to education in a general sense, though it is worth mentioning that women, servants and other inferior groups should not be educated according to Aristotle. However, if one could be educated according to laws of polis, Aristotle clearly emphasised that opportunity to study further as long as one is willing to study should be supported by polis and other citizens producing exceptional scholars is beneficial for the entire society, though such outstanding individuals must act in favour of the community and polis (Aristotle, Book II, 1273b. 5). Aristotle's concept is not based on the challenge or rivalry that is pushing us forward, but his theory revolves rather around the formation of a well-balanced group of people through diverse and colourful educational disciplines. We can observe a significant difference from Plato since Plato argued for the gradual examination of learners throughout the process of education to decide if certain learners should finish the education or continue to higher levels. It is evident that Plato's model of education is explicitly tailored to contribute more or less to Plato's concept of virtues tied to the specific class of people contributing to the welfare of polis {society}. I dare to say that there is an underlying idea beneath Aristotelian concept of education, and this idea is a nothing less than the creation of harmonious society through education (Aristotle, Book I, 1098a].
Aristotelian model of education should be regarded as an excellent theoretical concept of learning, though Aristotle established his school Lyceum in Athens during the later years of his life, it is not clear if he we ever try to introduce such model of education to his students because unfortunately a large number of Aristotle's writings on education had been lost. In conclusion, I believe that Aristotelian model of education is arguably the most compelling in comparison to Plato or Socrates because Aristotle introduced to us the system of education which is well-balanced in theoretical, practical and moral principles. This perfect unity of above-mentioned three educational fields has a potential to produce versatile individuals, cultivate the sense of community and cooperation, though it has a potential to create the harmonious society without any limitations imposed or social stratifications during the educational process as opposed to Plato's concept.
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Works cited
Plato Complete Works. Ed. John M. Cooper, D.S. Hutchinson, Cambridge transl. Hackett Publishing. Cambridge 1997.
Complete works of Aristotle. Ed. Jonathan Barnes. The Oxford transl. Oxford University Press. Oxford 1984
Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Nietzsche
“Without music, life would be a mistake.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols
tags: inspirational, music, philosophy
“It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
tags: friendship, lack-of-friendship, lack-of-love, love, marriage, unhappy-marriage
“That which does not kill us makes us stronger.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
tags: paraphrased, strength
“I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
tags: lies, lying, trust
“And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
tags: dance, music
“It is hard enough to remember my opinions, without also remembering my reasons for them!”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
tags: humor, philosophy
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
tags: corruption, dark-side, fighting, monsters, soul
“There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
tags: love, madness
“You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.”
― Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
tags: amorality, correct-way, individuality, my-way, only-way, right-way, the-way, your-way
“You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
tags: art, chaos
“Sometimes people don't want to hear the truth because they don't want their illusions destroyed.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
“In heaven, all the interesting people are missing.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
tags: heaven, religion
“There are no facts, only interpretations.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
tags: perspective, truth
“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
tags: how, life, purpose, questioning, questions, why
“The man of knowledge must be able not only to love his enemies but also to hate his friends.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
tags: enemies, friends, friendship, hatred, intelligence, knowledge, love, wisdom
“The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
tags: individuality
“We should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once.”
― Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
tags: dance, dancing, music
“When we are tired, we are attacked by ideas we conquered long ago.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
tags: past, philosophy
“I cannot believe in a God who wants to be praised all the time.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
tags: agama, agnosticism, prayer, religion
“The snake which cannot cast its skin has to die. As well the minds which are prevented from changing their opinions; they cease to be mind.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
tags: change, mind, nietzsche
“No one can construct for you the bridge upon which precisely you must cross the stream of life, no one but you yourself alone.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
“In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
tags: insanity, society
“The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
tags: corruption, individuality, peer-pressure, youth
“The advantage of a bad memory is that one enjoys several times the same good things for the first time.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
tags: forgetfulness, forgetting, happiness, memory
“Is man merely a mistake of God's? Or God merely a mistake of man?”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
tags: atheism, organized-religion, paradox, religion
“Man is the cruelest animal.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
tags: animals, cruelty, evil, man
“I am a forest, and a night of dark trees: but he who is not afraid of my darkness, will find banks full of roses under my cypresses.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra
tags: darkness
“Every deep thinker is more afraid of being understood than of being misunderstood.”
― Friedrich Neitzsche
“The thought of suicide is a great consolation: by means of it one gets through many a dark night.”
― Nietzsche
tags: suicide
“Thoughts are the shadows of our feelings -- always darker, emptier and simpler.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
American Philosophers and Why You Should Know Them
Americans are, often with justification, regarded as not being versed in philosophy. This is a shame, as the United States and the colonies that proceeded it have produced many great thinkers
Americans are, often with justification, regarded as being poorly versed in philosophy. This is a shame, as the United States and the colonies that proceeded it have produced many great thinkers. Here is a list of ten of the greatest philosophers the United States has given the world.
Please note, several great American thinkers, such as Martha Nussbaum or Noam Chomsky, have made it to our other lists of thinkers, and the members of this list were selected in part as not to overlap with the others.
1. Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)
A Calvinist minister who was part of the “Great Awakening”, a revivalist movement in Protestant Europe and British North America that focused less on ritual and more on personal experience. Edwards argued in Freedom of the Will that God’s supreme sovereignty, his foreknowledge, and the requirement that events have causes prohibits our having much free will.
He toured extensively at the height of the movement, giving sermons on the grace of God, personal religious involvement, and religious fervor. Shortly before his death he replaced his grandson Aaron Burr as president of Princeton University.
You have reason to wonder that you are not already in hell.- A line from his sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.”
2. Thomas Paine (1737-1809)
He was a philosopher, poor excuse for a solder, and author of one of the most widely read documents in American history. Thomas Paine was one of the more radical members of the intellectuals behind the American revolution, calling for independence in Common Sense long before anyone else was by using enlightenment notions of the rights of the ruled.
After the American revolution he moved to France, where he served in the national convention and helped to draft the first constitution of the French Republic-despite not speaking French. He published the book Agrarian Justice, which re-introduced the idea of the basic income to western thought. He also defended the French Revolution against Burke in the book The Rights of Man, in which he also proposed a state funded old age pension.
“A statue of gold should be erected to you in every city in the universe”- Told to Paine by his one-time revolutionary ally Napoleon Bonaparte, who claimed to have slept with a copy of The Rights of Man under his pillow.
3. Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
The greatest of the Transcendentalist philosophers, though he is often considered as much an author as a philosopher. Emerson began his career as a minister, but left the pulpit after the death of his wife. His writings cover many topics, including education, self-improvement, nature, and the dignity of the ordinary. A pantheist, he held that the divine was manifest in all of us, and that we therefore had a divine duty to be ourselves.
He gave woodlands he owned to his friend and fellow thinker Henry David Thoreau, who used the land to build the cabin where he wrote Walden. Nietzsche claimed his as an influence. An overview of his ideas can be watched here. He was also the godfather to our next entry.
“It is easy to live for others; everybody does. I call on you to live for yourselves.”- Journal entry for May 3, 1845
4. William James (1842-1910)
A physician, psychologist, and philosopher of the Pragmatic school, James' work covers topics stretching from education and epistemology to metaphysics and mysticism.
His book The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature, foreshadowed his pragmatic philosophy. In it, he argues that religious experiences are human experiences and discusses the possible causes of mystical events. His long-outdated text Principles of Psychology was immensely popular and influential in shaping early American psychology. When measuring by citations, James was one of the most influential psychologists of the 20th century.
The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook. – from The Principles of Psychology
5. Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860-1935)
stories, her work focused on the problems of women prevented from reaching their full potential. In Women and Economics, she argues that women work just as much as men do but have been sidelined into domestic roles and made dependent on men as a result. She also noted that gaining the vote would be insufficient for true progress. Her novel Herland envisions a world free of men, where women, freed of domestic work and gender roles, have built a utopian society.
You probably read one of her stories in high school, The Yellow Wallpaper. Written after a doctor tried to cure her Postpartum psychosis by means of a useless “rest cure”, she mailed him a copy of the story in hopes he would reconsider the validity of the treatment.
Only as we live, think, feel, and work outside the home, do we become humanly developed, civilized, socialized.- Women and economics.
6. John Dewey (1859-1952)
Philosopher, psychologist, and founder of a highly successful experimental school, Dewey is one of the most influential philosophers you have never heard of.
He formalized the concept of Learning-by-doing and founded The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools to experiment in progressive education. By viewing education as the means for learning how to live, he developed methods for interactive learning and a well-rounded curriculum. Problem based learning and experimental learning today owe large debts to his thought. A secular humanist, he was one of the signatories on the first humanist manifesto.
Every great advance in science has issued from a new audacity of imagination. - The Quest for Certainty
7. W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963)
A sociologist, historian, author, activist, and the first African American to receive a Ph.D from Harvard University, Du Bois was a busy man. Many of his writings, especially The Philadelphia Negro and The Souls of Black Folk are viewed as seminal texts in the history of sociology. His works mark the first time racial prejudice was sighted as the cause of subpar living conditions for African Americans, a radical notion at the time.
His essay collection The Souls of Black Folk examined race issues in the southern United States, introduced the idea of double-consciousness, and was noted as an influence on later civil rights leaders. His Magnum Opus Black Reconstruction in America explored the failures of reconstruction, the rise of Jim Crow, and racial politics. When not writing and teaching he found time to cofound the NAACP. An overview of his ideas can be seen here.
There is but one coward on earth, and that is the coward that dare not know.- from The Study of Negro Problems
8. Martin Luther King (1929-1968)
Remembered as the face of the civil rights movement, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. kept busy when he wasn’t leading marches. His written work focused on many topics and was often related to civil rights. In Letter from Birmingham Jail he restates the right of the governed to protest and takes it a step further-to posit a moral obligation to protest in the face of injustice.In his last book, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? he analyzed the tactics of the civil rights movement and argued for the basic income.
Of course, he was a minister first and returned to religion whenever he could. In his (slightly plagiarized) doctoral thesis he compared and contrasted conceptions of God between differing theologians. In his sermons, many of which were published, he expressed his support for absolute laws of morality, the need to exemplify the words of Christ, and warned against living for the sake of our material desires.
I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard. – “The Other America” speech at Grosse Point High School.
9.Robert Nozick (1938-2002)
A philosopher at Harvard known for his unique writing style and stunning good looks. He worked in many fields, including ethics, epistemology, and metaphysics. He is perhaps most famous for his single venture into political philosophy: Anarchy, State, and Utopia, which argues for a minimalist state and against both anarcho-capitalism and socialism.
In that book he also devised two enduring arguments against utilitarianism, the virtual reality argument and the utility monster problem. His book Philosophical Explanations examines ideas of knowledge and critiques the method of basing large systems of thought on a few axioms- comparing it to building a house by piling bricks directly on top of one another.
You can't satisfy everybody; especially if there are those who will be dissatisfied unless not everybody is satisfied. - Anarchy, State, and Utopia.
10. JohIn that book he also devised two enduring arguments against utilitarianism, the virtual reality argument and the utility monster problem. His book Philosophical Explanations examines ideas of knowledge and critiques the method of basing large systems of thought on a few axioms- comparing it to building a house by piling bricks directly on top of one another.
You can't satisfy everybody; especially if there are those who will be dissatisfied unless not everybody is satisfied. - Anarchy, State, and Utopia.
10. John Rawls (1921-2002)
n Rawls (1921-2002)
While he avoided the spotlight, he did meet regularly with president Bill Clinton, who sought his council. His work inspired his fellow Harvard philosopher Robert Nozick to write a libertarian answer to his social liberal philosophy. A fantastic overview of his ideas can be viewed here.
Justice is happiness according to virtue. - A theory of Justice , RIP.
Final Chapter :
Since ancient times, many philosophers have tried to find the formula for peace. Although it seems simple, it is actually the most difficult thing to establish both a country and for its inhabitants. To live in peace is not necessary to eliminate the differences, but it is important to learn to respect the points of view of all around us. When you live in the absence of peace people lead really difficult lives.
Today it seems that peace is being eliminated more and more worldwide. It is not only an evil that is the responsibility of governments, but it is also something that is up to each person. Each individual can choose to lead a life that is free of resentment and negative feelings. The peace that we all desire can always be found when we feel good about ourselves. In this article we offer you some thoughts about peace. Share some of these thoughts with your family or friends.
peace messages:
– “Sometimes we regret the fact that there is no peace in our society without realizing that we should try to be at peace with ourselves’’first.”
– “We come into this world to be happy and the only way to accomplish this is through peace . May living in peace be our top priority.”
– “We show our wisdom each time we become true peacemakers instead of reacting with anger and hatred, that way we make the world-a-better=place.”
– “If we have a mind and a peaceful heart, the noblest and creative-thoughts-will-surface-of-our-being.”
– “Real heroes do exist, and they are those who are responsible for ensuring the peace and quiet every day of their lives.”
– “There is nothing more powerful than love and the understanding of this principle could lead us to live a quiet life in harmony-with-others.”
– “Being peaceful does not mean being a coward, it means having the courage to restrain our negative passions and not follow the game of those who want to cause us harm.”
– “He who has his heart alone can discover all the wonders that this-world-and-creation-have-for-us.”
– “If you know yourself you can be at peace with yourself and with-others.”
– “The road to inner peace is within you, so do not look into the corners of the world or in the words of those who say much.”
–“Live in harmony with your surroundings and with the people around you, only then you will see that peace will begin to fill your’’mind.”
– “Happiness is linked to peace, if you have one of the two, it is because the other for sure has been present in your life but you have-not-noticed-it-yet.”
– ” If you want to be at peace with others, you must first learn to forgive and accept yourself as a person, then you will understand that you respect the differences you have with others in order to live-in-peace.”
Many people try to seek peace throughout their lives and only after countless live experiences, they find that it has always been available but they have not known how to find it. Learn to meditate and know yourself, you will see that the more you do, you will begin to glimpse that beautiful feeling, Always remember.
‘’AFTER MASTERING THE BASIS, AND BREAKING THE LAST OBSTACLE , EVERYBODY CALLS IT DIFFERNTLY, I CALL IT THE GREAT WALL ,AFTER BREAKING IT SMARTLY AND FINALLY, WE GONNA BORN AGAIN, I COULD NEVER IMAGINE HOW DOES IT FEEL AND TASTE, I AM THIRSTY AS HELL, AND THE GRAETEST THING IS NOT ONLY MONEY ’’
I’M LITERALLY LIVING MY BEST LIFE OF SOME PHILOSOPHIES AND IDEAS THAT I SHARED SOME WITH YOU GUYS ON MY NOVELS, BUT NEVER GIVE EVERYTHING YOU KNOW OR MASTER , AT LEAST KEEP ONE THING IN SECRET, PERSONAL, CONFIDENTIAL…(SKILL, AND ON ) .
CONSIDER THAT WAS AN ADVICE NOT MORE.
Keep it that way mate,
Peace out BUDDY.