Promise

Notes from Howard Rachlin’s “Science of Self-Control” (2000)

Notes from Introduction

Humans have the ability to perceive a pattern of facts as a single, abstract entity. Self-control, therefore, simply involves allocating a pattern of behavior to the delivery of a later, larger reinforcer, as opposed to a sooner, smaller reinforcer. (p. 3)

The pattern of saving nuts emerges in the behavior of the squirrel from every instinctual instance where it has to hide nuts. In the same vein, the pattern of alcoholism emerges in the choice to drink at every instance the opportunity is presented. Just like the squirrel who doesn’t choose to be a saver; the alcoholic does not choose to be one (p. 4).

Notes from Chapter 1: Habit and Willpower

Teleological behaviorism (Rachlin’s paradigm) does not distinguish inner life from life. Rather, all of life is acted out as overt behavior. (p. 19). That said, I cannot agree that there is no difference between private and public events. The skin does make a difference!

Mental life is simply patterns of behavior extending into the past and the future (p. 19). Mental events are perceptible patterns of overt behavior just like a movement within a symphony or ballet (p. 19). Within some time range, interobserver agreement can be obtained for the history of an observable behavior. Future behavioral patterns may be predicted, but not perceived by external observers until it happens. If mental life comprises of private events extending into the past and the future, then it has a dimension not present in observable behavior – time in mental life is at least bidirectional. This sounds like LaMettrie’s materialist monism.

Notes from Chapter 2: Simple Ambivalence

None publicly posted.

Notes from Chapter 3: Complex Ambivalence

Simple ambivalence involves a choice between two clearly defined alternatives, while complex ambivalence involves a choice between one clearly defined alternative (usually the temptation, e.g., drinking or using drugs now) and a vaguely defined, abstract state (e.g., the state of wellbeing or sobriety) (p. 58)

In teleological behaviorism, the best predictor of future patterns of behavior is not through introspection, but in the observation of patterns of past behavior. (p. 66). Friends, relatives and other people in one’s social circle are the best mirrors for identifying patterns of past behavior. As a consequence, they are able to understand the behavioral context of an individual engaged in a particular activity. (p. 66). This is similar to my concept of Adullam Ring or cognitive science’s conception of cognition as embodied in the environment, social environment in this case. Outsight is better than Insight because extended patterns of behavior over time are no longer discrete and well-defined for the individual.

People prefer to be rewarded, rather than merely escape punishment. As a result, people are motivated to exchange negative reinforcement (e.g., continual drinking by the alcoholic) for positive reinforcement (e.g., engaged in non-drinking activities). This explains why alcoholics might want to quit after entering the alcoholism stable state. In this state, alcoholism becomes the abstract, temporally extended state, while “not drinking” becomes the discrete, well-defined event where positive reinforcement can occur. However, with time, the individual gets to the sobriety stable state where every instance of “not drinking” becomes negatively reinforcing, i.e., merely avoiding pain. As a result, the individual engages in the well-defined event of “drinking” where positive reinforcement can occur. Then the journey down the primrose path starts again. (p. 78-79)

Negative reinforcement: Removal of aversive stimulus to increase the emission of behavior. E.g., drug addict who takes drugs to drown out pain or loneliness.

Positive reinforcement: Presentation of stimulus (reinforcers) to increase the emission of behavior. E.g., engaged in social activities

Notes from Chapter 4: The Lonely Addict

Expected Utility Theory assumes that the consumer’s time horizon is infinite and the consequences of all choices in the present and future are considered before a choice is made. However, based on psychological realism, reinforcers and punishers are both discounted by time/delay (p. 82-83).

Consumption of addictive goods can have harmful effects on future consumption. In addition, consumption of addictive goods reduces the net utility of a fixed amount of that good. This necessitates the consumption of an increased amount of the good to attain the same level of utility (p. 85).

Tolerance is the negative effect of a person’s stock of an addictive substance on utility Stock = body and environment’s memories of consumption. Stock increases with consumption and decreases with time. If addictive and nonaddictive activities are seen as alternatives, increase in one activity will increase its stock and decrease the stock of the other activity (p. 85-87).

Negative effect of present consumption on future local utility is price habituation (p. 87).

Consumption of some activities, e.g., learning skills or social skills, increases future local utility (p. 87).

Positive effect of present consumption on future local utility is price sensitization (p. 88).

It appears that social interaction is price sensitized, i.e., the more it is performed, the cheaper it gets; the less it is performed, the more expensive it gets. (p. 100). Addictive behavior, e.g., smoking or alcohol consumption, is price habituated, i.e., the more it is performed, the more expensive it gets (you need more quantities to attain the same level of utility/satisfaction) (p. 101). Sometimes, an addictive activity becomes instrumental for obtaining social support, i.e., the individual drinks in order to reduce the cost of social support (p. 102).

Notes from Chapter 5: Soft Commitment

The initiation of a gestalt of behavior whose interruption is costly is also a commitment to its completion. This is called soft commitment because there is a way out. (p. 109). Credit card companies understand this with attaching penalties to when payments are defaulted.

Initial components of a gestalt of behavior patterns are not sunk costs, but rather, investment in the individual’s stock (Stock = body and environment’s memories of consumption [p. 85]). In other words, components of a gestalt of behavior are economic complements (p. 116). This is a good conceptualization introduced by Rachlin. Rather than limiting complements to different reinforcers that must be consumed together to obtain utility from them, Rachlin treats each allocation of behavior to the same reinforcers across time as complements.

In teleological behaviorism, there is no delineation between cognition and motivation. True knowledge is more than the repetition/verbalization of rules (as evidenced in the two experiments). To know a rule is to act in a way that is consistent with it (p. 125).

By committing to a behavioral pattern leading to a larger, later reward (LLR), the individual is reducing future options and potential variability of future behavior (p. 125). The pattern of behaviors that constitute self-monitoring introduces a wider temporal context. This overwhelms the discrete, narrow time associated with smaller, sooner reward (SSRs).

Experimental example with smokers asked to limit the variability in the number of cigarettes they smoked. By trying to reduce variability, the smokers reduced the amount of cigarettes they smoked. This is due to restructuring, where attention shifted from the few minutes smoking takes, to the larger behavioral context of self-monitoring for a week (p. 126-127).

Notes from Chapter 6: Rules and Probability

Desires are situational, i.e., cravings are not in the individual, but dependent on where the individual is. Discriminative stimulus is a situation or stimulus that signals the operation of a certain contingency of reinforcement (p. 130).

Just as organisms tend to prefer SSRs to LLRs, they also prefer small certain reinforcers to larger probabilistic ones. (p. 153). This is the essence of Prospect Theory’s subjective evaluation of value depending on their probabilities.

Notes from Chapter 7: Self-control and Social Cooperation

Social cooperation is to social defection what individual self-control is to individual impulsiveness (p. 168).

Cooperation is not dependent on either absolute probability or subjective probability. Rather, it is dependent on relative/conditional probability, i.e., what is the probability of others (or future “me”) cooperating, given that I cooperate. (p. 178 – 179).

For an individual struggling with addictive activities, a lifetime of relapse has reduced the probability of his current self cooperating with his future self. As a result, the future self defects too and will not be able to cooperate with the current self (p. 179).

A single person in successive moments in time, ranging from past to present, is like a person in a group of other people (Fig 7.7). The different persons have the same skin, thus, they have a common interest. Good habits and LLRs benefit the individual over time, even though there might be some sacrifice in the present (t = 0) (p. 187). Rachlin introduces this prisoner dilemma game ongoing between the person in the present time and the future time. Goal of self-control is to encourage cooperation between self in the present and self in the future.

In Richard Price’s novel, Clockers (1992), ghetto environments have short-term social interactions dominating long term ones. SSRs overwhelm LLRs and everyone’s self-concept is narrow in time; controlled by the clock, rather than the calendar.

Calling Evil Good

In his book, “Beyond good and evil”, German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said, “The great epochs of our lives come when we gain the courage to rechristen our evil as what is best in us”.

Now, I’ll admit that I’ve never read any of Nietzsche’s work in its entirety (and I’m not even sure I ever will). As a consequence, however, it is difficult for me to know exactly what that quote means outside its context.

On one hand, it could mean that people should be willing to reconstruct their moralities such that the traditional notions of “right” and “wrong” are rendered obsolete. The logical conclusion of this line of reasoning is the rejection of universal truth since, in the course of my reconstruction, what is “good” for me may not necessarily be “good” for you, and vice versa. Isaiah 5: 20 warns us of the dangers of towing this path:

“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”

An alternative interpretation of Nietzsche’s quote which is more agreeable to my system of beliefs is the idea that that we should be open to changing or updating what we accept as “good” or “evil” in a given situation and time.

An example that comes to mind is from the Biblical story of Joseph’s reconciliation with his brothers who had sold him into slavery years before. In Genesis 50:20, Joseph’s conclusion from the whole ordeal is simple: “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.” Joseph chose to interpret his terrible experiences as God’s good plan for him, his family and the nation. In other words, he called evil good.

What is a practical way this may work out in contemporary times?

Think about the person who is terrified of public speaking. He will physiologically and psychologically present the flight-or-fight response. This happens because the individual has lumped public speaking and other sources of fear in his life under the category called “Evil”. Real change happens when the person has the courage to label public speaking as “Good”. Done long enough, the person becomes comfortable speaking in public such that it appears to be second-nature.

Disclaimer: The “Notes/Ideas Lab” category on my website will contain ideas and thoughts that I have not fully developed. I may eventually get round to fleshing them out into a full essay. I also reserve the right not to do so…

Resolving Intra-Psychic Conflicts

Behavior-based Artificial Intelligence is a branch of AI which approaches intelligence from the standpoint of multiple, simple decision makers whose combined action leads to the expression of more complicated behavior. This approach to AI is modeled after a paradigm for considering the complexities of the human mind and behavior. At the most basic level of this worldview, the human mind appears to be made up of several intrapsychic subsystems. So, rather than seeing the individual as being moody and gloomy in one moment, impulsive and gluttony the next, calculative and rational the moment after that, the idea of the person is considered to be a bundle of all these different inclinations.

Intrapsychic subsystems are always in conflict because they are competing for the right to be expressed in behavior. This makes sense when one considers the fact that the different inclinations of the individual have goals which do not necessarily overlap. For instance, the goal of the moody and gloomy inclination might be to just lie in bed sulking, while the calculative and rational inclination has the goal of paying the bills – which won’t happen unless one goes to work.

The conflict between the different intrapsychic subsystems is over who will be in control of overt behavior and this conflict is resolved by bringing them under the control of a personality.

There are 4 different ways this may play out.

Winner Takes All: In this approach, the intrapsychic subsystems are simply left to the whims of time and chance. Eventually, one of the intrapsychic subsytems will emerge as the dominant personality that governs all expressed behavior. We all know of spoiled children who grew into lazy, miserable and unmotivated adults. A lifetime of indiscipline led them down the path of least resistance. For obvious reasons, this is the least desirable means of developing a personality.

Cultural Education: The conflict between intrapsychic subsystems is compounded by the potential for interpersonal conflict when people come together to live as a group. To resolve this, the incentives for pursuing group goals have to be stronger than those for pursing individual goals. That is, the goals of the group have to be compelling enough, such that the individuals who make up the group are willing to subject their warring subsystems to the dictates of the group. In other words, a personality is developed through culture norms. In fact, we say an individual is “cultured” to the extent to which he embodies cultural norms and expresses them in action. For the most part, harmony within the group can be maintained when personality is developed in this manner. Problems arise when in-group members come in contact with out-group members.

Mentors and Role Models: The personality that resolves intrapsychic conflict can be resolved by simply imitating one’s role model or mentor. When my baby brother was very little, he watched numerous episodes of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. At the end of each episode, he would tie a blanket round his neck and wear his underwear outside his trousers. He’d walk around the house confidently with his chest puffed out. My little brother had embodied the spirit of Superman and nothing was going to stop him. In those precious moments, his behavior as expressed in overt action was simplified by asking, “What would Superman do?” . The downside to this method is that we do not spend all our waking hours shadowing our models. As a consequence, the part of the mentor which we have access to and are trying model our lives after is only a small subset of what makes them who they are. We’ve all heard stories of people who lost respect for their role models when they got to see them up, close and personal. The mystique around their personality was gone and only the mundane was left.

The Holy Spirit: As a Christian, I’ve come to understand the Holy Spirit also gives believers a personality that resolves the conflict between the different intrapsychic subsystems. Life is complex, and no matter how many times you read through the Bible, you’re not going to get direct answers to personalized questions like whether you should marry Jane or Juliet, or whether you should relocate to a warmer climate or stay put in your current location. In fact, if you merely restrict yourself to the letters of the Bible, it could kill you (2 Corinthians 3:6). A truly rich and abundant life only comes when you partner with the Holy Spirit, develop the personality He endows upon you, and allow Him to unfold for you the unforced, rhythms of grace as you journey through life.

Samson: A Man of Faith?

In the popular Faith’s Hall of Fame found in Hebrews 11, Samson is a surprising entrant that seemed kind of out of place.

For years, I battled with the idea of this man being counted as one of the heroes of faith.

Seriously, it didn’t make any sense to my little church mind.

Religion had taught me that Samson was a moral and character failure that had the biceps, but not much of a brain.

But, I believe that Samson’s name wouldn’t have occurred in Hebrews 11’s Faith Hall of Fame, if he didn’t have a particular trait of faith that the Holy Spirit wanted to pass across to us.

However, I’ve found some interesting answers…

First of all, I don’t believe that Samson was a physically imposing figure.

But what of the movies and comics?

For once, forget the comics and movies depicting Samson as a muscular guy with bulging biceps and a 6-pack abs.

Astonishing, right? Stay with me…

You see, when it comes to describing the physical attributes of individuals, the Bible is quite explicit about it.

For example, Saul was a head and shoulder taller than all the Israelites of his day (1 Samuel 10:23); while Zacchaeus was extremely short (Luke 19:3); and 2 Samuel 23:20 refers to the two lionlike men of Moab. By the way, Vashti (Esther 1:11) and Rachel (Genesis 29:17) were very, very, very beautiful women.

My point is this: If Samson had been a muscular specimen of a man, the Bible would have mentioned it!

And since the Bible was silent about Samson’s physical attributes, it’s safe to say that he was a very ordinary-looking guy. The Bible was also silent about Jesus’ physical looks…but that’s a matter for another day.

Samson did not look like this!

It’s important that we understand this, because it’s key to our understanding how Samson could be an example of faith to us.

Judges 13 reports the story of the circumstances surrounding Samson’s birth. His parents had received the revelation from the angel of the Lord, and they were given specific instructions on how he should be brought up as a Nazarene because he’d be the deliverer of the nation of Israel.

Note that, Samson had not been born when the angel visited his parents with God’s Word about his life and destiny as a deliverer. Yet, Samson would walk in supernatural strength for one single reason.

His parents told him about God’s Word concerning his destiny!

Of course, his parents told him, what’s the big deal?

Well, Romans 10:17 tells us the implication of that truth,

‘So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God’

That is what made Samson a man of faith.

Samson had no physical sign that could indicate to him that he was going to be a great deliverer filled with supernatural strength. He had no angel appear to him, neither did he see a glory cloud or feel a goose bump…

All that Samson had was the Word from the angel of the Lord that his Mama had told him!

It was that Word that was manifested when Samson tore a lion like a baby goat (Judges 14:6).

That same Word caused Samson to tear out the gates of Gaza (Judges 16:3).

That same Word provided the wisdom that Samson used in catching 300 foxes, pairing them by their tails and putting a burning stick between the tails (Judges 15:4).

That Word came to Samson by hearing God’s Word about him, as his parents told him!

Samson was able to look at things that were not seen with the eyes of faith – created by the Word. He was able to call things that are not as though they were, because somehow, Samson got to know that he did not need to see large biceps and triceps, complete with well-developed pecs and 6-pack abs to match, before God could use him mightily.

Samson didn’t need any of this. His parents had told him that he would be the deliverer of Israel. Samson believed, and the Spirit of God could move him as He willed.

Friend, Samson may not have been an epitome of excellence when it came to moral matters. But, in terms of having a crazy faith in God’s Word concerning his life, very few can trump Samson’s attitude.

Has God spoken His Mind concerning your destiny? Emulate Samson – a man of faith!

Increasing Shannon’s Entropy in Relationships

Under normal circumstances, entropy signifies the amount of disorderliness in a system. For instance, a highly disorganized room can be said to be in a state of entropy.

In information theory, however, entropy is given a slightly different treatment. This form of entropy is called Shannon’s entropy and it deals with the amount of surprise that is embedded in a message. The higher the entropy, the more informative the message is.

Think about the last time you heard a baby babble. In this instance, the amount of information you can extract from the baby’s vocalizations is small. There’s really nothing inherently novel or interesting about hearing a baby say “baa-da, baa-da…” over and over again. The Shannon’s entropy of the baby’s message is low.

On the other hand, say, you’re listening to a subject matter expert talking about a topic you’re very interested in. In this case, the Shannon’s entropy of the speaker’s message is high. Why? Because the words encoding his message can open new frontiers in your mind once you are able to decode them!

Generalizing to interpersonal relationships today, many relationships have the Shannon’s entropy of a baby’s babble!

There are at least two heuristics for detecting an interpersonal relationship with a low Shannon’s entropy: (1) Recurring conflicts on the same issues, which could eventually lead to (2) Cold indifference, where one party is simply apathetic to the other.

So, how can you increase Shannon’s entropy in your interpersonal relationships?

First, listen to truly understand what the other person is saying. Merely mouthing ‘I understand you’ does not cut it. To understand the other person means embodying the spirit of empathy. That is, trying as much as possible to enter the same emotional and psychological space as the other party. Doing this will increase the amount of information you can extract from the other person’s message, thus increasing the Shannon’s entropy of the other party’s message to you. This may be crucial in taking your interpersonal relationships to the next level!

Second, understand that winning the person is sometimes more important than winning the argument. In a scientific study investigating the dynamics of social interactions among rats, a typically dominant rat engaging in playful rough and tumble with another rat will usually let the other rat win 30% of the time. That is, even stronger rats instinctively appreciate the idea that winning the individual is sometimes more important than winning the fight. You can imagine how much more the Shannon’s entropy in your interpersonal relationship will be increased if you took a hint from a rat!

Waste is Key

Waste is one key to unlocking exponential development in any sector or industry.

Until you can afford to waste a resource, you will not be able to break through the iron ceiling of potential.

I have 4 examples to prove my point:

The first is biological systems.

A tree produces tons of seed-containing fruits in the course of its life, even though, there are probably billions of seeds out there that will never get planted, not to talk of become trees. Yet, trees are in no danger of getting extinct anytime soon. Similarly, you only need one sperm cell and one ovum to make a baby. Millions of sperm cells are “wasted” in the process of conception, yet the world population is currently at 7 billion and counting.

My second example is from the food industry.

The American fast food industry only really took off after the country had figured out how to “afford” wasting farm produce. This happened through the mechanization of farm processes. The result? Increased efficiency in the use of land and exponential production of farm produce. At such levels of production, supply outweighs need, and when people are no longer hungry, innovation is never far away. Of course, one of such innovations turned out to be the fast food industry itself!

The third example is paper, which I won’t describe in detail here because I have written about this before. I’d say this, though: Once people could afford to waste paper, groundbreaking ideas could be disseminated far and wide.

The final example is data.

I remember seeing a picture of early computer innovators using a truck to move a 1 MB hard drive.

Yes, you read that right – one megabyte!

Data was expensive to produce, to store and to move around. Since so much effort went into it, no one was willing to waste it.

Fast forward to the present day where data is so ubiquitous and almost everyone spends their active waking hours literally wasting data without giving so much as a thought to it.

But think about how much the quality of our lives have improved because we can all waste data. Think about the software, web apps, and online marketplaces that were only possible after man could figure out how to afford to waste data.

There is a benefit that comes with being able to waste. It allows more room to experiment with different uses of a resource, and like in the archetypal Darwinian struggle, the fittest use(s) for that resource will thrive, while others go extinct. If you’re unable to waste, how can you even be sure that the current use of the resource is the optimal way to get the best out of it?

Innovation and technological development in any industry is constrained by its willingness and capability to waste.

The Word at Quantum Level

During the course of a Christmas break years ago, my fascination with quantum mechanics took a quantum leap.

For the uninitiated, quantum mechanics is a branch of physics that deals with the nature of matter at subatomic levels. ‘Subatomic’ implying sizes that are billions of times smaller than that of invisible atoms and electrons.

The funny thing is that I never really cared about Physics at any point in my life prior to that year. I had always considered the subject kind of vague and abstract and it never seemed to interest me.

However, that changed when I was reminded of a concept of quantum mechanics referred to as the ‘Wave-Particle Duality of Matter’. In simple terms, it means that at quantum levels, matter can either exist as a wave or a particle, but not as both at the same time.

You see, whenever the subatomic components of matter is manifested as a wave, it is actually a probabilistic pattern of where the subatomic component is most likely to be found. To get this idea, let’s assume that I am holding a ball which I intend to put into one of 10 square boxes in front of me. Now, while the ball is still in my hand, all the boxes have an equal chance of being picked, despite the fact that none of them physically has the ball in them. In the same way, at subatomic levels, matter exists simply as a wave of probability or potential of where it would most likely be found.

The whole story suddenly changes when an observer decides to observe this wave of probability/potential, because the subatomic matter would crystallize to form a particle at the exact point that was observed!!!

Now, I’m fully aware that some of you would roll your eyes and call this hogwash.

It’s not! All I’ve shared with you is practical science, with results that have been repeated in the labs, time and time again!

How then does all these relate to the Word?

Good question!

Hebrews 4:12 says, ‘For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword…’

The Word of God is a Living Force, full of unimaginable amounts of Life, Power, Wisdom, Direction, Understanding and Insights. However, just as in the Wave Property of Matter in Quantum Mechanics, that Direction, Power, Wisdom, Life or Insight that you need per time only exists in the form of potential that cannot be of any benefit to you….

…unless you observe it!

In the same way a wave would crystallize to form a particle wherever the observer looks, the Word you need to turn your life around for the better would crystallize anywhere you observe in the Word.

2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that ALL Scripture is inspired by God. This implies that every single part of the Bible – including the ‘boring parts’ and the genealogies – is backed up by God’s Inspiration and Power. Every single page of the Bible has the power to change your life…if only you’d pick it up and read!

It’s so simple. It’s so profound.

Are you looking for a Word from God? Perhaps you’re waiting for another person to speak into your life, while you have your Bible under your armpit. Awake and stir yourself up. Take responsibility for your life and get your Bible. Observe the pages of the Word, and watch spiritual possibilities crystallizing into the physical realities you desire to see in your life!

Thoughts on Correct Meditation

Meditation is a bother on many people’s minds today.

When many people come in contact with the concept of meditation, they are usually overwhelmed. And really, it is hard not to see why. For too long, contemporary media, as well as the internet has done so much to paint complicated pictures of what meditation should ideally be.

If you are ever going to meditate in order to find clarity and direction of purpose, you will need to first of all do meditation properly. So, that’s the first step, I will help you achieve.

Meditation Is Not Relaxation

A lot of people seem to think meditation is sitting down lotus-style and focusing on your breath or something. While I do not have anything against people that do that, there needs to be a delineation between relaxation and meditation!

If you need to relax, it may be a good idea to focus on your breath and sit in the lotus position, or you may simply go to your bed and get some sleep!

However, if you want to meditate, you need to go about it the right way.

Meditation Is Worry

You see, meditation, at its most basic form, simply means, positive worry!

This is why I laugh at times, when people come over to meet me and tell me that they find it difficult to meditate. I simply ask them, ‘Do you worry?”. Of course, these people look back at me, with incredulity written all over their face, “Of course, I do worry!”. In fact, the funniest answer that I got to my question was, “Promise, to be honest, I cannot remember a time when I did not worry!”. That’s the point when I simply smile and tell them, “Dude, if you can worry, you already know how to meditate…you’re only doing it wrongly”.

Take a moment and examine the past week, month or year.

Have you ever been bothered by anything, but still had to go to work? Have you been concerned with an issue but you still had to be in class to study? Have you been worried with stuff, but still had to take your children out to play or hang out with your spouse?

Most likely, the answer to all the questions above are a resounding yes!

You were able to keep the issue at the back of your mind while still maintaining some form of functionality in your everyday life! That’s how worry works…and that’s how meditation works too

The 3-Step Method for Effective Meditation

With everything else at the back of our minds, I will now proceed to share a 3-step method of effective meditation. I remember when I first used this method I am about to share with you, it unleashed the bundles of potential trapped within me and guess what, I am still reaping the benefits till this very day. This is why I am confident that if you follow the same steps, you will be surprised with the amount of clarity you will find concerning your life’s direction!

1. Find a statement or sentence that contains a reality you desire

I think that’s self-explanatory. You will need to find a motivational or inspirational sentence or concept that contains a reality or experience that you wish to have in the nearest future. It could be from an inspirational book or video. It may also be a profound truth that someone shared with you in the past. Typically, I pick my sentences from the Bible. I believe that the Bible is the most powerful book in the world today. There are hundreds of thousands of concepts, principles and ideas that can potentially turn your life right side up, if you spend enough time on it. Remember, at this stage, all you need is just one sentence or concept.

2. Think about the components of the statement or sentence

This is the point when you start seeking to understand the concept, idea or sentence. Think about the tenses used in the statement. Is it talking about the past, the present or the future? Think about the meaning of each word in the sentence. Does the word mean something else in the context of the sentence? Think about the sentence in terms of cause and effect. Will a certain action lead to certain consequences? Flip the sentence around and examine it from every angle.

3. Obsess over the sentence

This is the final secret sauce of meditation. Meditation is positive worry to the point of obsession! You have to make yourself obsessed with the idea, concept or statement you are thinking about. Think about it when you wake up; let it be the last thing on your mind before you sleep; think about it when you eat; think about it in the shower; whatever you do, just think about it.

There are two problems that usually arise at this phase.

The first is that a lot of people find their minds drifting off from the concept every few seconds. When this happens to you, do not be discouraged or frustrated. Just smile and bring your mind back to the concept you were thinking about before. I promise you, with time, you will find that it will take longer before your mind drifts off the topic you are thinking about.

The second problem is that a lot of people think that they do not have time to obsessively meditate. Actually, you do have more than enough time to do so. You see, there are a lot of empty pockets of time during the course of our day. Have you ever wondered about what you think of when you make the commute to work or class? What do you think about when you are sitting on the “white throne” or standing under the shower? If you could slot in meditation into these pockets of time littered throughout your day, I promise you that your life will be remarkably improved and you’d ultimately get the much needed clarity of spirit and mind!

Three Big Ideas: On Einstein’s Equation, Opportunity Costs, and, Commanding God

Big Idea #1 from Me

In the 19th century, the scientific consensus was that the realm of matter was separate from the realm of energy. That changed in 1905 when Albert Einstein introduced his theory of special relativity. This theory shows the relationship between energy and matter, and is generally known as E = MC^2. In other words, Einstein showed that matter was a form of energy, and energy was a form of matter.

So, how did Einstein arrive at this conclusion?

Einstein tried to imagine what he would see if he could run after a light wave – at the speed of light. Now, light moves at about 670 million meters per second. At that speed, it would take less than 1/5th of a second to travel from Lagos in Nigeria to London in the UK! Through his thought experiment, Einstein realized that it will never be possible to outrun a light wave. No matter how fast you try to run, light waves will always be faster than you.

To take the idea further, Einstein imagined what would happen to the person who was already approaching the speed of light but still wanted to travel faster. Well, as the person approaches the speed of light, any effort exerted to make him outrun the light wave will not make the individual any faster. Why? Because nothing can outrun light. What would happen instead is that the energy exerted will be converted to mass. An external observer that could see things moving as they approached the speed of light would actually see the person’s mass become bigger and bigger as more effort was exerted. Of course, from the running person’s point of view, everything remains the same – hence the term “relativity”.

The ideas from Einstein’s thought experiments have revolutionized our understanding of the universe. What is remarkable is the fact that Einstein was a theoretical physicist. He did not have any labs or run experiments. Yet, by harnessing the power of his imagination, Einstein gave the world an equation that has been proven to have numerous practical applications, from nuclear energy, to radiocarbon dating, to PET scans among others.

The question today is fairly straightforward: What are you doing with your own imagination?

Big Idea #2 from Research

A life that is plagued with poor decisions is like a watch with dead batteries – the times are more awry than it needs to be.

If you are serious about improving the quality of your life, you need to be more conscious of one simple thing that everyone overlooks 90% of the time.

It’s Opportunity Costs.

So, what are Opportunity Costs? This is best explained with an example.

Suppose you have the option of choosing between vegetables and chocolate. If you opt for the chocolate, your opportunity cost is not just the vegetables, but the flat tummy and healthier body you’ve always wanted.

The same thing happens when you have to choose between scrolling mindlessly on Instagram and taking action on the online program you just purchased. As before, if you choose Instagram, your opportunity cost is not just the time you would have spent on the online course, but also the rewards the specialized knowledge could have brought you in the future.

As you can see, in spite of our best intentions, as humans, we find a way to not act in our best interests. As a result, the quality of our lives continues to plummet.

But it is not all tales of doom.

You can improve the quality of your life, and one way to do that is to be more conscious of opportunity costs when you make decisions.

One way to do that is to plan your resources (time, money, energy, etc.) in advance.

In his 2011 paper, Opportunity Cost Consideration, Stephen A. Spiller wanted to examine how sensitive people were to opportunity costs in their decision making. In his study of 242 people, Spiller discovered that respondents who planned how they spent their income were more likely to consider opportunity costs than their counterparts who did not plan.

What’s the point here?

If you want to improve your consciousness of opportunity costs, you need to plan ahead of time when you’re not under any pressure to choose! While this obviously applies to money, you can see the same effect in various aspects of life. For instance, when you plan your day ahead of time, you’re less likely to ‘waste’ time on activities and choices that can derail you from your desirable destination

Big Idea #3 from the Bible

As he walks about the pulpit, wiping his favorite brow with his padded handkerchief, a motivational preacher would typically whip his audience into a frenzy with the following words:

“And I shouted, ‘God!’ and instantly He replied to me, ‘Yes, my son!’. Then I told Him, ‘Move this mountain, Lord!’ and He said, ‘Yes, my son! Would that be all?’”

When I encounter these kinds of sermons, I cannot help but wonder about the image of God these preachers have about the Ancient of Days.

From my admittedly limited understanding of God, I know He is not….

…a talkative God;

…a God you can wrap around your little finger;

…a God that is waiting on you just to serve all your whims;

…an inferior God.

Without mincing words, it appears to me that a lot of the earlier referenced preachers have taken a lot of liberties with Isaiah 45:11, which says,

“Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and His Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hand, command ye me”

So, they see the phrase, “Command ye me” and then proceed to exercise their “authority” over the LORD Almighty.

Funny, isn’t it?

To understand the meaning of a Bible verse in its context, it pays to read the preceding and succeeding verses.

Verse 10 of Isaiah 45 says, ”Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? Or to his mother, What hast thou brought forth?”

Now, this is getting interesting!

From Isaiah 45:10, it is apparent that verse 11 is a question!!!

In essence, God is saying: Inasmuch as you can’t question your parents about why they gave birth to you or why you have certain features in your physique, you also can’t question His purpose regarding you!

He’s not asking you to command Him.

Instead, God is saying, “You shouldn’t dare to command Me!”

Well, that should settle this issue.

If you still have doubts, let’s check verses 12 and 13:

“I have made the earth and created man upon it. I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city and shall ket go my captives, not for price or reward, saith the LORD of hosts”

Regardless of what we declare, decree or command, it is His Will and Purpose for our lives that would stand in the end.

Don’t waste your time commanding Jehovah to do your own selfish, lustful desires. We are not meant to command God. We are meant to do His own will and bidding.

Do yourself a favour: Whenever you pray, instead of commanding God, find His perfect will by His Spirit; and pray in that line.

Remember, swimming upstream causes you to expend a lot of energy while you cover very little ground. On the other hand, flowing with the tide is both easier and rewarding.

May the Lord grant you understanding in these things.

Three Big Ideas: On the Idol of Abstraction, Cognitive Dissonance, and, God’s Chastisement

Big Idea #1 From Me

In the Bible, we see how the children of Israel alternated between cycles of faith in God and cycles of rebellion and idolatry.

Instances where the Israelites lived in obedience coincided with peace on all sides, and abundance.

However, as soon as the Israelites got too comfortable and took their relationship with God for granted, famines, droughts, sieges, and outright wars became the order of the day.

Whenever I read these stories, I often wonder what was so special about these idols that provoked worship from the ancient Israelites.

But the more I think about this, the more I realize that perhaps there’s no big difference between me in 2020 and the Israelites back then.

If time travel was a practical possibility, I’d bet that the Israelites who lived thousands of years ago will also be flummoxed by the idols we have in this present age.

On one hand, they will probably be shocked by how we literally worship our phones by paying homage to it first thing in the mornings before we get out of bed, and worshipping it before we shut our eyes for the night.

But even more, they will be blown away by the altars we’ve erected to our ideas.

You see, in the wake of the scientific revolutions which began approximately 500 years ago, man’s capacity for abstraction has grown in leaps and bounds.

This means that man could think about physical objects in the form of ideas. For instance, a physical rock was now seen as something possessing “mass” and could produce “force” when made to move at a certain “acceleration”. With this power, man was able to start understanding the workings of the physical universe.

Ever the maverick, man sought to use this newly-found powers of abstraction to solve societal or economical problems exclusive of God. Sometimes, it had the potential to work. But more often than not, it gave us brutal dictatorships, depressions, and wars.

When you fall into the trap of using abstraction capabilities exclusive of God, what you’re saying in effect is, “As far as this economic/social problem is concerned, I know everything there is to know”

In other words, you’re imitating the devil by elevating your idea to the place of God – falling in love with it and worshipping it unabashedly.

I’d end with the following profound words from Makar Ivanovich Dolgoruky, one of the main characters in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s 19th-Century novel, The Raw Youth:

“A man cannot live without worshipping something; without worshipping, he cannot bear the burden of himself. And that goes for every man. So that if a man rejects God, he will have to worship an idol that may be made of wood, gold or ideas. So those who think they don’t need God are really just idol worshippers, and that’s what we should call them.”

Big Idea #2 From Research

In their 1959 classic paper, Cognitive consequences of forced compliance, Leon Festinger and James Carlsmith describe a study where they gave a set of students an incredibly boring task to do individually. At the end of the task, each participant was instructed to tell the next person how exciting and enjoyable the task was. In other words, they were told to lie. For their efforts, each student was paid – some a paltry amount, while others were paid enough money to go out on a date at a high-end restaurant.

At the end of the study, each participant were asked how much they had really enjoyed the original boring task.

Here’s where it gets interesting. Participants who were paid a little kept on telling the lie, while those who were paid a lot told the honest truth: They had detested the task and did not enjoy it.

This is counterintuitive because you’d expect those who were paid a lot to keep on lying to themselves, and vice versa.

Here’s what’s going on.

People experience some mental discomfort when they behave in ways that are not consistent with their values or beliefs. This state is referred to as cognitive dissonance. Since people generally have a tendency to minimize pain and maximize pleasure, they resort to all forms of rationalization and self-justification in order to enjoy the bliss that psychological consistency delivers.

The group of students that were paid a lot did not have to resolve whether the task was indeed boring or not. When given the permission to do so, they could be objective about how they really felt about task. On the other hand, the students who were paid a little had to struggle to find a consistency between what they did and what they told others about what they did. They were more liable to rationalize the joy in the task with thoughts such as ‘The experimenter told me to tell the others that this task is fun. Maybe it actually is and I haven’t figured it out yet.’

My key takeaway from this study is somewhat related to the concept of sunk costs which I have discussed before. What are the non-essentials in your life that you keep holding on to, even when you know there’s no light at the end of that path? What are the long-term relationships you are still holding on to, even when you realize that they are toxic to you? What are the bad habits you are still engaged in, even when you are aware that they could be the end of you? How long will you keep trying to resolve the conflict between your actions and your values? This is a conversation you need to have with yourself.

Big Idea #3 From the Bible

The common scripture used in explaining the chastisement of God is found in Hebrews 12:5-7,

“…My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not?”

In the course of studying this topic, I made an interesting discovery by the Holy Spirit. You know, in the original Greek in which the New Testament was written, the word translated ‘chastisement’, as used in Hebrews 12:5-7, literally means, ‘tutorage’, ‘education’, or ‘training’!

Wow! I wonder what this would do to many people’s theology.

So, we can see that ‘chastisement’ doesn’t even mean that God is busy inflicting you with pain, sickness, poverty and so on for the majority of your Christian walk!

Biblically, when God is chastising you, it simply means that He’s educating, tutoring and training you!

Isn’t that liberating?

You see, as a believer, you have the Holy Spirit of God residing right in your spirit man. Hence, you have access to the Mind of Christ at any given time (1 Corinthians 2:12, 16).

As a result, God doesn’t have to use external factors to communicate His Will to you. Rather, as a believer, He speaks to you in your heart.

Let me share a personal experience:

During my one-year mandatory Youth Service, I had an ‘intense discussion’ with a brother over a doctrinal matter. In the heat of the moment, I rudely told the brother that he was religious, but not spiritual. As soon as those words left my lips, I didn’t hear God’s audible voice rebuking me for yelling at that brother. Neither did God strike me with blindness or cause me to be sacked from my place of work.

Instead, I perceived in my heart that it wasn’t God’s Will for me to speak to my brother in the manner that I did. In fact, I was restless in my spirit until I apologized to the brother for the way I addressed him.

Would you believe it if I told you that the entire process was God chastising me?

Well, that was God chastising me – tutoring, training and teaching me to walk the way Jesus walked. It was easy for God to do this with me because I have His Spirit resident within me. This, of course, is also related to the fact that I had also been exposed to the Word of God, which “…is profitable…for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

As believers, the LORD is going to use His Word to chastise us. His Words are Spirit (John 6:63) and the Holy Spirit is committed to reminding us of God’s Word (John 16:13-15) when we are in danger of missing the mark!

It’s very liberating to realize that God would never chastise us with pain, sickness and poverty.

It’s even more liberating to know that God is madly in love with you and He’s ever ready to teach, train and tutor us on how to walk like Christ per time.

With this at the back of our minds, it makes perfect sense to heed the advice contained in Hebrews 12:5,

“…despise not thou the chastening of the Lord…”

God loves you and He wants you to manifest the life of Christ!

When you’re armed with that understanding, you can resist the lies of the devil; you can actively kick out sickness and lack out of your life; and most importantly, you have the right perspective about the chastening of the Lord – allowing it have its perfect work in you!