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What If “It” Doesn’t End With a Bang But With a Whimper? Mind Games - Chapter One of Two
What If “It” Doesn’t End With a Bang But With a Whimper? Mind Games - Chapter One of Two “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” – Mark Twain Chapter Two of Two can be found here. One new trick this old dog has learned is elegantly simple. The more certain I am that I’m right, the greater the probability I’m wrong. Before we dismiss this concept as simplistic or nonsensical (because we’re absolutely certain we’re right) why don’t we take a closer look at the underlying supposition and then apply what we learn to “The Crash” meme that’s widely held among a clear majority of Zero Hedge posters, contributors and commentators, including myself. It never hurts to check our math, right? For those readers looking for an in-depth analysis of the current sociopolitical and economic climate, stop right here because this isn’t what you’re looking for. Other people can, and have, covered that ground better than I could. This is a collective self examination of how we arrive at our beliefs using denial and how this can lead us astray, especially when something’s “obvious”. I wish to swim a bit upstream of the contrary waters, which is not the same thing as taking a dip in the consensus reality pool. When talking to family and friends about the greater probability of being wrong when we’re absolutely certain we’re right, the initial reaction I get is usually an assumption on their part that I’m applying a high probability of being incorrect. This isn’t the case. For something to be greater, all it needs to be is a bit more than the baseline measure. Often our biggest mistakes materialize when we assume something (because it’s obvious, right?) when more often than we care to admit, our assumptions couldn’t be further from the truth. Mispricing Risk and Reality For the sake of this discussion, let’s say there’s normally a 10% chance I’m wrong and a greater chance is defined as 15%. While we might brush this away as minor and immaterial, if you knew the next time you got behind the wheel of your car you had a 10% chance of getting into an accident, would you call that minor? I don’t think so. More to the point, we all have a tendency to minimize risks we’re familiar with and maximize risks we don’t understand or that push our buttons. Since we’re intimately familiar with our own thinking, it stands to reason we don’t recognize the real risk of being wrong. I suspect we’ve all seen articles or news stories that highlight the public’s misperception of risk in our daily lives. For example, many people consider the risk of being attacked by a shark while swimming to be greater (there’s that term again) than of being hit by a bus or lightening. Of course, none of these risks are even a tiny fraction of 1%. But try telling that to someone after watching the movie Jaws, walking across a bus filled street or playing golf during a lightening storm. Proximity has a lot to do with our perception of risk. For this reason and more, we “misprice” risk in all facets of our lives, especially when developing and maintaining our worldview. When it comes to our own decision making thought process, our so called inner dialogue, we rarely recognize this variable nor do we properly incorporate it into the conclusions we reach. And I deliberately use the term “inner dialogue” here because when we’re thinking or contemplating, the vast majority of us believe we’re all alone and “talking” to ourselves. Even when we’re conversing with others, either in real time by phone or in person or with a delay via letters, email or blogging, for the most part we believe it’s “us” that’s doing the talking and writing. Why wouldn’t we think this? Who else could it be? For those who’ve been reading me for awhile, this is an old theme that I’d like to freshen up a bit. Our ego is always present and often front and center. Most people consider their ego to be an inseparable part of themselves and give little thought to what’s really going on in the background. Much of our day to day activity, be it physical, intellectual or emotional, is either ego driven or on “ego” auto pilot. I call it that because when we’re not consciously engaged, it’s still the same body being flown by someone or something other than our conscious awareness. If you think about it, that something’s the ego, though we think of it more like instinct or training. Our Ego Maniac Our ego is quite insecure and overly sensitive to being ignored or rejected. It’s assumed that the primary purpose of our ego is to take command of the ship of state during times of stress or emergency and to do whatever it takes to pull our butt out of harm’s way. What’s tragically misunderstood by most is that the ego considers itself to be a separate and sovereign entity and not a part of the “self”, thus not answerable to or affected by “our” decisions or (in) actions in the same way you or I perceive “being affected”. It helps if we view our ego as a parasite or virus rather than a friend or companion because the ego considers you and me to be nothing more than the host. For all intents and purposes, we’re living the life of someone with a dual personality. But we’ve been seduced into believing there’s only one person, the “self” or “I” we refer to when speaking about our personal being. The ego doesn’t share this perception, which means there’s an entity involved in our day to day affairs that doesn’t have “our” best interest in “mind”. Consider this concept carefully for a moment because its eye opening. A potentially malicious stranger is permanently living within my house. Do I leave him unattended or ignore his motives and actions? Our ego is an ego maniac (no pun intended) that possesses (or should I say is) a severe sociopathic personality disorder. It seems our ego will go so far as to create disaster in our lives, in effect sabotage us in order to be needed, wanted and paid attention to. That’s the very definition of an ego maniac and the sociopathic personality. While this self destructive impulse varies from person to person, it’s there in everyone and must be recognized in order to deal with it. The world’s most disturbed human beings aren’t dropped off on Earth by visiting space aliens nor do they grow on trees. They spring from within and the potential seed of their insanity can be found in all of us. This is why I endlessly repeat that in order to understand why people do certain things, one must look inside oneself. It can be shocking to realize that the raw material of these personality types resides in us all. Our ego is seamlessly integrated into our lives and society, to the point where its influence is rarely understood by the vast majority of us. The more direct control we cede to our ego, something our narcissistic naval gazing entertain-me-now consumer culture tells us is desirable (which in turn feeds the ego) the more out of control our lives become. A severe side effect of this ego centric life is how it turns us into walking talking intellectual and emotional trip wires that can be, and often are, triggered for a variety of reasons. And this triggering almost always occurs without us being consciously aware of what’s going on or why. Trip Wires and Mine Fields Let’s examine a small but commonly shared example of egoic response to outside stimuli. How many times have we read a (Zero Hedge) article or comment and before we’re even finished, we’ve hit the reply button and are pounding away at the keyboard. We leave a caustic or snide reply, or even a heartfelt opinion, and then we move down to the next comment. Ten minutes later, we check back and the next response below ours doesn’t make any sense or isn’t what we expected. “What the hell’s wrong with that idiot? That’s not what I’m talking about.” When we go back and re-read what we originally responded to, we find that somehow we completely missed what the person was saying. We’ve all had those “I don’t remember reading that” moments where it feels as if we’re absorbing something for the first time, not the second or third. This foolish “error” of ours is sometimes so obvious that we thank God no one knows who the hell we really are. And this happens more often than we care to admit. It’s almost as if we didn’t read that particular comment but an entirely different one instead. What the hell just happened? You see it all the time in the comment section, to the point where you really don’t pay much attention since it all blends into the back ground noise and shouting. You really only notice when it happens to you. And even then, you might deny it and blame it on the other person. Then there are times when the comment section degenerates into nothing but shouting and ego responses, where no one listens and everyone’s right. If we pursue some quiet reflection on the matter we discover that somehow we missed nearly everything except a word or phrase that’s a hot button or trigger for us. Once we’re triggered, it’s usually game over and nothing else is making its way into our central processing unit except how to crush that fool who just triggered us. This is why I talk about reading everything twice, once to feed the egoic trip wires and the second to absorb the information into our conscious awareness. And maybe even a third time just for the joy of it. While on the surface it might appear that it was “me” who responded, in fact it was most likely my ego. And as I said before, they aren’t the same thing. In today’s fast paced world, it’s our ego that’s often interacting with everything in our personal universe. Only we don’t recognize it because we see little or no difference between our conscious mind and the ego. A careful reading of centuries of history shows us that while our ego has always been a major influence in our daily lives, our present day ADD need for constant stimuli and entertainment has mostly blurred the dividing line between our inner consciousness, our inner “spirituality” (to use a trigger word) and our ego. In a world where our collective and individual ego has run riot and the ego is nearly always front and center, is it really that surprising we live in an insane world? Contemplation and Reflection It’s only during quiet reflective times (some call this meditation, others deep thought) where we deliberately box off and isolate outside distractions and diversions while also restraining the constant chatter of our inner voice (our ego) can we begin to find, and then reinforce, that dividing line. Most of us believe that the inner voice we “hear” is “us” when in fact it’s most often our ego. This misidentification of who and what we are, along with being manipulated by our own ego and the control system, is in my opinion the primary source of many of our personal and social woes. We’ve been separated for so long from our genuine inner self, our true consciousness, that for many in today’s world being reacquainted is a frightening experience to be avoided at all costs. The control system feeds this fear in order to maintain order and control and we go along because we’ve been told it’s all a part of modern life. The average person flips on the radio or TV as soon as they enter their home or get in their car. It’s all just the back ground noise of the control system and for most people; it’s a shock when it’s gone. At first I thought this accelerating fusion of the ego and our consciousness appeared only to be affecting the younger generation, mostly I assumed because they quickly assimilated the newest entertainment technology. But over the past decade its spread and I’ve noticed in the general population that there’s almost a quiet desperation never to be alone for long with one’s thoughts. I’ve written in depth about “why” in other essays so I won’t dwell on it here. A few years ago, while riding my motorcycle solo along a popular mountain ridge with spectacular views and exhilarating switch backs, I pulled into a rest area for a break. In the back corner of the parking lot was a large group of fellow riders. While their ages varied from what looked like the early 20’s to the late 60’s, everyone was riding two up. Most of the riders had communication devices that allowed them to talk to each other or at a minimum MP3 players plugged into their helmets or ears. Here they were, in the heart of Mother Nature, and still they required distraction and communication within the collective. After exchanging pleasantries and while surrounded by those who came over to look at my bike, one middle aged lady asked me the most remarkable question. She observed I was riding alone and then asked “How can you ride alone? Aren’t you lonely? Don’t you get bored?” I could tell it was a sincere question and she was genuinely perplexed. Immediately the small talk within the group hushed as everyone waited for my response. It kind of surprised me that they would care to hear what I had to say. I soon understood why. Without thinking I quickly said “No, not at all. In fact, I consider myself quite good company. I love riding alone because it gives me time to think. I’m never bored.” The group just stared at this strange man from another world and then quickly broke up and remounted. I remember seeing combinations of surprise, confusion and even fear in people’s faces and eyes. From their point of view they were trying to avoid exactly what I was trying to achieve, communication with the inner sanctum. For many years I’d thought the growing lack of quiet reflection among the general population was just distractions and busy lives, but now I see it as overt avoidance and even fear. People are running from themselves and the control system is encouraging this with its constant “me me” consumer meme. We’re becoming passive beginning with ourselves. It’s All About the Drugs When examining information for the purpose of forming opinions, we often overlook our own unavoidable but correctable confirmation bias. Ironically our confirmation bias gains considerable strength in part from making “correct” choices in our day to day decision making process. Remember that proximity affects our perception and often being correct in the small daily tasks of life seduces us into believing we’re extremely capable in our decision making process. During our waking hours, we make hundreds of small decisions that are immediately confirmed as “correct”, at least in our minds. This, along with other influences, encourages us to believe our analytical process is efficient and nearly foolproof, particularly if we’re already influenced by emotional confirmation bias and ego triggers. We, or more accurately our ego, positively love to be correct. And each time our brilliance is confirmed, even if only in our imagination, our brain floods our body with powerful endorphins such as dopamine, a natural drug that’s dozens of times more powerful and much more subtle than crack or heroin. This biological process has evolved over millions of years and was, and still is to some extent, essential to our survival. But modern society, or should I say society’s control systems, have distorted this natural mechanism. One only need study psychological warfare techniques or even the advertising, entertainment and official (government) and unofficial (corporate news) propaganda industry to see how our own natural biological responses are being used against us on a daily basis. Because we’re totally immersed within our own world, for those who don’t or won’t pay attention, it’s nearly impossible to see these influences for what they are. After a while, few wish to wake from wonderland, especially when it morphs into hell. Biologically speaking if we’re doing something “right” it might be in our best interest to continue to be “right” if we wish to survive a while longer. But we need proper incentive beyond just survival to ensure we replicate the survival behavior. Cue that wonderfully delicious feeling we get when we’re “right” on the money. In fact, that natural high we feel is the dopamine drug rush. It’s only a matter of time before we find a way to induce that high on command. And confirmation bias and denial are sure fire ways to that Rocky Mountain high. (Biased) Junkies Are Us In effect we’ve become evolutionary dopamine junkies, craving the natural high we get when we’re rewarded for being right, even if it’s all in our mind. It’s better than sex, lasts longer and is infinitely repeatable. Jesus, talk about being biased. Does a super high quality drug factory located inside our brains count as biased when we control the dopamine dispenser? Is it any wonder we accept transparent lies from those we love or those who lead? We shouldn’t be surprised when we practice deep denial and self deception in order to keep ourselves drugged with dopamine. Not only are we getting off on the (self) love endorphins (which are also triggered by nationalist or patriotic feelings) but we get the confirmation bias endorphins as well in the ultimate two-for-one drug deal from Mother Nature. No wonder we call her Mother since we suckle on her drugs all the time. It’s amazing we get anything done during the day considering we’re all walking around stoned to the eye balls. What a way to go. This brings to mind old YouTube videos of monkeys or other animals pushing a lever or pecking at a button to solve problems for bits of food or sweets. Or how about those lab rats solving a complicated task for food or a quiet evening of wine and necking with the opposite sex? Does it sound a little like our own rat race? Of course, even as those images flash in our brains, our ego takes over and tells us “But we’re intelligent human beings who possess reason and logic.” Who exactly are we trying to convince with that little ditty? Just take a look around at the utter insanity we’re currently immersed in and tell me again about the human intellect and logic. Ticks run their lives better than we do. They just lack running water and DirecTV. Driving to Denial For a more subtle example of denial, let’s look at my own personal decision making process and the intellectual denial it spawned. While driving to my office I make dozens of decisions that if in error could affect life and limb, particularly mine. Yet I’ve not had an accident in over 16 years and I quite naturally consider myself a good driver. In fact, I’m a great driver. Yet as I’ve aged, I’ve noticed that for some strange reason I drift left and right a bit more and the close calls seem to be occurring with increasing frequency. So despite the fact that I’m an excellent driver and without ever acknowledging otherwise, I’ve compensated for my aging by slowing down, looking more carefully before changing direction and so on. In other words, at some level I’ve recognized the increasing error rate and I’m compensating, even though I consider myself a superior driver. Or maybe I should say I’m compensating despite being an expert driver that ostensibly would have no need to compensate what-so-ever. Like walking through a hall of mirrors, we’re never quite sure exactly what we’re seeing. But this doesn’t slow us down one bit. In fact, when facing a conflict, our ego takes over and just barrels on through, pushing aside uncomfortable cognitive dissonances as immaterial, unimportant or just plain silly with little to no conscious thought involved. Actually, the only reason I’ve slowed down is because it makes sense to be careful, especially considering all the crazy distracted drivers on the road these days. I most certainly didn’t slow down because I needed to change my behavior. It’s them, not me. And even if it were possible that I might have something to do with this, my age has nothing to do with it. At least that’s the cover story I tell myself. The above illustration might seem ridiculous to some and there’s no doubt I used exaggeration to push the point home. But we’ve all been there and to say otherwise isn’t true. Some might even say that at worst all I engaged in was a simple “white lie” or a harmless self deception to make me feel better about getting older. What’s the big deal? Or maybe I was just playing with “semantics” and it’s all of little consequence. But in fact it’s a wide open window into the mechanism of denial and well worth our time to explore precisely because it’s so insidious and seductive. The Slippery Slope Consider that on the physical level I’m compensating for an obvious degradation of my driving skills in order to live a little longer, thus fulfilling my basic survival instincts. Of course I acted this way. Why wouldn’t any sane and prudent person do the same? However, at the same time I’m maintaining the mental and emotional illusion that few driving skills have degraded or been lost. In fact I use the continuing streak of accident free driving, accomplished in great part because I’ve slowed down and I’m more careful, to support the illusion that I’m still an excellent driver. I’m engaging in a self deception in order to soothe and placate an ego I don’t consciously recognize as material. Why am I stroking my ego to begin with? Isn’t it enough just to survive longer? As with all lying and self deception, the key to continuing is to rationalize and justify past deceptions in order to continue in the future. To do this successfully, first we deny there’s a problem (even if we fix it) then we deny we ever denied there was a problem in the first place. Then, in the ultimate intellectual coup, we forget we ever indulged in denial what-so-ever. In the closed loop isolated environment of our mind, we create our own reality along with the proofs needed to affirm that reality. We’re masters of our own universe and we make the rules where we rule. We should recognize that we can still be engaged in denial even if we agree with or recognize some facts or information. It’s how we deal with it that matters, not if we deal with it. We bargain with ourselves all the time to avoid what we don’t wish to see. There’s a great deal of subtlety and subterfuge employed in day to day denial. When juggling reality and fantasy while avoiding the ugly monsters, we determine what’s important and what’s not. So we can play games of all kinds to bury what bothers us. If denial and self deception is present in such a mundane task as driving to work, wouldn’t it be an act of denial itself to claim that denial doesn’t affect our thought process when considering items of much greater importance, such as the end of the economic world as we know it? From a survival point of view, might we need to concede the possibility that we’re not considering all pieces of information at our disposal when coming to conclusions as to what’s going to happen as well as when where and why? Tricks of the Denial Trade One of the tricks we employ when trading in denial is to dismiss (deny) contrary information as quickly as it comes in the front door. This way we rarely experience an uncomfortable cognitive backup that might nag us for attention and create an emotional crisis if left unattended. If one is to self deceive on any scale, out of necessity one must become efficient self deceivers if we’re to live comfortably with ourselves in our insane world. I’ve often thought that the job of the professional therapist is to untangle the dissonant log jams and get them moving towards the saw mill, not to actually deal with the dissonant logs themselves. Or maybe I should say they deal with just enough of them to get things moving again so the patient can happily remount their hamster wheel. After all, in our society, the measure of sanity is how well we’re coping with our insane world, not how “sane” we are. In fact, people who in my opinion are declaring their sanity by unplugging and walking away from financially lucrative but morally or emotionally stressful jobs are considered by society to be crazy. When the only goal offered and rewarded by society is to ascend the ladder of “success”, how else would society treat those who chose to descend that very ladder but with disdain? Society tells us “Here is the only reality that exists, now fit in, shut up and be happy” rather than “Here is the raw material, now go forth and create your own happiness and self worth.” Faced with no real substantial choice other than to fit in and confronted by a society, aka the control system, that shuns and ostracizes those who go against the flow and think and act too far outside the small box, is it really surprising we engage in massive self deception in order to kill the pain and go with the flow? And wouldn’t the control system encourage this self deception in order to keep the hamsters on the wheel? God forbid you think for yourself because left to your own devices, who would remain to fleece investors with another helping of CDO on rye or serve up coffee and cardboard muffins at McSlop’s? To remain emotionally safe and “happy” on the hamster wheel, we increase our denial efficiency by creating mental rules of judgment, sometimes called rules of thumb or the smell test or ideology or simply assumptions. There are dozens of names and terms to describe this process. The beauty of this intellectual shorthand is that we don’t need to participate in the complicated process of outright denial each time. Once we’ve denied something for whatever reason, we give ourselves permission to do the same with every other piece that’s similar or that we wish to believe is similar. And we don’t process denial in big pieces but in tiny little bites. We remove the more easily refutable parts and discard the rest. Then we wall these parts off and isolate them from corroborating evidence and context that would disturb the denial process. We use a form of “a priori” to make sweeping generalizations that key off other denials, half truths and outright lies we keep ready for instant deployment and presto, the problem is gone In the world of denial, all we need is reasonable doubt to deny and we determine what reasonable doubt is. But we demand rock solid proof when defending our denial and any proof offered can always be refuted because we determine what’s valid and what’s not. We can’t lose using these rules of evidence and we never do unless we chose to. In the ultimate twist, we then use these subsequent denials as further proof that our initial denial was correct. Faulty handling and processing of information (aka denial) is used to deny something as incorrect. Then additional denials are used to buttress the initial denial, thus strengthening our resolve to deny similar future information. We come to the denial party with guns load. That my friend is a closed loop circular logic positive reinforcement mind game taken to the nth degree and it’s the staple of basic long term denial. And it all happens in seconds and it’s almost exclusively handled by our ego auto pilot. In Chapter Two, we shall continue down the rabbit hole and see what Alice has to say about “The Crash”. 08/31/2010 Cognitive Dissonance
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i'll take your word on that, good for you! but i will not
change my "name" to "feelman". thanks for the suggestion.
how about touchmeman? you like to harASS me or what? how come u direct some of your comments towards me? I mean, I am up and down with you, emotionally. and I don't feel so comfortable with your LEAD outs. your concepts are very interesting just unaware of your PLAN, M A N .
when someone leaves a question i am compelled
to respond , it seems the thing to do. if harassment
is observed say it and it will end there. the plan is
for people, all people, to be sentient concerning time
and the self. i think this is the only goal and means
of survival for people in the mess age.
a leader is no more than a finger pointing in a direction
for the attention of the led. not the attention to be placed
on the leader or the finger but that thing or principle being
focused on. a leader gets this right. what are the important questions and what are
the answers? i don't have the answers to that. but you may.
and i believe/understand/think that under the emotion, the thought,
the feeling is where you find the self.
or .. i have no plan, not even a method and perhaps no clue.
some people are open and some are closed by their nature or
character or choice? i direct comments to you because you seem to
be way open and honest and curious. i think that is great. but you have
a little drop of poison too, and that appears to be universal also.
anyway, pay me no mind and i'll be as gone as i ever was...
whats my poison? listen to tom and his tunes.
sometimes don't reflect on myself the way others do. i am not too deep, mind you. to painful. got to take it real light. i have had a lot of tragedy in my life, at an early age. guess it was a gift in the long run. understand that Cinderella got her glass slipper shattered at a immature age. l o s s. i don't know heck about nothing. hey blindman, i know no....thing, that is written or commented on, in ZH. Nada. try to get to know the people. learning. really really like the mythology learning. i like your stuff. just don't go deep into my dumbness. i am very sensually aware. music, art, my own art. my openness to people and try to enjoy a moment of person to person simple bliss. i love spontaneous encounters with people, well, mostly men. just simple cafe talk. love to dance, so i just dance with myself, that is all that matters, anymore.
you, you are "it" and "it" is, will be, eternal. and nothing
and no one can say anything or do anything to change "it".
period. imo....
so , .. fuck it all. but respect yourself. "it".
?
ps. no one knows "it" but you. they know their "it" and it
may be the same it, "is", but no one "knows" shit. ...
just sayin'. but YOU.
the last thing you are is dumb. no dumber than anyone else.
we are all fucking blind and dumb and deaf. see?
How do you mean this?
just what i said, n o pickles!
Where is the pickle?
probably in a jar, you dumb shit†
Why are you trying to be offensive? What have I done to you?
no sleep last night makes me offensive. you know ms I spend my hole day playing defense against idiot people. thought I would switch sides of playing field. felt good, man to man fight. being so horny makes me cranky.
Fight club. Cool. You know I did not take it personally. Can't. But I have my own style with different people at fight club. But I will take you that way in the future and act accordingly.
You can get laid, you are holding out for quality, yes?
kinda over my "laid" years if you know what i mean. yeah, fall harvest of primo pickles.
perspective of consciousness emerges as eternal now.
it is neurologically and anatomically physically built into
our being. the "light" of the universe, condensed and manifest and
resulting in the capacity to perhaps "know"! time.
"we're already dead, not yet in the ground". john cale, "sane fear"
"..hang on to the .." the big insight, i think, is letting go.
.
"chink in the armor.." essential and fundamental. this is big.
what is the armor and what does it protect and why need it be
pierced?
"multiple perspectives .." in perennity. but none in eternity.
stuck in our "idea" of our perspective, not our true perspective?
.
apologies as i have responded here multiple times and have had them
all destroyed due to some internet explorer virus or glitch or
whatever. hope this makes it thru....
It had always already landed! Delightful typing with you and rearranging light particles of pixels and thoughts.
cog the b i g D O G .
when i cum i don't end with a bang it is always a whimper, just to let ya know, but you probably knew that, just kiddin. about the cum.
Kathy,
Why are you trying to hurt people? I am not saying you are actually hurting them, their response to you belongs to them, it is their problem if they don't like you. But why are you trying to hurt people?
b/c maybe she's relishing her role as the reigning Queen of Swords?
CD, I read all your thinking and appreciate the effort it takes to lay it down like you do. Indeed a breath of fresh air in what has recently become an increasingly stale, reactionary and hostile environment here on ZH. I am an avid follower of ZH but an infrequent contributor. I do follow ZH because it tends to verify my own deep seated belief that this country, more than any other on the planet is led by the tenets of insanity.
Having said that, I would like to disagree somewhat (I think) with your thesis that the ego is an out of control and uncontrollable entity (if indeed that is your thesis, probably not the main one, but let's assume it is a minor one for the sake of argument if you don't mind). I think that egos are necessary and even good things, and when properly throttled are at the heart mankind's drive - for positive results. It's what get's us up in the morning's so to speak.
I recently began teaching upper division business classes at a local University. One of the classes I teach is Sales Management. I am a retired General Sales Manager for a major automation company. I have to say that this career choice (it actually chose me) led to decades of international fun and adventure for me. I loved it. I wanted it. I built something lasting. I made a great and somewhat secure life for our family from it. I could not have done this without ego for fear of failure would have stopped me long ago.
Now in retirement, I would like to help students prepare for this kind of career; one which can lead to greater fulfillment for them and also to a better economy and society in general. Even in retirement, I feel that I am harnessing my ego to extend my life's "high" and to infuse this kind of power in the students who have want to share this experience.
Sadly though, as I call on my students to express their opinions, feelings, concerns, objections and understandings of the concepts and principles we discuss, I am met with a general vacuum, confusion and silence. Senior level students cannot express ideas verbally using complete and concise sentences. Their writing is universally dismal and incoherent; third-world or worse English. They (with very few exceptions) lack even the most fundamental ability to translate or extrapolate conceptual ideas into real world experiences. It is as if they do not have a connection to the inner workings of our planet. They do not read the news, they have no sense of history, they are completely divorced from political ideology, they have no real heroes, and, alas, they have no apparent aspirations to excel - only to get by.
Would you say that this state of being represents near-complete lack of ego? Have these young peoples' egos, the life-driving force for survival, been hopelessly suppressed by a dumbed down education system inhabited by mindless bureaucrats instead of inspirational leaders (yes, ones with positive, inspirational egos)? Is the government-led and regulated education system intentionally breeding sheep? I have to wonder.
Is this what is happening on a larger scale to our country, even the world? I do not think that your writing advocates for the death or expulsion of the ego by any means, maybe more recognition and suppression of its destructive influences. For me, it is important to believe that a healthy and controlled ego is a necessary part of us, an inner power that drives us to think and act independently based on our core beliefs, a well-trained, reliable and powerful mount we may call at will, swing up on and ride to the places we need to go. We should honor it as a vital part of our being.
Thanks again for your writing and for allowing us to take the time to think a little. Sorry if my take-away me be slightly off the intended points but, at least for this reading, it is what it is.
These are my students. I wonder some of the same things. I do not see it as a lack of ego. I think the issue is three fold on the face of it, but really one thing:
1. They are not prepared with the right skills. On the surface this means being taught the three Rs. But more to the point it is the "why" of the three Rs. Everyone is being taught to try and pass standardized tests. Do you find anything inspiring about this? If I am a kid, I cry bullshit on this one. Why do I have to learn this crap to pass tests so that you, the teacher, can get good marks from an external authority. Is this life? Then life blows.
2. In many cases, they are neglected and on their own. Plugged into video games and television, they are used to passive entertainment and education. No interaction.
3. In many cases, too much has been done for them. So much planning, to such an extreme, that they get on a track and develop no skills for making their own life plans. Put them in college and they are blown away, trying to do what is expected of them, but they don't have their own reason "why."
I am a State University Professor. I often get students in my office who are ready to graduate and they don't know what they want to do. I love non traditional students because they are "back" with a plan and a vengeance. They know what is at stake. They own their education and make me work for my paycheck. Most students are there because it is what happens after high school. I have had them tell me they are in college so that their parents will keep paying the bills (they are always the C, D, and F students who want to know what they can do to get a better grade).
You ask about ego. I say they have not "been allowed" or "taught to" own their own, one, precious, life. My strategy with them is to shock the hell out of them (with humor usually) regarding their complacency. Sometimes they wake up, but usually it takes being "out there" for a while to really get it. This is the stuff of the mid-life crisis, is it not? Who's life have you led? Yours? Your parents? Your cultures?
Dear Ms Creant;
Thanks for your insight. I agree. It is sad to see these clueless and dillusional creatures who only want you to let them by with the minimal pain. I like your idea of using "shock". Yesterday in class I pulled up a youtube video of a naval weapons system I was involved in many years a go. They came alive when they saw the weapon go to work hammering down a target drone. I think I may chase this one and see where it goes! Thanks again!
Thank you for your comment. May I gently correct you on the basic supposistion you state early.
This is not my thesis at all. I never said nor inferred that "the ego is an out of control and uncontrollable entity". Never. Nor do I say the ego is "bad" or not useful. It has a valid purpose and an important place in our lives. I talk about people allowing their ego to assume near total control by default, to in effect cross a line that the ego should not be allowed to cross. In fact, if you read the entire piece, I talk about finding the way to re-establish the line between us and the ego using reflection and meditation.
One can never "control" the ego but one can box it in and establish primacy over the ego. The ego is a Alpha dog and will only submit if we assert that here is the line and it will not be crossed. If will fill a vacuum that we create by being absent from our consciousness.
CD, as stated I am not in violent or even considerable disagreement with the thrust of your writing. We certainly should not allow our egos to control us. The point of possible difference is in my belief that the ego can be controlled and used by us to overcome our fears of failure and increase our courage to be more than what our environments and breeding try to dictate. It is merely a personal opinion.
BTW, I did read the entire article and will probably read it again as you have suggested in previous comments to those who express opinions on your writings. The first reading dredged up an initial, but hopefully far from a knee-jerk, reaction based on recent experience.
Then we are in agreement on the principal issue. I see it as the "strong fences make good neighbors" theory with regard to our ego and our consciousness.
Right, a strong fence with a gate that opens only from one side when I want to saddle that bad boy up and take him out for a ride!
Strange No. Difference Yes. And we need this.
Huge dopamine hit.
CogDis is a treasure here at ZH, and beyond.
Looking forward to Part 2 and anything else from you, my new teacher .
BS, cheeks was the true treasure, FUCK everybody†
Hmm, seems a pattern of narcissistic posts/articles. No criticism for tracking and considering what we 'think' is going on in our head, but it's pretty gamy territory and truth/certainty are generally subjective. It is difficult to understand why one would write about such without having some knowledge of what the giants in the field have said. Education is only limiting when it ceases.
I am now a retired old man living overlooking the beach in Costa Rica (one of those expats who said piss-on-it). One of the more interesting things to follow/steer is my development mentally within my head over the 40 years that I consider myself to have been conscious. I went through the Republican, Objectivist, Libertarian, to anarchist phase, quit full-time work after 7 years to become a consultant (engn) and worked 3 months/year thereafter; enough $ to cover the other 9 months. I have never been a main-stream person; no TV, no children.
Did I indulge in head games over the years? Sure,and with vigor, but most subjects can be addressed similarly; learn the vocabulary, read at least one superior text, read all the historical texts you can stomach, and read current research papers on specifically that which concerns one. Then one can pontificate about what is believed known, or one can humbly admit that the 'field' is so vast and deep that one should perhaps be describing a personal snapshot through a small window moving quickly.
CD, good to see you working through your shit, this is what self-awareness is all about.
But publicly? ah, its for the warm fuzzies (why do you so obviously seek the approbation of others?)
Re. your title: For anyone who dies old, it is a whimper (a subdural hemorrhage taught me that).
Bill
Some like my stew and some hate it. Zero Hedge has invited me to share it with their readership and my ego just can't say no. While you may have already covered this ground and find this all self absorbed narcissistic rantings, others are just starting down this road and might just benefit from reading about it.
BTW I use analogies from my personal life for a specific reason. I have found that I learn more from people who are talking from personal experience rather then when they speak in dispassionate phrases and tones. There is little doubt that the people who visit ZH are looking for alternative explanations and not just financial. I'm offering the passionate view. It seems that many find it enjoyable.
Please just ignore my rants if they bother you. My stew is not for everyone.
Experience is a tough teacher because she only gives tests, not lessons. In fact, you do not even know which lesson you are taking. One can easily construct an example where three people take the same action, getting the same result and end up with completely different learning outcomes.
Suppose we had three buy-and-hold investors in the beginning of year 2003. Now person A thinks AAPL is making this cool product iMac G4 and buys the stock. Person B, on the other hand, just looks at technical analysis and thinks AAPL is now reaching a resistance level and buys the stock. Meanwhile Person C hears from his friend that APPL is a nice company, and person C likes to follow the advice of his friend no matter what, so person C buys the stock.
Now fast forward five years. All investors have now seen massive gains in their shares. But what did they learn?
Person A learned that you should buy stocks from cool companies that make fancy products.
Person B learned that you should look for stocks that have bottomed out.
Person C learned that you should listen to your friends to get advice.
So what decision are they going to make next? Well, everyone think that they have "learned" because they have reinforced their model of the world and feel good about it. So they will now go and make completely different decisions and all think they are really smart. Most likely, there would be different companies bottoming out, making cool stuff and person C's friend may be recommending something else. Now, who is the sheeple?
To 'Crash' or to 'Fizzle'.
Think of 'old trusty' chugging along at 60 mph, and then for some reason the notion enters that she is still good for 85 mph on an incline.
Sometimes the headgasket blows spectacularily.
Sometimes their is just not enough oil splattered on the old worn cylinder walls.
Sometimes just a small breach in compression integrity on #3 is enough.
The end result is still limping over to the shoulder, with steam and perhaps flames coming out of the engine compartment.
And the infallable belief that AAA will bring a tow truck.
Nice analogy.
My real purpose for this article and the second chapter to follow is not to prove or disprove anything. Rather, I'm asking the ZH community to question their beliefs if for no other reason than to perfect or reject them.
The "Crash" is simply the vehicle used to explore the alternative highway.
Thanks.
ZH does well for that. (in some respects)
Some may say they are letting the light in to the dark corners. I perceive it more like equipping some people with night-vision goggles, allowing them to perceive the hidden movements in the shadowy corners.
And as you well know. It's not about letting the light in, unless people can actually be convinced, or come to the realization that NV-goggles are appropriate, and that they don't stand out in the crowd wearing them, or bringing them along.
I really appreciate your writings.
The "ego" is a fragile construction, IMO it is derived from two delusions that play against each other. One is that we are the center of the universe, that our perception of the universe is key, if it goes away so does the universe. The second is that we are defined by other's opinions of us, in a way we are what other's think of us. The ego is the essence of cognitive dissonance. We have this life to deny reality to the point of survival, beyond that it's a gamble, within that unknown risk lies the element of faith. Thank God for faith as it transcends our egos. There is absolute truth, it is reached by faith. Thanks for the post, it was a pleasant distraction as introspection always is.
I have only been reading Zerohedge for the past couple of months, and I have to say that your always one of my favorite reads Cognitive Dissonance. Keep the great contributions coming!
On another note someone once mentioned to me 4 different people that ever person is.
1. The person they want to be
2. The person they are
3. The person they think they are
4. The person people think they are
I am not sure if this is exactly right but it I am pretty it isn't precisely wrong either.
I go loco reading CD submissions. Certainly a new field of psychoanalysis for the financial industry---they really need a couch and headshrinking
I define the boundaries of my forest of investigation with the extreme views of the moment. somewhere between the dominant views of ZHers on the one side and the Alpha Bulls on the other lies the truth. I don't need to know the exact truth...because, is there really one? Truth is in the eye of the beholder and not quantifiable in many cases.
My truths have allowed me to "play the game" without getting totally run over by the rigged system. My truth is more visceral than cognitive.
Now back to counting my toes.
It must be strange to be you.
Strange no, different yes.
Each day I reject a little bit more of the self identification we all adopt on a daily basis based upon the consensus reality imposed upon all of us. Each day I summon a bit more courage to view reality as it unfolds rather than accept the strict and narrow interpretation of the control system.
Swimming against the flow is frightening at first. But once I disprove the disaster scenario others assured me would happen if I took this path (don't sail beyond here or you will meet certain death) it becomes a bit easier each day. While I'm by no means the first, I'm mostly alone for now. But that's rapidly changing as more and more people open their eyes and begin to question the only reality they've been offered.
Any article that starts off with a Mark Twain quote can't be all bad.
Thanks for the thought provoking article.
I wonder if most of (American) humanity's need for "noise" to drown out thought is due to the denigration of religion. (I'm agnostic myself) Has our society, by removing man's oldest source of certainty (and his only hope for protection from his own mortality) made it necessary for us to constantly distract ourselves lest our minds begin to contemplate our short lives and very long deaths?
Philosophers may be able to accept that they are just "dust on the wind" but how does the person whose day to day life is mostly druggery and who is constantly reminded of their lack of "importance" (because of a lack of money, good looks, and talent) cope with their life without hope of an eternal reward?
One of the few things that the Marxists got right is that "religion is the opiate of the masses." However, by eliminating the drug that both reassured and (occasionally) elevated the behavior of the majority of humanity, society has created a need for a new "drug" that has all the bad effects of the old "opiate" with none of the good effects.
I think staring into the abyss of eternity without rose colored glasses is just too much for most all of us and the constant noise and false enthusiasms are just our effort to distract ourselves from the fact that "life is short and then you die."
Before you protest about the surveys showing how many Americans believe in God, please note that an survey response and true belief are different things. A century ago, virtually 100% of Americans, if asked, would have said they believe in God (due to social pressure). However, the fraction of people whose stated belief was expressed in their life (meaning it was internalized to the extent that if affected their everyday behavior) was much smaller. Today, the number of Americans for whom religion is more than pro-forma lip service is small enough that these people stand out (and are constantly belittled and attacked for their trouble) from society at large.
Regardless of your opinion of the "truth" of religion it has always met a deep need of humanity. Society, by making even superfiscial religious belief not "cool" has removed a important emotional "stabilizer" for most of humanity. They are filling that need with drugs, narcissism and other distractions that are just as illogical and much less socially valuable. Just my opinion.
Regardless of your opinion of the "truth" of religion it has always met a deep need of humanity.
++ Awesome.
Excellent comment. You have broached a number of subjects I plan on writing about in the future. In fact, I have 7 or 8 half finished articles on my desk top that encompasses most of your questions.
The key in my opinion is to look within. Religion as applied to the average person was never about looking within but rather a (simplistic) tool to be used that applies ready made answers and justifications for "life". Thus it was an opiate in the sense that it dulled all senses and thinking.
The journey within does the exact opposite. I am certain every man and woman is capable of this journey but not within our present culture as it stands. Our society requires numbed robots to serve the few, not thinking exploring questioning minds that serves everyone.
It's pretty telling that this site has gone from a place that talks about charts and fundamentals to talking about what goes on inside your own head.
tis called progress in my humble opinion.
No reason why they can't all be here.
Some people dont' like it, others (like me) find it immensely useful.
Doesn't have to be one right and one wrong, can be many at once
"Telling" what exactly?
Actually the vast majority of this site is still about charts and "things". When I first began to talk about psychology, mind and spirit a year ago as a contributor, many people didn't like to hear about it.
But as their frustration has grown over the never ending corruption and manipulation, not to mention the sleeping population, people have begun to seek some inner peace. And there's only one place you can find that.
I'm with Gully Foyle and Kathy on all this, CD.
The ego, evolution, endorphins, dopamine--these are all theoretical concepts you've learned through reading. There is no firm science behind these concepts--they are theories.
Do you think we stick needles into human brains to measure the dopamine level? Of course not. It isn't allowed (too much damage).
Your posts reflect less of your own personal experience, more of a slant toward book learning and reading. Kind of boring actually, because I've read Freud, Darwin, and Fromm and all the rest, and your concepts are kind of a rehash and synthesis of their work, not really a creation of your own.
I'd like to hear more about your experiences on a motorcycle. Let me be clear and personal. I'm a physician. When you deal with cancer, drug addiction, and bureaucrats all the time, you don't care much for rehashed theory. Life is too short. Theory is of little use. There is no substitute for success, pain relief, cure, the right investment.
Clint:
You sound like a friend calling a friend on his shit. Some might see your post as hostile. I don't, I see it as strong and supportive.
Thanks MsCreant. You got my drift. My post was meant to draw CD out more. And now now we're really getting somewhere.
CD, if you found a cure for cancer through the power of your mind, you owe it to ZH readers (and not least of all to yourself) to make part 2 of Mind Games Ending With a Bang not a Whimper that story. We need to hear the particulars from start to finish, and your wisdom about it all in the end.
I did not find a cure for cancer. That is your assessment of my statement. Please read my comment again. It appears you have been triggered my friend. Here is what I said.
I said I found a way to heal myself with my mind, not that I cured cancer or that I cured cancer with my mind. I never said I healed myself from cancer, only that I healed myself. Period. I took credit only for myself. If you read carefully I said I was diagnosed with cancer. Did I ever really have cancer? If so, how did I heal without scientific intervention?
Even if it's all a delusion on my part and instead my body simply spontaneously healed itself, the process I followed in my delusion has brought, and continues to bring, me great peace and happiness. The past two times I allowed science to "heal" me, I walked away from the "cure" with a extremely sick body and mind from the "cure". In fact, the last time the "cure" nearly killed me.
I find discussions such as this interesting. For those locked into the consensus reality, they must defend the consensus reality with everything they have. Because to seriously question their reality is the same as rejecting their reality. And since many identify themselves through the consensus reality, to reject it is to reject themselves.
Is it just possible that you have a narrow point of view precisely because you have been deeply indoctrinated and have allowed yourself to be assimilated into the consensus reality? Thus that is your predominate point of view?
I have read very little of any of the classic thinkers because I didn't wish to adopt other points of view as my own. Regardless of whether other people have traveled this road before me doen't invalidate my path or findings.
The very fact that since I don't introduce something "new" doesn't mean what I say isn't of use. That very idea, that "new" is inherently better, is spoken by someone who thinks progress is only (mostly) measured by a certain process and it's a very narrow view of the world. And whenever I hear someone say "I have read..." with a dismissive tone, I usually respond by saying "Yes, but do you live.....?".
What I talk about is not theory. I live it on a daily basis and I incorporate all that I talk about in my life. I also live in the "real" world as a financial advisor and a broker. I have my CFP, CLU, CFA and on and on and on so I understand where you are coming from. I have found that the "real" world as presently constructed is not expanding but is actually contracting and by extension is holding humans back from living a full life. Notice I didn't say longer or healthier or faster or more entertained or any of the other measures of modern society.
I've suffered terrible medical problems including three run-ins with cancer, the last 2 disagnosed as malignant. Would you believe me if I told you that this last time I rejected modern science and healed myself with my mind? That all change begins within and that once I started down this path, not only have I been free of cancer for 10 years but other medical problems are slowly clearing, even as I age? I doubt you would because you live in the "real" world and in that world, I couldn't heal myself with my mind. Thus what I have to say is meaningless in your world. So be it.