Specifics on generalizing

You might think, from some of my previous work, that I think generalizing is evil or somehow wrong. And while there are times and places where it does in fact hurt us, that just isn't so.

Generalizations are like handguns, swords, fire and the poison we use to kill insects. All of these things can be very powerful tools that can accomplish a number of different tasks. Each is better at specific tasks than the others.

Fire can keep us warm, cook our food and keep predators away. Swords and guns can be used to defend ourselves and those we care about, to keep others from harming us. The poison can keep insects from running rampant throughout our lives.

Each of these things has powerfully positive ways that they can make our lives better. Conversely, each of them can also be turned to dark evil purposes as well. They can all be used to murder, cripple, maim and cause suffering.

A tool is just a tool, neither inherently good or evil. All tools are double edged swords so to speak. All is determined by the wielder. It is the knowledge and intent of the user of each of these tools that determines whether good or ill results.

Arguably, generalizations are the most powerful of these tools that I have listed because it deals with words and understanding of words. And since words are our way of interacting with one another, sharing our experiences and motivating ourselves and others, tools that are themselves concepts and not physical things, have the most potential for impacting lives, for better or for worse.

So, what is good about generalizing? Well as mentioned previously, it is part of the process that allows us to take in all the things that happen to us moment to moment and not get completely overloaded all the time by the sheer amount of raw data.

But, really, I think, the greatest way in which we benefit from generalization is how we use it in the learning process. Initially all learning is done by rote memorization of a thing happening over and over and over. It is how we learn our ABC's, basic counting and things of that nature.

At some point though, being the naturally curious animals that we are, we start doing something called extrapolating. Extrapolation is quite literally lumping all the stuff we know about a particular thing together into one category and saying if that is true then what about this?

We generalize all the data we have in a certain area into the word "that" and then use that to test something new and unfamiliar. If we find  "this" to be true, then we add it to "that" making a new slightly larger set of data and seek out a new "this"

Specific example. Bob likes being able to breathe. Suzie likes being able to breathe. So do, Steven, Mary,Jacob, Harry, and so on. You query 99 people. They all say they like to breathe, men and women alike. Before asking the one hundredth person the question you generalize all the data previously collected by theorizing that if all 99 of these people like being able to breath, the next person you ask will also enjoy breathing. You ask and lo and behold the hundredth person also enjoy breathing.

From this experiment you make some other generalizations and extrapolations. You decide that, based on the data you have collected so far, all men like breathing and all women like breathing. Men and women are people, therefore all people like breathing. Wait what about children, they are people too right?

You generalize the data. Children are just younger men and women. So children should enjoy breathing as well. You ask some. The ones that are old enough to properly understand the question all answer affirmatively that they do indeed enjoy being able to breathe.

Men, women, children, yup those are all the ones that qualify as people. You generalize that people like breathing and can extrapolate and learn more based on that data. Through generalization and trial and error our pool of knowledge gradually goes from this tiny little pond to a vast ocean of data.

And to communicate the concepts to people we just generalize. If they don't understand or if they disagree, then we can get into the specifics of how or why what we say is true. We save time, and energy be generalizing.  Like all of the other tools at our disposal, generalization is a powerful tool for good if used properly. It just takes conscious observation and effort to be sure we are using it correctly.

Hunger is an awesome tool

Let me say that again. Hunger. Is. An. Awesome. Tool.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not in any way making fun of those that cannot afford to feed themselves or saying that we should take advantage of them. I am talking about your own personal hunger and what it can do for you.

Think about it. What are you like when you are hungry? I don't mean like breakfast was two hours ago and lunch is still a couple hours away and you are just a bit snacky. I mean full on raging bear willing to eat a horse if it's put in front of you kind of hungry. There are some Snicker's commercials out there that have some silly but somewhat accurate examples of how people stop being reasonable when they get hungry.

I can't speak to anyone's experience but my own. Though, I imagine, it is not all that different for other people. If I get deeply involved in some game or project and miss a few meals in a row, there comes a point where my body reminds me that it is time to eat. And yeah, I can push it back or ignore it for a little while, but there comes a point where that is all over.

It's like there's an animal inside controlling me. And it takes over. Then no matter what I was doing I'm done and it is time to go get something to eat. All rational thought not leading to acquiring food gets temporarily shut off.

IT IS TIME TO EAT! No other conversation holds my interest or in fact even penetrates my brain. All focus and desire is on food. I am willing to do whatever it takes to sate this hunger. I will move or destroy obstacles. I become an awesome juggernaut of will, laser focused on my goal. Woe to he or she that stands in my way. Nothing, this side of death will stop me.

By now you may be thinking, so what Jim, that's an interesting experience. But how does your odd mealtime behavior benefit me? Well.Think about it like this. What is this hunger that I am talking about? It is an all consuming fire, a burning ambition, an impassioned drive to succeed at accomplishing a goal no matter what obstacles may be in the way.

In all fairness a hunger for food will build on its own over time with no actual effort involved on your part. In other areas of life like business goals, family or relationships you have to stoke those fires intentionally. But it can, and should be done. You can have a powerful,passionate, driven hunger for anything that you decide to.

By comparing what you want with what you have, and getting excited about getting what it is that you want, you can build that fire from just a tiny spark to a raging forest fire. A forest fire that blazes in whatever direction you choose, melting all obstacles in your way, until you reach success.

Imagine how different your life will be once you starting treating all your goals the way I treat the obtainment of food when I am hungry.What new things will you do with your unstoppable will, laser focused for success?

The power of the negative pt2

Something else kind of interesting about the subconscious mind is, if you describe something as being not like another thing the other person's mind will associate them as being alike.The reason for this is because when you describe to another person what something is not, first they have to imagine that it is that way or they have no frame of reference for what it is that you are saying. And then once they have the image in their mind of it being that way, it is often too late to change the first impression that they have.You can logically say that you understand the difference  between a thing and not that thing but in reality, your subconscious mind never really understands or parses the word not.

If I start a business presentation with you where I compare my company with a similar company and I tell you all the ways in which our companies are not the same, the surface of your mind will hear and understand me, but the subconscious part that drives your motivation and decision making process will decide that they are the same despite my words.

I describe the ills of company A by saying that the products are shoddy the service is poor and the prices are too high. Then I describe company B(my company) by saying our products are not shoddy the service is not poor and the prices are not too high. Believe it or not, to your subconscious mind I have just stated that both companies are the same.

On the contrary, If I tell you that our products are superior, the customer service is fantastic and our prices are the best in the industry, then I have told you that my company is way better than company A. Here, I focus on what our company is instead of what it is not and it works to make a clear distinction between the two in a way that the other method could just never accomplish.

Now having said all this, I did learn one rather sneaky way to use this information, while listening to a mentor speak today. It relies very heavily on this idea of your subconscious ignoring the word not. It is true that most people hate being sold to. As a result of this, when they think that you are attempting to enroll them in your sales pitch they will naturally resist things that you tell them to do.

IF I say to you to imagine having the freedom to spend more time with your family and to imagine you are finally financially secure and imagine you are able to go on vacation whenever you want, if you think it is part of a sales pitch you will naturally resist my request. BUT if I instead say, aren't you sick and tired of not having enough time to spend with your family? Aren't you sick and tired of not being financially secure? Aren't you sick and tired of not being able to go on vacation whenever you want? It forces people to imagine those very things in order to be able to have a frame of reference to be able to answer the questions.

By using this tool you can get them to the right frame of mind to show them how your product or service can make those things possible for them, how what you have to offer fulfills a need that they have making the eventual sale a win-win for everybody involved.

Should I start my own religion? pt1

We established sometime ago in a previous post that I am in fact insane.  If further proof of that concept bothers you, read no further.

All day everyday data is received into our brains and although we may have a hard time recalling things at certain times, none of it ever really leaves. It just sits around waiting to be useful.

Sometimes, over long periods of time, connections between seemingly unrelated pieces begin to form into an overall picture that you would never have ever thought of putting together.

Here are some of those things.

I believe, that in my infancy, I met the being that the Christians call God. I gave up a chance to remain where he was in order to be in service to and of use to people here on Earth, not slavishly but in a loving, giving and uplifting way. I believe that there are many many benevolent spiritual beings that are greater than man and that very few if any crave worship. Having met a god, I cannot truly be an atheist and agnostic while close does not perfectly describe me either. My personal preference has always been to say that I am not religious, though I am a deeply spiritual person. A great deal of my adult life has been spent in studying many different religions as well as a search for personal enlightenment, empowerment and overall enrichment of life for myself and others.

A lot of in internal work and forging has occurred to bring me to the point where I am today. And while the path never ends, I believe that I am a perfectly designed tool for improving the world and the lives of those who live upon it. Yes, I said it. I'm a tool. And I am proud of it. But where is the proper venue for this tool to be put to best use?

It would seem, at first, that the best way to change the world in a positive manner would be through politics since nearly all government seems corrupt in one way or another.  But there is so much red tape involved in getting into politics. A great deal of it comes down to a popularity contest one which often devolves into mud slinging. And even once you finally get your foot in the door, it seems that it is impossible to get anything done without shady back room dealings. That is not for me. Besides politics is more about making laws that govern life, not about living it in a positive way. I have tried to see myself as a politician and I just can not do it.

What about religion? It would seem to be a lot more my speed. Though most current organized religion is often more about guilt and manipulation than good living. So maybe I could start a new religion, one with a different overall framework. When I was younger, I was a Jehovah's Witness for several years, at a time when I had no friends. As a result, I would take my Bible to school and read it in my free time. Some of the kids used to make fun of me, calling me Reverend Jim. I laughed it off but never really thought about it at the time. And at some other point in my life there was jokingly a Church of Jim that included the philosophies of myself and another Jim with whom I was close friends. Now, though, I can very easily see myself as both priest and teacher of the good word. But what word would that be?