We are at the most fortunate time we have ever been in, in understanding the complexities of life. We are in the information age, where we have limitless information available to us, almost all of it which is free. Yet, we overload it with junk. With things that don’t serve us or help us in any way. They just clutter and fill our brain with chaos, which makes the thoughts that are actually important more convoluted and cloudy.
Learn from the great psychologists and sociologists. Learn from the people that have dedicated their lives to literally understanding HOW the brain works, How our bodies work. Read it all the time. Understand as well as possible. Discard the things that you don’t need to remember and learn more deeply the things that are universally important to your life.
These things are essential. We are not different - We are all pretty much the same. Remember this.
Fill your brain with information that helps you as much as humanely possible. Read books. Watch TED talks. Watch lectures. Have conversations with people and listen more than you talk.
Make no mistake - Knowledge truly is power. And will single handedly be your greatest attribute to living a fulfilled life. Knowledge will help you differentiate emotional reactions to situations (and emotions rarely involve raw logic) and remember the big picture.
Today, I was reading ‘12 Rules For Life’ and found this extremely fascinating:
The ancient part of your brain specialized for assessing dominance watches how you are treated by other people. On that evidence, it renders a determination of your value and assigns you a status. If you are judged by your peers as of little worth, the counter restricts serotonin availability. That makes you much more physically and psychologically reactive to any circumstance or event that might produce emotion, particularly if it is negative. Emergencies are common at the bottom, and you must be ready to survive.
When operating at the bottom, the ancient brain counter assumes that even the smallest unexpected impediment might produce and uncontrollable chain of negative events, which will have to be handled alone, as useful friends are rare indeed. You will therefore continually sacrifice what you could otherwise physically store for the future, using it up on heightened readiness and the possibility of immediate panicked action in the present.
The ancient counter will eventually even shut down your immune system, expending your energy and resources required for future health now, during the crises of the present. It will render you impulsive, so that you will jump, for example at any short-term mating opportunities, or any possibilities of pleasure, no matter how sub-par, disgraceful or illegal.
If you have a high status, on the other hand, the counter’s cold, pre-reptilian mechanics assume that your niche is secure, productive and safe, and that you are well buttressed with social support. It think the chance that something will damage you is low and can be safely discounted. The serotonin flows plentifully. Change might be opportunity, instead of disaster. This renders you confident and calm, standing tall and straight, and much less on constant alert. Because your position is secure, the future is likely to be good for you. You can delay gratification, without forgoing it forever.