Can We Save Ourselves From Our Self?
The "Boston Bombers" knew not to do what they did, as did those who are now serving time in prison. High school students know they should value education and not drop-out. Our politicians in Washington know, if they continue their reckless policies they will eventually destroy our nation. And yet, in spite of our intelligence and knowing what we should be doing, we don't always do it. Why? What could possibly keep us from doing, what we know to do?
The answer is simple. Humans pay a price for having a highly creative brain that has created, without our knowledge or permission, the "self," an image of who our brain thinks we are that has its own beliefs and the power to keep us from doing what we know to do, which raises a question.
Where's the proof the brain creates on its own? The proof is in front of us
While examining a crime scene, Sherlock Holmes, the famous story book detective heard from his associate, Dr. Watson, "I don't see any evidence." Sherlock slowly nodded, looked about and turned to his companion, "My dear Watson, there is nothing as elusive as an obvious clue."
The obvious clue demonstrating that our brains create on their own is evidenced by our nighttime dreams, which are often chaotic and nonsensical. For example, do you ever dream about people, places or things that do not appear as they really are? We all do, because our brains have the ability to take what is true and twist it into a creation of its own making.
Now you may think, "So what, I'm awake, I'm in control, I know what's going on." But wait, there's more to the story. Much of what our brain does, it does in our subconscious, where even technology gets lost. For example, at this very moment our brains are controlling our heart beat, chemical levels and other aspects of our physiology, without our knowledge.
When you combine the brains ability to miss-create with its control of our subconscious, a picture emerges. A picture you might find in a sci-fi thriller, featuring "Our Brain," tapping into its own creativity in order to create an image of who our brain thinks we are.
Sigmund Freud, the father of modern day psychiatry called this image the ego, which is Latin for I, the "self" that loves to show the world what it values most; its image, being right, having control and not being accountable.
The inner creates the outer and as long as we fail to understand the nature of the "self"and how it works, we will continue to wonder why heinous crimes are committed, our prisons are full, our kids are dropping out of school and why we don't do, what we know to do.
About the Author
Richard Waldman is a life/leadership coach and CEO of "A Better Way of Thinking," a California Nonprofit Corporation that offers a unique strategy that identifies the mental factors that move us forward and hold us back.
To learn more, log-on to http://www.abwot.org and click on "Our Strategy Part 1 & 2." Richard also offers a free eBook "Your Guide to a Better Way of Thinking" and can be reached by email: richard@abwot.org.
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