[Neurons] 2019 Neurons # DANGER: IT'S DESIGNED SO YOU DON'T THINK!

[Michael Hall]

From: L. Michael Hall

2019 Neurons #29

June 24, 2019

 

DANGER:

IT'S DESIGNED SO YOU DON'T THINK

 

When Joshua Epstein of the Brookings Institution wrote about making
decisions.  Yet he also noted that "society is formed largely to the end of
removing that need" (namely, to make decisions) and if that's the case, then
removing the need to think).  To explain he then wrote this:

"Many social norms exist simply so that we no longer have to think about
other options.  We structure society so as to keep the need for thought to a
minimum.  We are compelled to make a decision only when no social convention
prescribes it.  The stronger the norm, the less we as individuals need to
think about it.   ...  As people familiarize themselves with the rules, they
also learn how much [they need] to think about how to behave." (pp. 306-7,
italics added)

 

Now isn't that amazing?  Here Epstein offers yet another perspective on the
role and function of society and culture- by establishing the "rules" for
how we do things around here, the rules become hidden frames which determine
what to think.  So we defer to others and to the rules that they have
created.  We look around to see what they are doing, how they are doing
things, then instead of thinking, we conform.  We conform to the norms set
by the "rules" that were created in former times by someone who thought that
would be a good thing to do.  This saves us from the effort of thinking
today.  It makes things easier.  And that's right, isn't it?

 

Yes but it comes with a price.  Here's what I've learned from that.
Whatever induces us to conform, or to be compliant, simultaneously induces
us to stop thinking individually and to use (and default to) the thinking of
the group.

 

Then as members of a community, we learn to operate on the principle of
doing as little thinking as possible.  Conversely, if we started to think,
then we would start asking questions:

"Why do we do things this way?"  "What if we did it in another way?"  "Do we
have to do it this way?  Could we change this?"

And, of course, to ask such questions is to be a heretic to the old ways, a
disturber of the peace, and an activist who seems to be looking for trouble.

 

Now our brains, are by their very nature, social in nature.  We learn from
each other, our mirror neurons (10% of brain cells) are always looking to
what others are doing and we all have a strong urge inside to get along, to
conform, to be accepted, to belong, etc.  Our brains are also thinking
machines- designed to question things, explore possibilities, solve
problems, anticipate what will happen, create new ways of doing things,
innovate, etc.

 

With these conflicting drives-no wonder that we can get into conflict with
ourselves and with others!  It's inevitable.  On the one hand, we want to
think-imagine, reason, draw our own conclusions, figure things out,
discover, etc.  and on the other hand, we want to rest our brains, come to a
conclusion, find closure, belong, be loved and accepted, fit in, etc.  Being
both mindless and mindful lures us into each day.

 

In the training on Cognitive Make-Over, I put "norm thinking" in the
category of "Borrowed Thinking" which was one of the six stages of
Not-Thinking or Mindlessness.   This means that instead of engaging in the
authentic activity of thinking, we defer to "think the thoughts of others
who came before us."  They did the work.  They expended the energy and we
are living off of their endeavors as we think their thoughts.  It saves us
from the effort of thinking- of questioning, exploring, checking, etc.  Now
we can live from the norms, that is, from the rules.

 

In language "rules" shows up in the Meta-Model distinction in several ways.
There are the modal operators of necessity that indicate personal or family
or social rules as indicated by need, should, must, have to, etc.  These
words code a demand or a rule and with that, thinking ends. 

"I need to finish my plate."  "You should say 'please' and 'thank you.'"
"They must learn how to drive more carefully."  "You have to eat more." 

 

With such statements, one doesn't have to think.  Thinking is ended and a
"mode of operating" is induced as a rule is stated as an absolute statement.
Then there are Lost Performatives- a statement is made without any
connection to whoever said it.  It's a lost map: "Boys shouldn't cry."
"Have a stiff upper lip."  So ask, "Who invented that rule?  When and for
who?  Is it still applicable today?  Under what conditions?"

 

It is far too easy to stop thinking.  And there are many other linguistic
distinctions that can stop thinking.  An over-generalization can ("You know
how men are!"), labeling, either/or descriptions, etc.  So if you think you
think- think again.   Maybe you aren't.   Maybe you are conforming to
thinking that was done by others centuries ago.  Maybe it is time for some
fresh thinking.  If you discover that, in fact, most of the time you are not
thinking, that discovery itself enables you to begin thinking afresh.

 

 

 

 

L. Michael Hall, Ph.D.

Executive Director, Neuro-Semantics

P.O. Box 8

Clifton CO. 81520 USA

www.neurosemantics.com   look for the special offer

 

Author of the stunning new history of NLP--- NLP Secrets.  

Investigative Journalism which has exposed what has been kept secrets for
decades. 

http://www.neurosemantics.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/NLP-Secrets-2_sml2.
png

 

 

 

 

 

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