Mental Spirals
This issue is about dying and doing, societal ideological spirals, and freedom of speech.
In this issue we’re discovering how to guard ourselves from ideological spirals as cause of rise and fall of societies, we’re exploring how to effectively communicate with the giver and taker archetype of people, and we’re learning why freedom of speech is the second most important thing for Rowan Atkinson right after food. And finally, in a new article we’re practicing how to reunite with the presence of death to reinvigorate our lives.
✨ Sparks
📝 Article: The Idea Trap
Witty analysis of interdependency of ideas, policies and economic growth, manifesting in societal upward and downward spirals, which the author calls the “idea trap”. Discover how bad ideas cause bad policies cause negative growth causes bad ideas; and the other way around. As a rule of thumb, it rarely is the object of public blame which is responsible, most often it is the subject. Why? Because it is a fundamental trait of the human ego to disclaim the negative outcome of own actions and to claim the positive outcome of others’.
Once you fall into this trap, all it often takes is common sense to get out. But when people are desperate, common sense gets even less common than usual. The recent flu vaccine shortage is a fine example. Common sense says that to alleviate a shortage of the vaccine, you should make it more lucrative to supply. But the reaction of much of the public is, instead, to lash out at greedy suppliers for failing to do their job. [...] During hyperinflations, for example, people are more likely to lash out at scapegoats—speculators and black marketeers—than to blame runaway monetary policy.
Depression and disarray benefit the Lenins of the world. That is when the public is most receptive to nonsense, to scapegoating sneaky foreigners and greedy corporations. The voice of reason, in contrast, gets its most sympathetic hearing when things are running smoothly, so the public is calm enough to think rationally about how to improve on the status quo, and maybe even appreciate how much their favorite scapegoats do for them.
📝 Article: Good conversations have lots of doorknobs
Do your conversations seem to often get stuck in awkwardness or end with a sense of frustration or dissatisfaction? Discover how communication unfolds with the giver and taker archetype and learn about spotting and creating doorknobs.
Givers think that conversations unfold as a series of invitations; takers think conversations unfold as a series of declarations. When giver meets giver or taker meets taker, all is well. When giver meets taker, however, giver gives, taker takes, and giver gets resentful (“Why won’t he ask me a single question?”) while taker has a lovely time (“She must really think I’m interesting!”) or gets annoyed (“My job is so boring, why does she keep asking me about it?”).
Adam Mastroianni
🎬 YouTube Video: Rowan Atkinson on free speech
Reflections on free speech by Rowan Atkinson, one of the greatest artists and spiritual guides of our time, during the “Reform Section 5” campaign in 2012. Discover from his particularly interesting notices on the relation between free speech and privileged societal profiles how any right or manifestation of freedom must be claimed and protected if it is to be kept. One of the instruments in the toolbox of totalitarian systems and slave owners is to use the concept of insult to undermine the right of free expression. Guard yourself and take that campaign’s slogan to heart: FEEL FREE TO INSULT ME!
🆕 New Content
📝 Article: Make Death Your Ally
Shed societal conditioning and establish respect for your own time over money by learning to embrace the presence of death.
Ferdinand Kutschker
🙏🏻 Gratitude Journal
One of the most powerful daily practices to liberate yourself from mental downward spirals is to bring the things to your attention that you are grateful for.
- Stretching classes, photo shoots, conversations; I am grateful for all the invitations I received this week.
- I am grateful for the inspiring company I’ve had this week.
- I am grateful for being surrounded by such lush and rich nature.
What are you grateful for?
💡 This Week’s Wisdom
I used to worry a lot about my voice, wondering if I had my own. But now I realize that the only way to find your voice is to use it.
From Show Your Work! by AUSTIN KLEON.
Captured and resurfaced using the phenomenal Kindle reader.
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