Mindset shifts are associated with shifts in behavior as well as psychological, physiological and social reality. Still, it can be hard to cue a mindset shift that lasts long enough to yield durable changes in experience. Stanford psychologist Alia Crum researches the various ways mindset affects us. The parts of the interview that caught me […]
Your 世間 (seken) is always there – even when your strategy for dealing with it is pretending that it doesn’t exist or matter to you at all
世間 (seken) refers to the stakeholders and (referent) groups whose views about you shape your reputation and standing in the communities you belong to or aspire to belong to. According to sociologist Eiko Ikegami, 世間 (seken) first appears in the writings of Hojo Shigetoki in the 13th century. The term 世間体 (sekentei) is used in a […]
Sometimes the best thing you can do is give it a rest
According to Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, author of “Sacred Rest”, humans need seven kinds of rest. A couple of decades ago, Jim Loehr and sports psychologists started talking about four kinds of energy requiring proactive management to support peak performance: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Dalton-Smith reframes energy management in terms of rest and recovery. She […]
自分に素直 – What does it mean to be obedient to yourself?
素直 Sunao – In everyday usage (especially when used to describe children), 素直 can connote “obedience,” but it can also connote the quality of “being true to yourself.” When used in this way, being 素直 isn’t inconsistent with having a clear set of values or priorities that you are willing to stand up for, but […]
The self emerges via feedback loops linking internal and external experience
The path from agency to meaning can be thought of as a pair of intersecting feedback loops validating that we matter by connecting the purposes we formulate internally with the contributions we make externally. Social theorist Hamaguchi Eshun used systems theory to illustrate how this loop might work. In Hamaguchi’s model, the self is a […]
In inter-dependable groups, we each choose to be there for each other and for the group as a whole
“Group life is actually about the dance between the we and the I. And so, if you have too much we, it’s a cult, and if you have too much I, it’s a federation.” – Priya Parker, expert in conflict resolution and the art of “gathering” Parker continues: “And so, part of group life is […]
There are many paths from agency to meaning
Meaning is the evidence of impact that reconstitutes your experience of agency. Meaning is evidence that who you are and what you do matter (directly or indirectly) to someone or something other than yourself. If the purposes and contributions you chose never managed to touch someone or something beyond yourself, the vessel through which you […]
Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.
“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” – Søren Kierkegaard According to Kierkegaard, rational, objective analysis (which works backwards) can never fully grasp the reality of the present moment. Kierkegaard’s philosophy is defined by a sharp distinction between internal reality (inwardness, subjectivity) and external reality (objectivity, the world), with a strong emphasis on the former […]
Knowing that you matter to someone reinforces your agency and purpose
Knowing that “you matter” is a matter of knowing that your presence, intentions, ideas and actions CONTRIBUTE to someone or something that feels PURPOSEFUL to you. It is about knowing that you have made a difference to someone or something you care about. The feedback loop of evidence of IMPACT and CONTRIBUTION fuels and sustains […]
Grit is built upon agency; agency is built upon social as well as psychological foundations
“They had factors in their lives that helped to influence their AGENCY.” – NYU sociologist Anindya Kundu Kundu is talking about students, but I suspect the same factors enhance people’s GRIT in all stages and walks of life. He argues that the AGENCY and PURPOSE that are the launch pad for GRIT and GROWTH are […]