“Free your mind, and the rest will follow.” – En Vogue
A Path member recently asked:
“Does being more aware of the specific benefits of meditation make you more likely to receive those benefits?”
And, while the question appears appears to be about meditation…
…The answer is about something much, much deeper.
Take a look:
There are many ways this could play out.
For example:
1. Awareness of benefits could create a placebo effect which amplifies those benefits.
2. Awareness of benefits could cause meditator over-focus on specific benefits, chase them, overthink the process and block themselves from receiving those benefits.
3. Awareness of benefits could cause tunnel vision on specific benefits and miss other benefits they aren’t aware of.
4. Awareness of benefits could cause an intelligent meditator to be more systematic about achieving those benefits and tracking progress towards them, ultimately speeding up their progress.
5. A combination of the above.
Beware of single-answers to questions.
The truth is multi dimensional.
I’ll say that last bit again for emphasis:
The truth is multi-dimensional.
Which means, any time your mind generates a one-dimensional answer — like:
X is better than Y
(ie. “Organic traffic is better than paid ads” — at what? for what business? under what circumstances?)
X causes Y
(ie. “Social media causes brain rot” — what type of social media? at what dose? who is consuming it?)
X is good for Y
(ie. “Meditation is good for anxiety” — what type of meditation? at what dose? what caused the anxiety?)
X is a waste of time, do Y instead
(ie. “Reading fiction isn’t productive, I only read non-fiction” — productive for what? for who? at what stage of life?)
…You’re wrong by default.
Because the truth always has more sides than one.
And, big key:
Your intelligence — which, by the way, immediately affects…
- Your earning potential (business is a game that is played with the mind)
- The quality of your relationships (intelligence is a primary mating signal)
- Your communication and charisma (our communication is a direct window into our mind)
- And, every other dimension of your life…
…Is directly correlated with how many sides (perspectives) you can see in a given situation.
“bfgahhhh righties rule and lefties are all dimwit losers bfgahhh!” = one perspective.
“Running a country is more sophisticated than left or right, because a country is not a single organism; it includes many micro-economies and sub-cultures with many different needs and points of view.” = multiple perspectives.
Bottom line:
More perspectives = More intelligence.
So if you want to think better, think more.
And, when your brain spits out a default, one-dimensional answer…
Keep thinking.
More intelligence, more understanding, and more growth are waiting for you on the other side.
– T
P.S. This is the type of stuff our experienced practitioners get juiced for, while newbies tend to blank out and start scrolling for new ways to get chicks and make bags.
So props to you, for reading this far.
If you’re a Path member:
We go much deeper into this nuanced approach to thinking — for business, performance, and life — in Precision Thinking.
It’s a must-watch.
If you’re not a Path member, here’s a short clip from that session called:
How To Master The Skill Of Thinking
(funny enough, I just noticed a comment under than video from a 27-year Professor of Quantum Chemistry, Dylan Jayatilaka, who used to work at NASA…
“…this “deconstruction & reconstruction” idea serves as a very succinct way to characterise understanding itself. I have been struggling for years to come up with something like this which is short and clear, and opens many other avenues of thought.”
High praise. I wish I’d seen it earlier.)
