toni magni - interoperability infrastructure actor
2011-W12-4 2011-03-24 Thursday
Radiolab Podcast: Help!
I really enjoyed this podcast. march 8 2011. Download it here:
http://www.radiolab.org/2011/mar/08/
The one thing i've learned in this podcast is that there is a conflict between the rational mind, and the mind that gets pleased by the sensations: one might want to not do something, however the pleasure of doing that something often wins, and one ends up doing that something.
The sensations mind is much stronger and most times takes over in decision making. In the Podcast, a few examples of people which were able to succeed in gaining decision over the sensation mind are given. One idea is to create another thought which in turn would create very strong present sensations, so to contrast the present sensations caused by doing that something one is not "supposed" to do.
Example: this woman decided to quit smoking, and told her best friend she would donate $5k to the KKK if she ever smoked another cigarette. So here it is: any time she feels like smoking and is about to pick up the cigarette, she thinks of the consequences and is immediately repudiated by the idea and ends up not smoking.
Or another man, who after getting writer's block, told him self he would finish the book, within a week or commit suicide. That worked very well for him, he actually finished it within 6 days. Which is that strong commitment, kind of like Gothama the Buddha, who eventually decided he would sit and meditate until he reached full liberation: the threat of dying under the tree, starved, made him work very seriously.
In the second part of the podcast, i was exposed to yet another idea as they talk about art: Kerrelyn Sparks was inspired by interviewing Tom Waits, which helped her resolve her own writer's block dilemma. He described the muse as being an external entity, to whom he talks to. When he has problems with the muse, like an inspiration at the wrong time or place or vice-versa, he addresses her or it directly! "dear muse, i'm stuck in traffic right now, i can't do anything with you. Go away and come back when i'm by my piano!". In a different situation, Kerrelyn politely asks her muse to give her the title of her book, and sure enough, she finds it the next day.
Food for thought for me.
