The Secret Mental Model That Allows You to Gain Experience and Learn at Rapid Rates

[Woosah]

When you tell yourself something is good, you make other things bad.

Something to consider is that everything is relative.

About a hundred years ago, Einstein showed us that the way we see the world depends on two things:

- Our point of view
- The context

That means ten of us could experience the very same thing, and each of us would have different stories about it.

Your experience would be unique to you, as mine would be to me.

It's like when one person is comfortable with the weather in shorts, but another is cold with a jacket on.

We're playing in the same playground, but we each have our own individual game. And although our game is single-player, we still have connections to one another, behind the scenes.

You can never explain one thing on its own because everything is in relation to another thing. For example, you can't have "walking" happening alone because you can't have feet dangling nowhere. There needs to be somewhere "walking" takes place—like the sidewalk.

The foreground requires a background, just like the background requires a foreground.

Like with the Chinese Yin/Yang symbol. One cannot exist without the other. One actually implies the other. They're an inseparable pair. They arise simultaneously.

It's the same thing with 'good' and 'bad'.

As soon as you create the idea of 'good' in your mind, you automatically categorize other things as 'bad'.

The thing is, what's 'bad' today might be 'good' tomorrow. For all we know, that 'failed' attempt might have planted a seed for a great 'success'.

It's all a matter of perspective and everything can change in a snap depending on the context.

Be slow to make judgments but quick to gather experience.

“Confused by thoughts, we experience duality in life. Unencumbered by ideas, the enlightened see the one Reality.”
— Huineng

 

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[Practic]

When you tell yourself something is good, you make other things bad.

Something to consider is that everything is relative.

About a hundred years ago, Einstein showed us that the way we see the world depends on two things:

- Our point of view
- The context

That means ten of us could experience the very same thing, and each of us would have different stories about it.

Your experience would be unique to you, as mine would be to me.

It's like when one person is comfortable with the weather in shorts, but another is cold with a jacket on.

We're playing in the same playground, but we each have our own individual game. And although our game is single-player, we still have connections to one another, behind the scenes.

You can never explain one thing on its own because everything is in relation to another thing. For example, you can't have "walking" happening alone because you can't have feet dangling nowhere. There needs to be somewhere "walking" takes place—like the sidewalk.

The foreground requires a background, just like the background requires a foreground.

Like with the Chinese Yin/Yang symbol. One cannot exist without the other. One actually implies the other. They're an inseparable pair. They arise simultaneously.

It's the same thing with 'good' and 'bad'.

As soon as you create the idea of 'good' in your mind, you automatically categorize other things as 'bad'.

The thing is, what's 'bad' today might be 'good' tomorrow. For all we know, that 'failed' attempt might have planted a seed for a great 'success'.

It's all a matter of perspective and everything can change in a snap depending on the context.

Be slow to make judgments but quick to gather experience.

“Confused by thoughts, we experience duality in life. Unencumbered by ideas, the enlightened see the one Reality.”
— Huineng

In simpler words, a half empty glass of water is a half full glass of water. All is relative with respect to a system of view.

 

[Kybalion]

Thanks, Alan Watts. What does this have to do with gaining experience and learning? How have you used this mental model to achieve YOUR goals?

 

[Woosah]

What does this have to do with gaining experience and learning?

I'm not as active on the mats these days as I used to be, but when I was, every now and then we'd have someone new coming in to learn jiu-jitsu. As you can imagine, these dudes get pinned and submitted often. They're new and they haven't sharpened their technique, so they spend a lot of time on their back. As a result, the first thing they learn is to escape disadvantageous positions and survive submission attempts.

Something that would discourage most new white belts was when they would get stuck under someone.

(If you've ever tried any form of grappling, you know how annoying it is to have someone who knows how to leverage gravity applying that downward pressure onto your core. Saying "it's tough to breath" is an understatement.)

They would try the escape they learned four, maybe five times, maybe a few more if they're resilient, and then they would just lay there. Their spirit to fight would die, and they would wait for it to be over. For their opponent to advance and submit them.

Having the experience, I know to advise the white belt to keep moving and keep trying his escape. Try from different angles. Move your body just a bit to the left. Turn your chest a little more to this side. Create a bit of space here. Etc. Because that's what he's supposed to do to get out—to escape.

By staying in a flow of motion, you not only increase your chances of escape, but you make it harder for your opponent to keep you pinned and submit you.

The white belt that doesn't know that hesitates after his failed attempts, constantly critiques himself, and then eventually brings about his own defeat by giving up.

How have you used this mental model to achieve YOUR goals?

I'm mindful to separate action from reflection, understanding that there's a time and place for each.

 

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