There is a well known wisdom about belief and proof.
It says that ‘For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don’t believe, no proof is possible’.
That is quite true. Belief and its resulting proof is a personal thing. What one person sees as clear and obvious proof, another can’t recognise or accept at all. Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but proof is in the mind of the believer.
A little example to reflect this.
In my years of writing I have read countless books, blogs, social media posts etc and have come across the concept of CANI a number of times. CANI is short for Constant And Neverending Improvement. The ideology behind it is that we can and should always be looking to improve, get better, evolve key areas of our life and self through slight but ongoing measurable steps in advancement. In short, never stop working, trying, pushing to upgrade.
But also on my radar over the years was another concept – IKIGAI. This is a Japanese term which means ‘reason for living’. Its basis is to find a personal passion, often simple in nature, that delivers purpose and joy. It teaches about going within to find the core fundamentals of yourself.
CANI – keep developing and seeking improvement.
IKIGAI – discover what makes you feel alive and just enjoy it.
Two belief systems advocating different directives for living.
Who is right, who is wrong?
Both of the above have fans and devotees. Both could cite, quite rightly, proof that their system by which to live is the way for us all to live. This would be held up by the sheer number of others who agree with the principles and show that they happily/successfully live by them (likes/shares/follows/comments).
Now this is not hard in our modern world. With a 24 hours, 365 days per year, permanent internet available around the globe with social media pages and groups on almost any subject, it’s never difficult to connect with enough others interested in the same subject as you.
I undertook a very brief experiment while writing this blog post – in the space of 10 minutes I came across groups and communities who believed that Elvis Presley is still alive. there is a Loch Ness Monster, the best dogs are Dachshunds, starvation diets are good for health, that NASA are working with aliens, and all manner of religious denominations and conspiracy theories, all with thousands of fans and more. All who could equally argue that this ‘proves’ their belief is correct.
So, who is right and who is wrong?
Well if there is one truth it’s the paradox that there isn’t one truth. There are many. And the ones we each individually believe and live by are personal to us even if a few other humans on the planet get that too. They aren’t right anymore than you are wrong if you believe otherwise.
The real right and wrong would be to believe that finding examples of what you believe anywhere means the proof is out there. It’s right as a human to feel you are not alone in believing what you do. It’s wrong (in my view) to search for so called proof to make yourself feel better about it, or to prove others wrong.
What you believe, you believe, and that’s it. And I believe it’s everyone right to be able to think that way too.
But, you don’t have to believe me, do you???
Five thoughts, ideas, insights, or quotes to power up your mind to think differently and creatively about life and who we are. Put all previous thinking away and open up a brand new world of the supermind. YOUR SuperMind.
This week – happiness.
If you ask most people what they really want in life, most will reply to be happy. But what does that mean? Happiness seems to be elusive one minute, fleeting the next. How can we create or feel more lasting happiness? This week then put your SuperMind Thinking to use about happiness and perhaps question yourself about it too.
- How do you define happiness? It’s personal from one soul to the next. Yet many people cite safety, security, health etc as chief among reasons to be happy. What 5 standards do you believe would be the best overall measures for people on the whole for happiness?
- For us to be able to ever be happy we need to consider where happiness comes from and how it starts to begin with. Where do you believe happiness starts in the first place?
- In the modern global and social media world people want to have more and more, to be like others above them, to be a somebody and look the part. So, this week’s big question. At what point in life does happiness stop and greed and need take its place?
- Quote – Eleanor Roosevelt said, ‘Happiness is not a goal, it’s a by-product’. I like this, happiness comes from something else, it appears. What causes happiness to show up in our lives as a result of it?
- Thought – what if happiness is simply NOT important and overrated by people in general? If you agree maybe you can work out what the main attribute in life that is and is far greater in importance than happiness. That’s got to be a big answer!
Ok, SuperMInds, thank you for being here for the Saturday SuperMind time. Keep asking yourself these through the week to open up more of your mind to evolve its untapped power. Consider more, reflect more, think more, activate your connection to your personal mind more. Let’s work the SuperMInd and Super Think!
See you next time for more super thinking.
Do you ever just stop and watch people?
You know, grab a coffee or a bench to sit down on and watch people go by?
This simple activity as the world hurtles by around you will teach you a myriad of things and, most telling of all, reveal amazing insights and ideas on what humans do, what they might need to do or why they are doing what they are, and show you what no-one else has spotted that can lead to huge success.
In the 1930’s famous Hollywood producer Hal Roach, who discovered Laurel and Hardy and Harold Lloyd, began to experience a downfall in his affairs. Times had changed, the old stars were no longer pulling in the big audiences or had retired. He badly needed another hit act or angle to boost his fortunes.
One day while sitting and contemplating his next move he was drawn to a group of young children. He watched in both mirth and admiration at how they conjured up games, pretended to be other people, fought, fell down, rolled over and got right back up again, and played and laughed. They were completely unaware of the world around them as they were so immersed in their own playful version.
He realised that just as he too laughed and got lost in their antics, the public themselves would do the very same. A new brand of entertainment was born as he formed Our Gang, a bunch of young previously non-acting children, who he featured in short films and ten minute storylines. It was a roaring success.
When he was stuck – people watching showed him something that lit a lightbulb in his mind.
Free Lightbulb Moments.
The Lightbulb moment – the ‘Aha’ realisation of an answer to a problem or a big idea that hasn’t existed before. People watching is THE best cause of this.
Witness the Post-It story.
As of today an estimated 50 billion separate Post-It notes have been sold all around the world. But, when the product first started you would never have guessed in a million years that it was going to become the global can’t-do-without home and office companion.
In 1968 Spencer Silver was working at 3M and was tasked a creating a strong adhesive for the aircraft industry. He managed to develop one but it wasn’t robust or powerful enough for further development as a viable product. Spencer knew it had a use somewhere but had no idea where or what that could be.
One Sunday he was at a service as he was a member of the church choir. He had told some members about his work and the organist asked if he could try some of the adhesive to hold his hymn notes in place. Curious, Spencer looked on as the pieces of paper remained perfectly in place to the organists delight. There and then a lightbulb switched on. He saw the use of the adhesive on a smaller note that everyone from teachers to secretaries, journalists to office workers, could benefit from to write reminders or tasks they could stick up without having to file away.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Become A People Watcher.
As you can see, these two hugely lucrative ideas would never have happened if a) there wasn’t a problem in the first place to solve and b) Hal and Spencer hadn’t engaged in some people watching to follow.
People are the market. We are the clues and the solutions in one. How we live, move, travel, interact, communicate etc etc gives hints to what we need, are missing, could do with help with, would benefit from, and could damn well enjoy for whatever reason.
Flying about at breakneck speeds in cars, trains, and planes will never show you that.
But chill it down and commit to being a people watcher, in time (and maybe a very short time), you are going to be shown EXACTLY what people’s lives are missing that you have just been given the answer to. It’s all right there in front of your eyes.
And the great thing is there is a never ending supply of people to inspire you. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
People watching – the No.1 free success key.
Five thoughts, ideas, insights, or quotes to power up your mind to think differently and creatively about life and the future. Put all previous thinking away and open up a brand new world of the supermind.
This week – the high street.
The High street – what used to be everyone’s favourite regular place to visit for all our needs from food to clothes, from bread to greetings cards. The lot was there. But now almost none of it is there as we flood en masse online instead for our buying. We are watching the slow death of what was once an institution for society so is it the end of the high street? Well this week let’s put our SuperMinds to high thinking use to see if that’s really true.
- Idea – online companies were legally made to provide every shopper with a high street style voucher to use on their local high street, that could help re-balance spending patterns back from pure online to bricks and mortar. Should we enforce some action like this on online companies to protect our high streets and downtown? Or do you have a better solution?
- Shopping has become a home comfort based activity from the convenience of our sofa. Why leave the house when you can get all you need in a click or two on your computer? It’s too easy. How could we make it more difficult to shop online so that high street shops (which are often local businesses supporting their community) can get some footfall back?
- Many high street shops are empty because they are large units once occupied by huge chain stores that went bust. Trouble is landlords who own them are happy for them to remain idle awaiting larger tenants. How can we encourage them to split these into smaller units at an affordable rental to help spur growth? What win-win might work?
- Quote by Scottish actress Karen Gillan – ‘Basically I go to vintage shops rather than going shopping for new clothes’. Could the high street be turned into ‘special zones’ with such type of different shops on protected rents guaranteed by governments to boost footfall in towns and cities? What would you put there?
- Finally it’s clear we need new ideas and visions for our high streets. Current retailers can’t make a reasonable profit there anymore. You can form THE committee with the power to bring suggestions to your Government and business leaders to reshape shopping areas. Be brave, what five types of people would you have on the committee with you (children, working Mums, sports leaders with management skills…different people than the norm)? What five would be best to come up with a strong plan for the shopping future and WHY?
Ok, SuperMInds, thank you for being here for the Saturday SuperMind time. Keep asking yourself these through the week to open up more of your mind to evolve its untapped power. Consider more, reflect more, think more, activate your connection to your personal mind more. Let’s work the SuperMInd and Super Think!
See you next time for more super thinking.
Everyone wants the truth.
We often say we can’t tell what’s true and what isn’t.
I say we can absolutely see the truth, but we’re way too close to it that it makes us blind.
In his superb book, ‘Rebel Ideas’, Matthew Syed narrates the true story of English football’s quest for answers. In 2016 a specialist team was gathered to analyse why one of the most successful nations in the game in England, with all its mega money and skilful players, the very founders of the sport, had not won a major trophy for 50 years.
That team though were only made up of one knowledgeable ex-international football player and pundit. The others were a founder of high-tech start ups, an Olympic administrator, the former head coach of the England Rugby squad, a top level cycling coach, and a female commander at the Royal Ministry Academy Sandhurst. Why then, when they were meeting to study and find an answer to such a huge problem in the national game, did they have only one (no longer playing) football expert?
Simple. The view was if you brought in other managers and football stars, they would provide the ruling FA with the same issues and awarenesses that the current manager and staff were already aware of as they were party to it week in, week out. There would be nothing new.
These football aces were far too close to the situation that they would not have the necessary perspective to work out where the shortcomings were. They would not be able to see the wood for the trees. Or the goal from the corner flag (Ok, bit cheeky that one).
It’s often obvious.
The truth is often in plain sight. It’s like the tale of the Emperor’s New Clothes where the crowd could ‘see’ he was wearing no garments but they would not truly recognise it even though it was right in front of them. It took an innocent young boy onlooker to identify what was glaringly obvious once he spoke up.
The background to the sad crash of Korean Airlines flight 801 in 1997 and the loss of 229 on board is another example. The plane has descended below the minimum safe altitude in mountainous terrain as the captain believed he was nearer the airport than he actually was with devastating consequences. Black box tapes show that neither the first officer nor flight engineer questioned the captain until six seconds before impact. Far too late to make a difference.
The investigation found that they considered the captain had been aware of the wrong height and would make corrections that he didn’t. The other insight was that Korean society made it offensive for subordinates to challenge a high ranked person despite the truth again be right in front of their eyes so they delayed until their own doom was upon them.
And so it goes with all of us. We can quite clearly see the truth most of the time but as we don’t step back enough from it or let others guide us to what we may be missing in our blind spot, we plough on making the same mistakes, errors, or missed opportunities. Or simply don’t smell the roses.
In the movie, ‘A Few Good Men’, Jack Nicholson’s character Colonel Jessep rages in court, ‘You can’t handle the truth’.
I believe we can handle it but as we’re far to close to it that we simply aren’t able to realise it’s right there in front of our eyes. Our own Emperor’s New Clothes.
Maybe it’s time we honestly looked!
