The Lies We're Sold
By Les Mottosky
An insightful thought has been meme-ing the socials over the past couple of years. The idea is along the lines of: "If you're the same person you were 20 years ago, you've wasted two decades of your life."
There's enough wriggle-room in this idea that some might not pursue it beyond a fleeting glance. This isn't meant to be interpreted as a statement about our character. Values are the compass through which we navigate life. And while they may change outright, values typically don't evolve too far beyond what's been working for us.
The context of that quote is more about the pursuit – or lack – of personal growth. Adventure, skill acquisition, advancement socially, physically, intellectually and spiritually.
So why do we sometimes not grow?
One glaring and persistent reason is something called "The Law of Primacy". This is a psychological phenomenon where the first-learned info creates the strongest, lasting impression. And sometimes, a lesson learned is so strong we won't – or even can't – revisit it's legitimacy.
A perfect example of this is the modern classic parable of the meatloaf:
A young woman noticed that every time her mother served a meatloaf, she cut a couple inches off each end before putting putting it on the table.
One day she asked, "Mom, why do you cut the ends off the meatloaf?"
Her mother replied, "That's how my mother always did it."
Curious, the daughter asked her grandmother.
"Grandma, why did you cut the ends off the meatloaf?"
The grandmother answered, "Because the dish I served it in was too small."
This is the Law of Primacy in full effect. We absorb a lesson so comprehensively we don't question it's origin. It becomes irrefutable.
The past decade we've seen many unquestionable, the-science-is-settled conclusions be turned over. Salt is necessary in our diets. Smoking cigarettes is bad, but nicotine is a powerful nootropic. The fastest way to grow new mitochondria is cold exposure. Butter, bacon, eggs and beef are 'smart foods'; turns out the brain runs on cholesterol. Smartphones are making us dumber. Therapeutic psychedelics can eliminate PTSD, addiction and even stimulate new brain cell growth. Sunlight on our skin and eyes is necessary for optimal living. What we broadly consider as food often isn't remotely nourishing. Statistics aren't necessarily as they seem. Data can be – and is often – wrapped in a story to communicate the opposite of what it originally indicated.
The list can (and will) go on. But the proof of the fallacies built into what we consider modern wisdom is remarkable.
The lesson here for us is to shatter the stubborn law of primacy in our own heads and become a scientist of ourselves. Experiment with different diets, supplements, protocols and exercises. Find what works for our own unique system.
Without the awareness, courage and willingness to look at why we believe what we believe we can't find what works for us. And if something doesn't work for us, we can be certain it's working for someone else; at the expense of our own well-being.
Above all, growth requires a mindset that's willing to question what we believe we already know and try something novel.
So if you want to avoid the regret of stagnancy in your next two decades, here's your motto:
Question everything and try anything – not twice – but, thrice.
TAGS: #The Lies We're Sold.
Les Mottosky
Adaptation Strategist // I help organizations turn creativity into their competitive advantage by aligning leadership, culture and strategy to unlock adaptive innovations.
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