In an earlier chapter we discussed how our parents rewarded us with positive words and attention whenever we correctly named what they were pointing at. This positive attention would make us glow inside, and we would do anything to receive that feeling again.
That game taught us how to interact with other people, and how to perceive the world as a combination of separate objects. But that’s not all we learnt. The game also taught us that the way to obtain a person’s approval and attention is to do exactly what they want!
That seemingly innocent game ingrained a deep-seated desire to fit in with, and impress, other people. And that desire still influences your decisions today, and will continue to influence them, until this layer is removed.
Take a moment and think about the number of times that impressing other people motivated your thoughts …show more content…
But is that really a valid justification for this behaviour? Would trying to be the best at punching yourself in the face be justifiable, just because you could become the world champion?
Without getting too psycho-analytical; you could say that humans, of all ages, will do whatever it takes to recapture the approval and attention that they once received as small children. This explains why teenagers can so easily get caught up in drugs, crime, and anti-social behaviour. And why some young girls risk getting pregnant, just so they can receive the attention and approval of their boyfriends.
Can you recognise this base desire to impress other people in yourself? If you can, then it’s time to take a closer look at the people you are trying to impress. And it should be easy to see that they don’t know any more about the Game of Life than you do! They don’t know why they’re here, or who they are, or even what’s going on! But impressing them takes up most of your time, thought, and
That game taught us how to interact with other people, and how to perceive the world as a combination of separate objects. But that’s not all we learnt. The game also taught us that the way to obtain a person’s approval and attention is to do exactly what they want!
That seemingly innocent game ingrained a deep-seated desire to fit in with, and impress, other people. And that desire still influences your decisions today, and will continue to influence them, until this layer is removed.
Take a moment and think about the number of times that impressing other people motivated your thoughts …show more content…
But is that really a valid justification for this behaviour? Would trying to be the best at punching yourself in the face be justifiable, just because you could become the world champion?
Without getting too psycho-analytical; you could say that humans, of all ages, will do whatever it takes to recapture the approval and attention that they once received as small children. This explains why teenagers can so easily get caught up in drugs, crime, and anti-social behaviour. And why some young girls risk getting pregnant, just so they can receive the attention and approval of their boyfriends.
Can you recognise this base desire to impress other people in yourself? If you can, then it’s time to take a closer look at the people you are trying to impress. And it should be easy to see that they don’t know any more about the Game of Life than you do! They don’t know why they’re here, or who they are, or even what’s going on! But impressing them takes up most of your time, thought, and