Completion Adversion

 

 

 

Have you ever collaborated on a project, either personal or for work, in which there is almost a resistance to getting the job done on time? 

The effort starts out simply enough with the concept and intermediate goals set out plainly. But as the project gets underway the goals keep evolving, meaning that a great deal of time is just wasted, because parts of the undertaking have to be redone.

I have seen the above scenario play out several times now with different groups, and persons. As a matter-of-fact my brother Tim who was very creative would often fall into this trap. His projects would grow, and grow. Eventually it was almost guaranteed that he would give up in frustration. Sometimes his undertakings would consume almost half a year. Thinking about my brother, I now wonder what was going on? To be clear, when he would undertake a task and get caught in this loop, it was not a pleasant experience for him. You could see the frustration build. What was once a weeklong project had become months long. What was preventing him from sticking to the original idea and timeline?

As I think back on this now, it is likely that completing the task was not the real goal, rather it was being "in the process", then nuts and bolts of the activity itself. In that kind of scenario, one would not want to reach completion because it would then be like falling off a cliff. There would be nothing left to do, and that would be depressing. So one way to avoid this would be to continually move the goalpost, a little farther ahead each time. But of course if one does not recognize what's going on and what is truly motivating the person, the result is built up frustration which would cancel out for the most part any beneficial effects of the experience.

Please feel free by the way to comment on this post if you have another point of view.

Speaking personally, I have a little bit of this behaviour, but I recognize it and can usually bring myself back to focusing on concrete goals. This took quite a few years of learning however. In my 20s and 30s I was notorious for starting projects that would quickly balloon into unmanageable situations. For me what began to break this behaviour was something that terrified me called a deadline. Now I am not terrified by imposed schedule because I learned that when one keeps things attainable, one benefits from success. In this case that "success" is the completion of a job or project. I'll be the first to admit however that it is always very tempting to go back in and add one more little adornment.-One more little future. Then I think about my dear brother Tim and common sense returns.

This is just a very short post to see if anyone out there has a similar experience. I also find as everyone gets busier in their daily lives, counterintuitively, there seem to be more people with a case of "Completion Adversion".

Have a great day and comments are always welcome.
Patrick

** NOTE: The picture displayed at the top of this article is from the service Ideogram AI.  As a layperson, I have read their relevant "terms of service" and determined, to the best of my ability, that the image may be viewed by the public.  However before any reuse, please review fully their terms and if necessary contact the company for more information.

The use of said image does not imply any affiliation or endorsement.  

Fleeting Micro Judgements

 

Someone says something to you. In the milliseconds, before you have an initial reaction, your mind is already deciding the value of what what was just heard. It is determining before you have your initial feeling about the statement, whether the feeling you experience should be one of pleasure, disgust, or anger. In short your brain is putting a label on it before you're even aware of hearing what is being said by the other person. This happens very quickly, in a fleeting moment your mind may be considering something else. Nevertheless these judgements have made their mark and coloured your perceptions.

These "micro judgements" as I call them, work in concert with cognitive bias, are so automatic and often arbitrary, that it is a wonder the average person isn't a walking, talking body of contradiction. Fortunately our higher brain functions manage (i.e.functions that require advanced, complex, and abstract processing )to project the appearance of rational human being most of the time. But put someone under the right kind of stress however and these micro judgements can become visible. 

These small almost instantaneous judgements reveal a far more complicated psyche. When I was in my 20s  to my dismay, I found many negative biases. And I thought myself quite a liberal, so that discovery bothered me greatly initially. Then I realized that all of humanity has these contradictory and complementary micro judgements. I still didn't feel great about my little discovery but I did take away from the ongoing experience one simple fact:

"It is better to know about these biases, then it is to be in denial of them."

It is an ongoing journey of paying attention and personal learning. As opposed to ultimately being an emotional train wreck running in neutral.

Imagine if we were all taught in early school to pay attention to the judgements we make about everything around us. The insights a young mind would gain would be a phenomenal asset throughout out their lives. And I Do Mean Phenomenal. I see many people today who are in terrible emotional states because they are at odds with themselves, only they don't know it. They only know the manifested symptom. This "symptom" often catches them off guard because it doesn't fit in with who they think they are. Yet if we can get people to learn how to be introspective at an early age, I think we would unleash not only emotional wellness but probably who are better thinkers. -- "He paused, to consider deeply problems faced by society."

Today we spend a great deal of our time reacting to the external world, as though nothing else mattered. "It's all out there" is the mantra of the modern age. In truth, the most powerful modifiers are internally based.Take for example the emotion of Love. There is no greater feeling. It is so profound that it can instantly change your outlook on the entire world and those around you. Think of someone you love right now. All of a sudden the world seems a better place. Nothing external has changed. All you've done is acknowledge and get in touch with some totally internal experience. You can be in the worst mood and yet after thinking about a beautiful memory, all of a sudden things are markedly improved.

People must reacquaint themselves with their internal motivations to not only see the profound effect micro judgements have on their personal outlooks, but to understand the tremendous potential available. I think the larger world is that of the psyche. It is the totality of our complexity and also our potential.

Have a great day!
Patrick 

** NOTE: The picture displayed at the top of this article is from the service Ideogram AI.  As a layperson, I have read their relevant "terms of service" and determined, to the best of my ability, that the image may be viewed by the public.  However before any reuse, please review fully their terms and if necessary contact the company for more information.

The use of said image does not imply any affiliation or endorsement.

Buying The Ephemeral

I sat down, to get an idea of just how many subscriptions and other payments are made in one year to services and products which are totally ephemeral. I don't mean in the classical definition of the word ephemeral, that is things which lasted only one day, rather I mean purchased items which have no physical shape. Take for example a movie subscription on Netflix. Then their software, it to today has no physical product and even if you're lucky enough to have a box which the product came in I bet that's all it is an empty box with perhaps a license key.

When you start to add all of the items up, it can be quite a shock. Not only is there nothing physical to show for the money you are spending, it is the fact that we have moved very quickly in this direction. I can't help thinking that this is a "Sucker's Game" in the end.

It used to be that everything you spent money on you came home with. As the late
George Carlin used to say in his standup routine "You Have so Much Stuff! And you need more places to put it." Now we don't need any place, and in that I find an issue. I Miss My Stuff!.

When I first got into computing, the software came with huge binders of information. It cost an arm and a leg, but you had something physical. Even though it had a software license there was no time limit. As long as you had a computer that could run whatever the product was. It would work… Fast forward to 2026 and every time major software is launched on your machine it connects to a remote server run by the company who made the package. If it doesn't make that connection your software doesn't run. Here's the kicker, and nobody seems to mind.

So what we are witnessing is a huge change in the mindset of the consumer, and from my perspective, this puts a layer of abstraction between the very products you use and the knowledge of what you need in order to use them. If your Internet connection goes down how many of these products you know will stop working? Probably many more than you think. Recently, I worked was someone whose printer was not working. It turned out that the printer needed to be hooked up to the Internet so that he could call home approximately once a week. It was doing this because the owner had joined a subscription ink service. To make matters even more interesting, when they decided to cancel their subscription the printer shut down again because the ink cartridges were parked of that subscription. Ultimately the person I had to go to the store and physically by new cartridges to get things going again. Even though the subscription cartridges had plenty of ink left and they had been fully paid for.

Not too long ago this would have resulted in a complete consumer revolt. As I recall a mini revolt was generated when Windows 95 and Windows 98 implemented a crude version of automatic updates. People were really put off by the fact that Microsoft could scan their computer. If they only knew, back then what was coming… Back then as well you had to go to the Microsoft update webpage to do the scan so it was quite different than it is today, but it was the beginning of a transition from the physical product to the ephemeral.

It is so easy to lose track and receive a surprise Subscription Renewal notice saying something like "Thank You! Your subscription has been automatically renewed." It adds up collectively very quickly. Personally that is why I have every auto payment option in my bank account turned off. On the occasion where a store requires the authorization for automatic payments, once the transaction is complete I go in and it disable that authorization.

Let me know your thoughts on this topic. If you feel like it please also feel free to relay some personal experiences.

Have a great day!
Patrick

** NOTE: The picture displayed at the top of this article is from the service Ideogram AI.  As a layperson, I have read their relevant "terms of service" and determined, to the best of my ability, that the image may be viewed by the public.  However before any reuse, please review fully their terms and if necessary contact the company for more information.

The use of said image does not imply any affiliation or endorsement.

Compartmentalization Of One's Place In Society

As many of you know, I live in a supported living environment, which simply means the due to my physical disability I have 24 hour care. On the whole however I am quite independent and am always up to some activity. I really do have a curious and thoughtful mind. This is in sharp contrast to many of the people in my building who for lack of a better phrase, regardless of the severity or mildness of their condition don't have a "life" outside of the institutional framework. That is everything about their existence revolves around this facility. They may go outside but only to the local shopping mall or occasionally a movie theatre. There was a constant complaint that they are board or in other ways disgruntled and yet they do nothing to alter that state. As you can imagine, this results in a very routine life. For them every day is essentially the same as the one before it and frequently the names of each day don't seem to matter. A Wednesday has just as much importance as a Friday, which anyone working a standard week would know is definitely not the case. Friday is the beginning of the beloved weekend, and it still issomething I get excited about 😃

I've been in this facility for about seven years now and many times I've tried to encourage people in the building to broaden their horizons and do more. I mean we live in a day and age where we are simply flooded with information and opportunities… How could one not have an outside interest or opinion upon which to expand their life upon? Whenever I bring up this point, people asked me what they should do instead of looking inside of themselves to consider what they want to do. 

"You will never be satisfied with life, if you ask others what to do. You must ask yourself, what you want to do with life."

This cyclical behaviour of people asking others what they should do and then rejecting the suggestion, only to go back into the same routines repeats constantly. Honestly this is now something I find a little annoying, because many of the people living in my building could be doing something more rewarding with their lives, but there is always something that has blocked them. I think, I might have an idea now what that issue might be.

Is it possible that they have locked themselves into a social caste like system? Perhaps they believe that because of their condition and because of where they live that they are compartmentalized into a limited set of opportunities. Very much like the caste system in other countries. You are born into a level of society and that is where you must state. That may sound like a ridiculous thought, but I am reminded of a friend who during a meeting of one of the groups I belong to, and I'm paraphrasing said "We are the elites, of the disabled in our age group. "At the time I thought this was a very arrogant statement. But now I am reconsidering this, although not from such a literal point of view. At the time the group I was attending we were talking about the geriatric disabled. People born in the early 1960s. The group grew up in a totally different culture especially in the early days, there was an implied social caste: "You are not normal. You are different. The opportunities in life for you will be very limited." While this is an exaggerated statement, we did take subtler messages like this to heart and even to this day at 66 years old I still have to fight the occasional belief that I feel pulling me into this limited set of opportunities. I think that is what my friend meant. Analogous to electrons trapped in the valence rings of an atom. Each electron stays within its own orbit until forcibly nudged out of it. It is not a perfect analogy and I am by no means a chemist so please take only the very general concept of this idea, in other words don't shoot the writer of this article for being inaccurate. What I mean to say is our people locked in their own or mental orbits in my facility? Do they just feel that they are part of this caste system and must stay within their own orbit.

As we all know, even though we are thinking beings of emotions can override logical thought. And if you think you belong in one orbit, or one caste you emotionally hold yourself to that level. This way of approaching the problem does make a lot of sense to me. I am not sure of the solution, aside from nagging everyone around me to death to get off their butts and do something with their lives. Which I will continue to do, so not to worry. But, if what I propose here is true, then there are undoubtedly others who are equally compartmentalized and limited by the very nature of the way they are feeling and thinking about their lives. So this is no small matter and I shall take it with me as I moved through my various activities moving forward.

Down the road there will likely be a video companion to this article because it is rather profound from my perspective. Videos however take time to get right and in the meantime I would love to hear from you, dear reader.

 As you can see the, I have created a companion video. The more I think about this topic, the more profound it becomes. I really do believe that a lot more emphasis needs to be placed on it. Being visible issues are easy to see and therefore simple to focus resources on, but it is ultimately the subtle beliefs and behaviours which have the long term impact.

While I was making the video there was a concern in the use of the word "Caste" was inappropriate, but I think it is perfectly accurate. It describes an involuntary classification placed on the individual-based only upon the situation they were born into. More importantly, as the person grows up this often becomes a self reinforcing belief so that it is fundamental in everything they do. If we step back and take a wider perspective you can see the limits and judgements being placed on many people.

To a greater or lesser extent I think everyone knows about this but I think it is been vastly underestimated. Just because something is subtle only means that it may go on unnoticed by the larger public. It does not mean that it is any less deserving of attention and ultimately resolution.

Do you think the ideas put forward in this article have merit? Let me know your experiences and thoughts. In the meantime of course have a great day and take care.

Patrick

** NOTE: The pictures and the thumbnail of the video are from the service Ideogram AI.  As a layperson, I have read their relevant "terms of service" and determined, to the best of my ability, that the image may be viewed by the public.  However before any reuse, please review fully their terms and if necessary contact the company for more information.

The use of said image does not imply any affiliation or endorsement. 

 

A Midwinter Season Of Procrastination

 Time to talk about this notable topic, "Procrastination". I said, in a very short February 2023 post, that "It had reared its ugly head". I can tell from the shortness of the article and the minimal amount of effort I put into the graphic that I must've been really out of sorts in this regard. Probably stalling on many fronts.

Here it is 2026 and the situation is back again, not as bad, but still annoying as hell. It's a good thing I wrote the original post because it does have some good points. For once I'm going to listen to myself. One of the things I'm going to recognize is that I have been keeping this blog going pretty regularly and it is doing quite well averaging around 7000 to almost 8000 visitors a month.

SIDE NOTE: Not bad for a blog that has issues with google's "smart phone spider", which is how they scan  everything today on the Internet. For those of you in the audience that art totally "geeky", a "spider"is simply a program that scans the Internet for new content. It does this by pretending to be a device, in this case a smart phone. When it gets to the site, the blogger server attempts to send it a smart phone compatible webpage and the process by which it does this by makes the Google spider think something fishy is going on so it doesn't like to add page to the Google index. Because of the way blogger is set up there is not much I can do about it. Fortunately, enough of my articles make it through however.

And now back to the topic at hand, procrastination. Where was I… As you can tell this is a very informal post as I just try to work through getting ready to get things done today. Rather than try to do everything my goal today is to focus on only one thing, if possible, because sometimes reality comes along and goes, "Nope. I'm going to fill up your plate."

One more side note. Unlike other websites, I never take anything off this site and so it has become a bit of a historical crucible with articles going way back to 2012.. So if you post a comment, it is here forever and apparently Blogger.com service on which this site depends it's doing quite well. So disciple be around for a long time I think. So while I'm working through my little boat of procrastination please feel free to use a new feature I added if you're using a laptop or tablet you will see at the top of every post a "Read a Random Post" button, feel free to use it is much as you like.

Anyway, I'm getting on with the rest of my day. Take care and their other items (articles) in the queue. So stay tuned for more.

Patrick

** NOTE: The picture displayed at the top of this article is from the service Ideogram AI.  As a layperson, I have read their relevant "terms of service" and determined, to the best of my ability, that the image may be viewed by the public.  However before any reuse, please review fully their terms and if necessary contact the company for more information.

The use of said image does not imply any affiliation or endorsement.

Differently Interacting with the Physical World

What I find most fascinating is how different people interact physically with the world. The subconscious decisions about where things are placed it's actually quite a study. I see these small automatic choices being made because I view my environment from the perspective of someone in a wheelchair.

Even trained staff who are more physically where than the average person fall into these automatic decisions; a cup get placed on a table within their comfortable physical range, which may or may not be useful to me. Of course I correct them when necessary, but I do find it fascinating and often watch the physical choices they make throughout their work day in regards to the placement of things. This is only scratching the surface though, it really gets one thinking about how people interact with their physical space around them and one may infer from such observations a fair bit about the person.

Original photo

Click photo download original untouched image
Hereby placed in the public domain by photographer Patrick Clark.
Photo taken on: 2015-08-07 2:50:25 pm
Camera model: Canon PowerShot SX120 IS

 

 I don't remember too much about this particular photo except it was a nice August day and I was wondering around Vancouver British Columbia. Something about the simplicity of the simplicity of the image just appealed to me. Feel free to download the full untouched photograph by clicking on the above image. 

 

Some people are deep thinkers who naturally taken a lot of information about their environment. You can see the wheels turning in their mind as they figure out how to best solve the problem. Whether that be comparing items when shopping or simply the placement of a cup on a table. They tend to be very creative in some of their solutions. It is marvellous to discuss with them almost any aspect of life. Of course occasionally these deep thinkers can overthink the situation aswell. They end up going for the most complicated answer only to realize that something simpler was the best solution to begin with.

Some people are efficiency experts. They tend to move through their environment a little more quickly and the placement of items may not be optimal for everyone or indeed themselves. But it is what is most effective for the moment to achieve the task at hand. As a rule I find they like to move in an orderly manner from one task to another, "A to B and then on to C". Once a pattern is established they tend to stick with it, even if it is not producing the optimal outcome. They don't readily tend to think as deeply unless something surprises them. They prefer a routine which allows them to achieve their daily tasks in a predictable manner. This does not mean they are not aware of their surroundings, they prefer however to get things done and then move on to the next task. This makes a lot of sense, in our busy multitasking world.

The last group tends to boggle my mind and I end up wondering how they make it through life. These people are pleasant but deal with things, for lack of a better phrase, "at arm's length". For every task they want a step-by-step breakdown of how to accomplish it. They do this not in order to understand the situation but rather to avoid thinking about it. They tend to be very regimented in any given situation and are seemingly oblivious to nuances. Once again these are very nice people but you will never have an in-depth conversation. They just don't work on that level. One gets the feeling that they would prefer to have a step-by-step manual for life. People like this fascinate me because their approach to life is so different than mine, bordering on alien.

When scientists gets to the stage where can actually decode messages in the human brain sufficiently to construct the individual minds reality I think we are in for a big surprise. I don't think human minds process reality as uniformly as we are given to believe. That is I think the human experience is very different between people. I hope I live to see this because it will force a reevaluation of not only social norms but deeper considerations. Hopefully this will have the effect of expanding understanding and inclusion.

From the basics of how we individually interact with the physical world and our own environments, to deep considerations of society and the world as a whole. I didn't expect this short little article to go down such a rabbit whole. If you've never considered such questions spend the next week or so observing how different friends and people interact with their environment. Or just consider how you personally interact with it.

For me this way of looking at things and how people work with their world allows me to custom fit my reactions to each individual person and when I can I try to step into their shoes and consider the world from their perspective. It sure makes one appreciate the diversity of life and experience.

Have a great day! 
Patrick

Your Mental Margin

 "Use It or Lose It" holds true for your mental well-being as well.

Ever since joining a cognitive therapy group I have become very aware of the way people process their environment and indeed their own sense of reality. I joined this group because I am 66 years old and even though I am in good health I have noticed a slight decline in my memory and cognitive skills. So when the opportunity arose I jumped at joining the group.

The adage "Use It or Lose It" really has come into focus for me as I look around and I see young and old people mentally drifting through life or taking things for granted. Assuming that the facilities for have now, they will always have. Mind you I think everyone does this at different stages of life to some degree, I recently saw a video clip of Arnold Schwarzenegger who is now 78 years old, as of the writing of this blog post, commenting that when he was 30 years old he never thought about losing muscle mass. Especially with the incredible amount of exercise he committed to every day. The idea even if it occurred to him what it seemed inconceivable. What makes "Use It or Lose It" even more important is, we live in a world that is much more interconnected and technical on all levels. Society and individuals simply cannot afford being ignorant of society and technology. The late astronomer, Carl Sagan said, and I'm paraphrasing this: 

"We have also arranged things so that almost no one understands science and technology. This is a prescription for disaster. We might get away with it for a while, but sooner or later this combustible mixture of ignorance and power is going to blow up in our faces."

It is my point of view that in order to get the best out of life, one must be fully involved in all aspects. One must avoid taking things for granted or as I've mentioned many other times in this blog going on a kind of mental autopilot. The more you exercise your mind and body the more margin you build up. To put it another way, the more reserves you have to deal with the challenges of life the better. A little bit of difficulty throughout one's life is necessary. Try not to become overly comfortable in your lifestyle or routines. Make a commitment to do something uncomfortable and potentially productive every few days or weeks. It is these uncomfortable activities which tend to break down the walls of isolation and help to keep you connected to the society and realities around you.

When was the last time you read a physical book? The act of reading something written or printed on paper is very different than reading the same material off a screen. Come to think of it when was the last time any of us read a book or other physical medium like a magazine or newspaper from beginning to end.

It is these kind of things that help you stay connected and alive in the world. It helps build up your mental and your physical margins, so that when your help does decline you have a much better chance of enjoying your later years with friends and family.

I probably will add more to this article in the next few days. But for tonight I wanted to get this out there just as a starting point.

Second instalment: October 18, 2025

Speaking about "mental margins"and really using the facilities of one's brain to think and consider a person's environment. I keep meaning people who really don't understand at all how different things in their life relate to each other. This leads into a real difficulty for them when they try to use technology. For example a friend of mine recently bought a Smart TV. They asked me to assist them in the set up and I realized partway through that they did not have any comprehension of what was meant by a "smart TV". As a result they are having great difficulty using it. When their PVR (Personal Video Recorder) had a momentary glitch in a recorded program and froze for a few seconds they immediately thought it was a problem with the new TV. They don't see the separate components which make up modern media experiences. To them the television set is all encompassing and so when I explained initially that they had to use two remote controls one for the PVR  and one to control the volume on their TV they really got confused. It was not until I realized how they were looking at the devices that I understood what the problem was.

There are extenuating circumstances here which I won't go into but it still remains that a great number of society's people are now using hardware and services with no understanding of how it all works together. This is a point of greatest concern for me because it guarantees that not only will the devices not be used to their best advantage, it is for certain there will be confusion and problems down the road. Yet I am also reminded that there are many very creative people out there still. But when I run into people that don't want to learn or expand their boundaries I get a little frightened. It reminds me of the movie "Idiocracy" (movie trailer) which takes place in the future in a city where everybody has been dumbed down. It is a comedy but the underlying message cannot be ignored. "Use it or lose it"

There has been a shift in attitude toward knowledge and learning

In my family, understanding a concept or discovering how something worked was a real sign of achievement, as a matter of fact I remember the expression on my father's face when he would describe some little aspect of an idea, there was sheer joy in his face. The message and the behaviour were transferred directly to his children. At the time we might not have understood what he was describing fully, but we got the message that it was something worth striving for. Now, knowledge and learning seemed to be, if not devalued, taken for granted… After all there's always "Google" or ChatGPT to fall back on.

What's missing is the sheer excitement which I still experience when I discover and understand something new. I still have quite a number of eureka moments in my life 😀. This means that many people also don't really appreciate discovery and achievement anymore. Especially if the undertaking involved some commitment over weeks or months. In part, this is likely due to everything being viewed as transitory, as well as what now qualifies as a lengthy commitment.
 

Take care Patrick

Side note: The Rose photograph (More about the creation of this image in the article "Find Some Time to Disconnect from All the Chatter") depicted at the top of this article is based on images generated by an AI initially and then slightly adjusted by me. The moment I saw the Rose I thought:" It be great to have this backlit in a light box. Wouldn't you know it, I did some searching and there is a small company on Etsy which does just that. Here's a link to their storefront: Q AND L GIFTS. You do have to provide the artwork as a very good scan but I have been most impressed I must say. This is not an official endorsement of this product and I am not being reimbursed I just thought others might find this beneficial.

The Feelings You're Not Aware of

Angel and boy figurines found outside a cabin in
Nakusp British Columbia Canada, 2017.  

"With the tremendous variety of outlooks, beliefs, attitudes and different ways of dealing with one's reality I find it incomprehensible that one reality fits all."

It is my position that people go through their daily lives using various levels of awareness, and that there is a tendency to intuitively believe that your particular brand of reality for the most part matches others. I think this is an incomplete picture. Allow me to explain:

With the tremendous variety of outlooks, beliefs, attitudes and different ways of dealing with one's reality I find it incomprehensible that one "reality" fits all. Indeed one's own personal perception of their reality does not have to match at all any other persons. There may be some very general parameters but I think they are quite flexible. To be clear I'm not talking about any sort of health condition, these are just you physically fit and healthy individuals you meet as you go throughout your day. The "average Joe" if you will.

Now, adding to the mix, unconscious feelings and other motivators you are not aware of. These may be struggling motivators in the back of your mind. Not strong feelings, but those fleeting supple reactions. Social they may be, but their cumulative effect should not be discounted or ignored. The message I have for you today in the short little article is to be aware that these emotional transients exist and you may discover a fair bit about yourself by paying attention to them.

For each person, these brief background feelings may be incredibly mild or momentarily very intense. But because they are so short in duration we move on with our daily activities without even noticing them consciously. They can colour our conversation, bring up an old feeling, make you feel good or bad about a particular situation… Ever wondered why your mood abruptly shifted while you were going about your day? This may be where the answer lies. If you can open up a dialogue with yourself, you never know what you will find.

Well, look at that., another incredibly short but concise article. I know the Internet prefers thousand word essays, but I think for today this will do. It is the weekend here in Surrey British Columbia and we are getting ready for the Canadian Thanksgiving. Wherever you are, and whenever you read this, I hope you are having a great day and feel free to post a comment.

Take care Patrick

Approach Life As Though Your Brain Lived in a Fish Tank.

Image generated by Ideogram AI.

"If your brain lives in a fish tank, you might as well make it a party!"

People have always said: "The environment affects you, and you affect the environment." Whatever context you consider that statement in, planet wide or just your immediate surroundings, it means that changing one aspect affects everything else. It also means that you see everything through many "layers of filtering". This view of life has always reminded me of an aquarium. One small change in any aspect of the water, temperature or inhabitants, massively alters everything. Similarly each one of these acts like a filter when you observe the animals and indeed the aquarium as whole; it's all layers of filtering. When viewing the world with this point of view we can all be considered to have brains that live in fish tanks. Reality is heavily dependent on the context as a whole.

Okay, so if that's the case, let's take it one step further. I suggest you that any one of these multitudes of layers can be adjusted at any time by you. If someone is playing music that is not to your liking, rather than asking them to change the music, consider for a moment, what "layers"you are interpreting the situation through and adjust those. Consider why you are paying attention to the music in the first place. Think about it, no one is forcing you to pay attention to it. In the moment, choose to pay attention to something else. The very process of realizing that this layer of filtering can be adjusted may be very empowering. You are using the aspects of your own fish tank to your advantage.

This is an extreme simplification of life, but the central idea remains the same and it just as valid. All the layers of your interpretation can be changed at will and usually at any time you want. It's just that we are usually too preoccupied to stop and take the time and effort in order to manually change gears.--Yes we're back to my favourite topic of turning off the mental autopilot. Perhaps in years past when life was slower people naturally and there autopilot turned off, and probably were more aware of themselves, that we normally have time to appreciate today. But dammit, if they could do it so can society and people do it today.

That's it for this short little post. I hope it gives you something positive and perhaps wonderful to think about. Feel absolutely free to act on it. If your brain lives in a fish tank, you might as well make it a party!

Take care have a great day.
Patrick

** NOTE: The picture "Image generated by Ideogram AI" displayed at the top of this article is from the service Ideogram AI.  As a layperson, I have read their relevant "terms of service" and determined, to the best of my ability, that the image may be viewed by the public.  However before any reuse, please review fully their terms and if necessary contact the company for more information.

The use of said image does not imply any affiliation or endorsement.

 

Can Moods Become Habit?

 

 "It Is Never Good To Go Through Life On Autopilot." 

Can a mood become an ingrained habit? That is to say, can a particular mood or state of mind become a default reaction to a given situation. More importantly, can one afford such a knee-jerk an automatic reaction in a healthy life.

To my mind it is kind of like handing over the driver's keys will mild form of enslavement particularly if the mood is a negative one. This is going to be a very short article or note I just thought just occurred to me. People frequently say "They woke up in a bad mood." I think if that happens regularly and without reflection on what's going on to perpetuate this state is a dangerous situation. Because the person is handing over responsibility for how well they will function in life to a belief. It can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. They wake up in a bad mood and convince themselves there is nothing they can do about it and then the sages been set for the cycle to continue. Essentially because they literally expect to wake up in this negative mood.

I would like to put forward that this is a situation which the person cannot afford. One must not give in to habit or routine. It is much better to constantly be critical of a feeling and if they find that the state they are in is part of a pattern take the responsibility and action to change it. In this way one gets to know their inner workings and ultimately who they are. As I've said many times on this blog it is never good to go through life on autopilot or to follow a routine without considering the benefits and consequences of that routine.

Often people will tell me they don't have the time to reflect on their life or situation and use this as a rationale for not taking action. But you see, no one else can change your life other than you. This journey of understanding one's moods and motivations is an ongoing event throughout life. As you think and feel events, take each one as an opportunity to make a decision. In that way you are not governed by a mood but instead learn something about yourself and indeed those around you.

So if you woke up this morning in a bad mood, take the opportunity to see what can be changed about how you are feeling. My suggestion is as you analyse, right your thoughts and feelings down. This makes it a much more personal experience and you will be surprised about the avenues to a solution you find.

Have a great day!
Patrick

Can Depression Become a Habit?

 

Author of this article, Patrick Clark.

Can the depressive state some people fall into become a habit? --That is can it become the default behaviour when facing something the individual does not want to deal with. My initial answer to this question is a gut feeling of "Yes, it can become an automatic reaction." Over the course of the coming days and months this article will expand as I find related documents and topics either disproving or proving this question. In actuality it probably will be somewhere down the middle of the road, but we shall see.

My family, especially the males in my family, have all suffered bouts of serious depression, occasionally becoming clinical. So I'm very familiar with the question above. Currently I'm going through a mild depressive state and it annoys me because there are things I must do in life. Yet I have noticed that whenever I approach the actual task my emotions tend to tank. Today is no exception, and I have a large amount of paperwork waiting for me on my other desk. I really feel of resistance yet and I will get this done today. But it does annoy me having to go through this mental brick wall. Even five shots of pure espresso to didn't help the matter.

Just a thought on the spur of the moment... I decided to ask Chat GPT this question. Can Depression Become a Habit. Here is its response verbatim. Note remember this response is generated by an AI. To make it clear in the text is a different colour.

 Depression is a complex mental health condition influenced by a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors. While it's not accurate to characterize depression itself as a habit, certain behaviors and thought patterns associated with depression can become habitual over time. For instance, persistent negative thinking, social withdrawal, and avoidance of activities once found enjoyable can reinforce depressive symptoms, creating a cycle that's challenging to break.

Understanding these patterns is crucial in addressing depression. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one therapeutic approach that focuses on identifying and modifying negative thought patterns and behaviors. By recognizing these habits, individuals can work towards developing healthier coping mechanisms and breaking the cycle of depression.

If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, it's important to seek professional help. In Canada, resources such as the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) offer support and information. You can visit their website at https://cmha.ca/ for more details. Additionally, consulting with a healthcare provider can provide personalized guidance and treatment options.

Remember, reaching out for help is a vital step towards recovery, and support is available.

The following is most definitely my personal opinion. Depression can become a habit. A knee-jerk reaction, if you will to any sufficiently distressing situation. After all is the ultimate disconnection a method of letting go of all issues and responsibilities. Your subconscious doesn't care however if this hasn't any negative impact on your conscious mind. The subconscious just knows this is one way of immediately resolving the situation. Especially if it is something you truly don't want to do. Your mental circuit breaker has just blown wide open and you stop and so to speak.. Even if that means falling into the sea. You have changed things.

If an hypothetical "Operations Manual for the Human Brain" was ever written, it most certainly did not take into account the current environment the human brain and mind are currently in. It may be, trite to say but, life and society are moving so fast and there is so much information needed to be filtered and processed that evolutionarily it is just not prepared. Like a Commodore Vic 20 compared to a current smart phone it has not yet acquired the processing power meeting to keep up with things. Yet, in society's race to discover new things we have not considered this fact. Now, I am not saying we should slow down progress, what I am saying is we need to consider the impact before we bring something new to the party.

By not considering the impact of new technology and social change we end up overwhelming our minds and brains collectively. I remember many years ago I was working with a gentleman who was very excited to look up a new laser printer to his computer. Initially I got a phone call from him saying that the print out from the brand-new printer was very slow. When I took a look at the computer it was obvious what the problem was, the machine was ancient I think it actually might've been an early Pentium and of course whenever it needed to produce his company logo the amount of data he needed was just beyond what the old computer could produce at a reasonable pace. To be clear it worked, but you could have a coffee break in the time it took to print a single page.I believe this is the situation some people find themselves in now and it is no wonder that depression appears more frequently in modern society.

A partial solution to this is then not so much to slow down, rather it is to realize the impact life is having on the individual and make appropriate adjustments. Depression can show up when one least expects it but in my experience that means that things in one's life need to be paid attention to. "Timing is everything." as they say. 

An Aside: Artificial Intelligence Does Something Interesting with a Photograph. 

While trying to think up an image for the top of this article I decided to use a photograph of an atomic bomb exploding and render it through some AI software I have. What it came up with is so unusual that I just have to posted here

Image created using Vision FX 2.0  software 
by Distinct AI.

 I did give the AI a little direction saying that I wanted it rendered in a comic book style with saturated colours. My idea was to create something which depicted the "explosion/implosion of the mind" a person sometimes feels with depression.

Unfortunately I cannot display the original photograph due to copyright restrictions. Of course the above picture has no such restrictions, so feel free to download it and use it as you wish.

 

Even though that the feeling of depression can become a reaction to any sufficient the negative situation, this does not mean it set in stone. Reactions can be altered by changing a routine and the first step to that is to recognize that something has become a routine. Sometimes this is not the easiest thing to do in the moment, so we visited when the situation is different, perhaps later in the day. There are always ways to alter one's interpretation.

As always, feel free to leave comments. 

Take care, Patrick.

 

 

When Nothing Matters… Find Something That Does.

Imagine, that you are in the life situation where all your basic needs are met. All of the following items are optional, work, buying groceries, medical care, a place to live and money to spend. From my point of view, 99% of the people on earth would be overjoyed to have such a situation. When you think about it it would be the solution to most of life's problems. You would be absolutely free to do what ever you wanted, and let your creativity fly!… 

But what if a person was born into this situation? I have met people recently who are in this exact situation, and to be clear these are bright people, but they seem lost. These are adults in the ranges of 27 to their early 30s, who at the slightest problem will blow it out of proportion and are unable to conceive of the way to begin to address the issue. They just don't know where to start. They have no faith in themselves and there is a tendency to panic immediately. With all the free time available to them instead of taking advantage of the multitude of opportunities out in the real world they have become reclusive and overthink everything. I find myself saying to people in this situation:. "Just start. Don't try to be perfect in your analysis of the issue. Just begin with what you think might work. If it doesn't, try a different approach."

Human beings I fervently believe, need legitimate challenges and problems. To be clear, this is not a negative. By overcoming and going through the process of understanding what works for oneself the person inevitably grows. For this to work however, one must have some procedure for dissecting and understanding parts of the issue. This comes usually early in life dealing with small problems and slowly over time tackling bigger ones. If it all occurs at the correct time the individual is not even aware they are learning the skills to cope with life's "curve balls". People who have to learn these lessons later in life tend to be very resistant because it does take effort and getting used to coming out of one's comfort zone. To some degree everyone has to learn to be somewhat comfortable with being uncomfortable. That is not adverse to challenge. While I was thinking about this the simple statement in the poster below occurred to me "To Benefit From Challenge, Is The Meaning of Life."...

 

Click the picture to download a printable
version on your computer.

 

Please feel free to download and print out the image if it inspires you. If you would like a unique hard copy version of this printed on steel as a poster it can now be purchased at "Displate" in several sizes. Full disclosure, I do receive a percentage of every sale.

Click here to view the versions available on my Displate page 

... You may have discovered though that depending on the person, as they get older their resistance to breaking routines becomes entrenched. This is the situation I find these people in. To be honest it has driven me to my own distraction, as the same issues come up over, and over again. It really makes me appreciate what my parents and others in my early life did. They made sure I faced challenges. Most of them want planned, I think my parents just really resisted the urge to over protect me. I am not perfect and of course have many foibles but being fearful of challenge is not one of them. To be honest I actually like a good bit of difficulty now and then thrown at me. Nothing reminds you you are still alive and engage with the world and an unexpected issue you must resolve! 😀.

I am reminded of one of the early "Matrix" movies, in which everyone is living in a simulated life, here the protagonist Nero, asks (paraphrasing) "Wy did you make the simulation, so dystopian, why not make it pleasant?" The answer he receives is that without challenge people just give up. -If you haven't seen the movies by the way they are well worth the watch. I believe they are available on YouTube as a rental.

If you have difficulties in your life, try to reframe them, they may not all be problems, you may get some benefit from dealing with issues. People are always learning, but not always aware of what they are learning. Just understanding that can change your outlook. Reality is not perfect and that's probably a good thing because it always means there's an opportunity and a chance to grow.

For all the negativity that the words Problems, and Challenges receive we must all remember that without a problem, in the first place people would not be inspired to create a solution. It is frequently that very process which results in positive discoveries. Human race initially needed to find a way to generate heat to avoid freezing to death and that resulted in the understanding of fire and which way down the road led to the steam engine and the industrial revolution. So make sure something in your life matters and don't take anything for granted. Life goes in one direction and it cannot be rewound. 

If you find yourself in a situation where "Nothing Matters" and it is time to extend your boundaries and explore a little of your unknown. But to get out there and continue to sample whatever you find. Below is the companion video for this article.

This article was written in pieces over a lengthy amount of time so I apologize for it being a bit of a patchwork but I think the general idea still comes through. If there are any typos in the text I will address them shortly but I am bound and determined to get this post out today! 😄

I am so in several thankful to have the life I have had and continue to have.

Feel free to leave a comment and have a great day.

Patrick

Are People Becoming Resistant To Learning?

 

Image created with Vector FX
by Distinct AI.

People do seem to be less interested in learning and critical thinking.  

For a long time now I have followed the YouTube channel "Technology Connections" the host has a wonderful blend of insight and humour in the topics he presents. In the video "Algorithms are breaking how we think" he points out that people now in a large part seem to desire to just follow whatever the algorithm on a social platform or YouTube presents to them rather than deciding what to watch or read. The video is very good and I encourage you to watch it. I personally love to learn and I love to investigate but I agree with the host that people do seem to be less interested in learning and critically thinking.

This has me thinking, If this trend continues what will that mean for society in the future. Yesterday I was working with a young person and by that I mean someone in their mid-20s and I got the distinct feeling that although they were obviously very bright, that they would just prefer to do things by routine and not really have to think or consider anything. I thought for a moment that I might've been primed by watching the Technology Connections video but I can assure you that was not the case. I have seen similar behaviours in the last five or six years and it is becoming prevalent. I think we are reaching a point where some people are beginning to have difficulty in breaking apart concepts and really understanding the impact of what those ideas mean. This is a critical point because this is the essence of innovation.

 I don't want people to become mere consumers of data. I want them to grow from learning. As I write this, I am undertaking a mathematics course at brilliant.org some of it has been very challenging to get through. I usually spend at least an hour every morning, and currently it's closer to two hours just working on grasping the concepts. I really want to learn this, not just the mechanics of getting to the answer.

I think one of the reasons we are seeing the current trend of people just following whatever algorithms present to them in their media is because they have never learned the process of actually understanding and learning. (Related article on this blog: Learning and knowledge in the shadow of AI) Or at least knowing why some bit of information works. I went searching the other day for methods to improve my sites ranking on search engines. I've done all the basics but I also see that Google and presumably other search engines are not picking up many of the articles. When I investigate the Google search console one can see that there are many "redirection errors" and there shouldn't be. I volunteer in the IT sector specifically related to webpages. Something about the site is really throwing off Google's smart phone crawling robot. As I dug into the whole topic of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) I only came across scads of articles and websites recommending that I use, blindly, various AI tools. There was only one YouTube video which presented facts that I could check related to various HTML tags and I was able to verify that they were all correct in my site. So my quest will continue... But my point here is that what is happening to critical thinking?

I have nothing against AI (Artificial intelligence) to be clear. But I am very concerned about people's eagerness to avoid knowledge and just go for the answer blindly. They are indeed missing out on the fun of learning! When you really understand something your mind expands and the knowledge becomes applicable all over the place. It is a very empowering experience. Learning however does require you to slow down and maybe that is part of the issue here for people. They don't know how to slow down and develop extended attention spans.

Society needs to refocus on some core activity's especially for children so that the mind gets a chance to develop the skills of attention and builds the framework necessary for enjoyment and knowledge. When it works new knowledge is the ultimate "high".

This is what I suggest and please be aware that these are my opinions not necessarily backed up by empirical data.

• Children should not be given their own unsupervised smart devices like tablets and smart phones until about the age of 10. This would keep them off the train wreck of rapidfire media and allow them to develop an attention span beyond the one minute mark.
  
  
• This in turn would allow them to develop some thoughtfulness about their world and investigate in the real world. With other children and people.
  
  
• They would also get a chance to deal with difficulty on a real-time scale. Not all problems can be solved instantly.
   
• Side Note (March 8, 2025): *CBC Marketplace did a segment on "How gaming apps use your private data to track you" and part of the piece deals with how video games affect children. Running time 21 minutes.
  

Now I know that technology is everywhere and that some of these points are far too idealistic but they should be implemented in some way and indeed the adults can take this advice as well. Consider for a moment how you use your technology. Are you using it to open doors and expand your horizons or are you using it as a shortcut around thinking?

Bring back the joys of pondering something… Consider again the idea of sitting with a group of people and going at a problem saying "What If We Do This?… Will that work?" Think of all the great adventures that are brought us to this stage in societal evolution. We could not have arrived here without them. The skills they had were critical for them. These are skills we must rediscover.

This article may grow a bit larger but for this moment I will leave it there and look forward to your comments either here or on YouTube. Let's get into this shall we and expand our knowledge and understanding. 😄

Take care Patrick

*  The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) is a Crown corporation that serves as the national public broadcaster. CBC produces "CBC Marketplace" Canada's consumer watchdog series since 1972.