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Potential versus actual-
Nevilleisms
Vital Questions
Brain capacity myth
Our lying brain
Nevilleisms
As we mindfully allow our potential to uncoil, we inch forward to our better selves. #Nevilleisms
Deep diving daily into our psyches, we’re awestruck by the depth and breadth of our potential. #Nevilleisms.
One big measure of our success is how well we nurture and realize our inner potential. #Nevilleisms.
Never under-estimate the power of our own potential, for it holds the seeds of… well, everything. #Nevilleisms.
I commit this day to develop another handful of my high fertile inner seeds. #Nevilleisms Imagine our entire cosmos expanding within us, and we grasp the extent of our evolving potential. #Nevilleisms.
Your potential is 100%. Hers and mine are too. Ten of us collaborating; what a powerhouse. #Nevilleisms.
I can believe in you, and you in me, for together we move mountains. #Nevilleisms.
Deep diving daily into our psyches, we’re awestruck by the depth and breadth of our potential. #Nevilleisms.
One big measure of our success is how well we nurture and realize our inner potential. #Nevilleisms.
Never under-estimate the power of our own potential, for it holds the seeds of… well, everything. #Nevilleisms.
I commit this day to develop another handful of my high fertile inner seeds. #Nevilleisms Imagine our entire cosmos expanding within us, and we grasp the extent of our evolving potential. #Nevilleisms.
Your potential is 100%. Hers and mine are too. Ten of us collaborating; what a powerhouse. #Nevilleisms.
I can believe in you, and you in me, for together we move mountains. #Nevilleisms.
Vital Questions
Potential to actual - Paths to creating our very best self.
True or false? “Scientists suggest at best we use not more than 5% of our brain’s infinite inherent capacity?” If it’s true, why is it as an evolving creature I am so highly over endowed with inner riches? And how can I learn to call on my well-nigh infinite, inherited resources more often? If it’s not true that I only use 5% of my potential, what is the truth? See Brain Capacity Myth - in the next box down - for some answers.
“Everyone has a talent. What is rare is the courage to follow that talent to the dark places where it leads.” Erica Jong.
• What are seven innate, talents I have that I was born with, and that I am turning into masteries?
• Which of my talents are yet lying fallow that I can still develop? Why have I left them underdeveloped? How might I change this?
• What core talents – of me and others – am I using to build my business, or to create my career? What talents could I use if I had a mind to?
• How might I use these core talents even better? To serve me and who else? How? Why?
“All our talents increase in the using, and every faculty both good and bad strengthens by exercise.” Anne Bronte.
• What’s the possibility that I have talents, gifts, and masteries I know very little about? How might I find out?
• How might I even better use the abundance of talent I already have?
• What mentors, resources, and technologies am I calling on to turn my talents into skills, capabilities and masteries?
“Talent is always conscious of its own abundance and does not object to sharing.” Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. • In what ways, precisely, am I sharing my talents with my life partner? My children? My work colleagues? My peers? My community? The wider world?• In what ways could I share more?• Do I want to?
“In this world people have to pay an extortionate price for any exceptional gift whatever.” Willa Cather. What is Cather saying? A high price to develop our gifts? A high price to hire exceptional talent? What? In what ways is she right or wrong? Is developing my exceptional gifts costing me so much, I am choosing to settle back into mediocrity? If so, how might I change that if I now choose: Follow Up: Deep-diving into your psyche’s inner riches
True or false? “Scientists suggest at best we use not more than 5% of our brain’s infinite inherent capacity?” If it’s true, why is it as an evolving creature I am so highly over endowed with inner riches? And how can I learn to call on my well-nigh infinite, inherited resources more often? If it’s not true that I only use 5% of my potential, what is the truth? See Brain Capacity Myth - in the next box down - for some answers.
“Everyone has a talent. What is rare is the courage to follow that talent to the dark places where it leads.” Erica Jong.
• What are seven innate, talents I have that I was born with, and that I am turning into masteries?
• Which of my talents are yet lying fallow that I can still develop? Why have I left them underdeveloped? How might I change this?
• What core talents – of me and others – am I using to build my business, or to create my career? What talents could I use if I had a mind to?
• How might I use these core talents even better? To serve me and who else? How? Why?
“All our talents increase in the using, and every faculty both good and bad strengthens by exercise.” Anne Bronte.
• What’s the possibility that I have talents, gifts, and masteries I know very little about? How might I find out?
• How might I even better use the abundance of talent I already have?
• What mentors, resources, and technologies am I calling on to turn my talents into skills, capabilities and masteries?
“Talent is always conscious of its own abundance and does not object to sharing.” Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. • In what ways, precisely, am I sharing my talents with my life partner? My children? My work colleagues? My peers? My community? The wider world?• In what ways could I share more?• Do I want to?
“In this world people have to pay an extortionate price for any exceptional gift whatever.” Willa Cather. What is Cather saying? A high price to develop our gifts? A high price to hire exceptional talent? What? In what ways is she right or wrong? Is developing my exceptional gifts costing me so much, I am choosing to settle back into mediocrity? If so, how might I change that if I now choose: Follow Up: Deep-diving into your psyche’s inner riches
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"Our soul is simply the grand total of our experiences."
BRAIN CAPACITY MYTH
True or false? “Scientists suggest as best we use not more than 5% of our brain’s inherent capacity.”
This is a widely perpetuated myth or misconception. But it is not accurate. In fact, modern scientific research tells us the opposite.
Where did the myth come from?
The idea is attributed to the C19th American psychologist and philosopher William James - “the Father of American psychology.”
However. James was making a general observation about human potential versus actual. without any empirical evidence to support it.
Over time, this notion became popularized and distorted into the belief that we have untapped potential lying dormant in most of our brains. The reality is different.
The truth
Using techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), modern neuroscience research has demonstrated the entire human brain is active and involved in various functions and processes. Even during rest, while we’re asleep, or performing seemingly simple tasks, multiple regions of our brain are actively engaged. They’re busy-little restless bees – and sometimes they ‘lie to us’. [See: Our Lying Brain - in the last box, below].
What is true, is that we may not always use all of our brain's capacity simultaneously. However, this does not mean we are using only a small fraction of it. Rather, the brain dynamically allocates its resources based on the tasks and activities we engage in.
Why is this so?
In reality, the brain is a highly complex organ, and different regions are responsible for different functions, such as sensory perception, motor control, language processing, memory, and more.
Moreover, research on brain damage and neurological disorders has shown that even minor injuries or lesions to specific brain areas can have profound effects on our cognitive abilities and behaviours. If we were truly using only a small percentage of our brain's capacity, such injuries would likely have minimal impact.
In summary, the idea that we use only 5% of our brain's inherent capacity is a myth unsupported by scientific evidence. Our brains are highly active and engaged in various functions, and their complexity and interconnectedness contribute to our cognitive abilities and overall functioning.
So what does this mean for us developing our very best self?
1. The research refers to the ‘automatic’ functions of our brain as we go about everyday activities.
2. There is ongoing debate and research about the interactions and nature of our brain-mind and our psyche-soul-spirit-unconscious. What is abundantly, clear, is that as humans we are also ‘magically’ capable of evidencing consciousness, awareness, will, intent. We can consider options, make decisions, change our habits, alter our mindsets, create a different view of our futures, find extraordinary latent-potential ‘riches’ within our brain-mind-psyche-soul, enhance our innate talents, develop our competencies, create amazing innovations…
3. This is what James was about: Against our potential to be our very best self as a fully-orbed human being, we may only, have reached, say 5%. This is a motivational concept for us to continue our life-long personal journey of discovery and development. Not a statistical fact.
4. Further, one of the great findings of modern science concerns the neuroplasticity of our brains. This research is enormously important to us understanding how, over time, we CAN move through being good-better-best selves. Even with aging, injury, and setbacks, where we have “awareness, intent and will,” there are multiple ways we can evolve as fully-orbed human beings. [See: What is neuroplasticity?]
5. Clearly the environments we grow up in, and the technologies we use as we mature, have an enormous impact on the “hard-wiring” of our brain. So, the Millennial Generation who have grown up with all the amazing digital technologies find using them ‘second nature’. While for later generations, their skill mastery remains spotty and not-easy.
6. All of us now face super-changes in our brains, minds, emotions, psyche-souls, behaviour, thinking, learning, as we dance with artificial intelligence. Personally believe AI opens up a whole new chapter in the story of humans becoming our good-better-best selves. Neville ChristieMelbourne, Australia 25 May, 2023
True or false? “Scientists suggest as best we use not more than 5% of our brain’s inherent capacity.”
This is a widely perpetuated myth or misconception. But it is not accurate. In fact, modern scientific research tells us the opposite.
Where did the myth come from?
The idea is attributed to the C19th American psychologist and philosopher William James - “the Father of American psychology.”
However. James was making a general observation about human potential versus actual. without any empirical evidence to support it.
Over time, this notion became popularized and distorted into the belief that we have untapped potential lying dormant in most of our brains. The reality is different.
The truth
Using techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), modern neuroscience research has demonstrated the entire human brain is active and involved in various functions and processes. Even during rest, while we’re asleep, or performing seemingly simple tasks, multiple regions of our brain are actively engaged. They’re busy-little restless bees – and sometimes they ‘lie to us’. [See: Our Lying Brain - in the last box, below].
What is true, is that we may not always use all of our brain's capacity simultaneously. However, this does not mean we are using only a small fraction of it. Rather, the brain dynamically allocates its resources based on the tasks and activities we engage in.
Why is this so?
In reality, the brain is a highly complex organ, and different regions are responsible for different functions, such as sensory perception, motor control, language processing, memory, and more.
Moreover, research on brain damage and neurological disorders has shown that even minor injuries or lesions to specific brain areas can have profound effects on our cognitive abilities and behaviours. If we were truly using only a small percentage of our brain's capacity, such injuries would likely have minimal impact.
In summary, the idea that we use only 5% of our brain's inherent capacity is a myth unsupported by scientific evidence. Our brains are highly active and engaged in various functions, and their complexity and interconnectedness contribute to our cognitive abilities and overall functioning.
So what does this mean for us developing our very best self?
1. The research refers to the ‘automatic’ functions of our brain as we go about everyday activities.
2. There is ongoing debate and research about the interactions and nature of our brain-mind and our psyche-soul-spirit-unconscious. What is abundantly, clear, is that as humans we are also ‘magically’ capable of evidencing consciousness, awareness, will, intent. We can consider options, make decisions, change our habits, alter our mindsets, create a different view of our futures, find extraordinary latent-potential ‘riches’ within our brain-mind-psyche-soul, enhance our innate talents, develop our competencies, create amazing innovations…
3. This is what James was about: Against our potential to be our very best self as a fully-orbed human being, we may only, have reached, say 5%. This is a motivational concept for us to continue our life-long personal journey of discovery and development. Not a statistical fact.
4. Further, one of the great findings of modern science concerns the neuroplasticity of our brains. This research is enormously important to us understanding how, over time, we CAN move through being good-better-best selves. Even with aging, injury, and setbacks, where we have “awareness, intent and will,” there are multiple ways we can evolve as fully-orbed human beings. [See: What is neuroplasticity?]
5. Clearly the environments we grow up in, and the technologies we use as we mature, have an enormous impact on the “hard-wiring” of our brain. So, the Millennial Generation who have grown up with all the amazing digital technologies find using them ‘second nature’. While for later generations, their skill mastery remains spotty and not-easy.
6. All of us now face super-changes in our brains, minds, emotions, psyche-souls, behaviour, thinking, learning, as we dance with artificial intelligence. Personally believe AI opens up a whole new chapter in the story of humans becoming our good-better-best selves. Neville ChristieMelbourne, Australia 25 May, 2023
Our lying brain
“Everything is created twice, first in the mind and then in reality.”― Robin Sharma, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: A Fable About Fulfilling Your Dreams and Reaching Your Destiny
What scientific evidence is there that sometimes our brain lies to us?
Once thought of as a machine, our human brain is a universe in itself: a highly complex organ responsible for processing and interpreting information from all our senses. For adding emotions, memories and meaning to our thoughts and actions. And for constructing our perception of reality.
Overall, our mind-brain performs these tasks with aplomb.
However, there are times where our mind-brain can introduce errors or distortions in our perception and interpretation of the world. Our brain can, and does, ‘lie’ to us.
Here are a few examples: Cognitive Biases: Cognitive biases are systematic patterns of deviation from rationality or objectivity in our judgment. These occur when our mind-brains introduce systematic errors in our thinking processes. For example, confirmation bias leads us to seek or interpret information in a way that confirms our existing beliefs. While availability bias causes us to overestimate the importance of information that is readily available to us, and ‘prevents’ our further search. • "The reality we can put into words is never reality itself." - Werner Heisenberg Hallucinations: In certain circumstances, our brain can generate sensory experiences that are not based on external stimuli. And are, therefore, defined as ‘not real’. Hallucinations can occur in various conditions, such as schizophrenia, drug-induced states, or even during periods of sleep deprivation. These experiences can be vivid and compelling. They are a type of ‘altered state of consciousness.’ For scientists they do not correspond to reality. However, for some spiritual gurus, and therapists, for example, they are either ‘true reality’. Or an alternative version.
• "Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one." - Albert Einstein• "The world we have created is a product of our thinking; it cannot be changed without changing our thinking." - Albert Einstein
Memory Distortions: There are highly significant implications in our memories not being perfect recordings of past events and experiences. Rather our brain reconstructs them each time we recall them. This process makes them susceptible to distortion and alteration. Our memories can be influenced by various factors, including our current beliefs and attitudes, suggestions from others, and the passage of time. As a result, we may unknowingly introduce errors or false details into our recollection of past events. Rewiring consciously At STEEP Renaissance, we use this fact consciously, to transform our ‘bad’ stories into ‘better’ ones, to rewire our brains, and lay the foundations for creating our better-best selves, and far better futures. Optical Illusions: Optical illusions are compelling examples of how our brains can be tricked into perceiving something that is not objectively present. These illusions exploit the brain's tendency to make assumptions and fill in missing information based on past experiences and expectations, leading to perceptual distortions. Perceptual Biases: Our perceptions are not purely objective representations of the external world but are influenced by our expectations, beliefs, and prior experiences. These biases can shape how we interpret sensory information, leading to subjective distortions. For example, the placebo effect demonstrates how our beliefs and expectations can influence our perception of pain relief or the effectiveness of a treatment.
In brief, scientific research in fields like cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and perception has provided extensive evidence for these phenomena. As they’ve studied these cognitive and perceptual biases, scientists have gained insights into how our brains construct our subjective experiences and the limitations and vulnerabilities of our cognitive processes.
What scientific evidence is there that sometimes our brain lies to us?
Once thought of as a machine, our human brain is a universe in itself: a highly complex organ responsible for processing and interpreting information from all our senses. For adding emotions, memories and meaning to our thoughts and actions. And for constructing our perception of reality.
Overall, our mind-brain performs these tasks with aplomb.
However, there are times where our mind-brain can introduce errors or distortions in our perception and interpretation of the world. Our brain can, and does, ‘lie’ to us.
Here are a few examples: Cognitive Biases: Cognitive biases are systematic patterns of deviation from rationality or objectivity in our judgment. These occur when our mind-brains introduce systematic errors in our thinking processes. For example, confirmation bias leads us to seek or interpret information in a way that confirms our existing beliefs. While availability bias causes us to overestimate the importance of information that is readily available to us, and ‘prevents’ our further search. • "The reality we can put into words is never reality itself." - Werner Heisenberg Hallucinations: In certain circumstances, our brain can generate sensory experiences that are not based on external stimuli. And are, therefore, defined as ‘not real’. Hallucinations can occur in various conditions, such as schizophrenia, drug-induced states, or even during periods of sleep deprivation. These experiences can be vivid and compelling. They are a type of ‘altered state of consciousness.’ For scientists they do not correspond to reality. However, for some spiritual gurus, and therapists, for example, they are either ‘true reality’. Or an alternative version.
• "Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one." - Albert Einstein• "The world we have created is a product of our thinking; it cannot be changed without changing our thinking." - Albert Einstein
Memory Distortions: There are highly significant implications in our memories not being perfect recordings of past events and experiences. Rather our brain reconstructs them each time we recall them. This process makes them susceptible to distortion and alteration. Our memories can be influenced by various factors, including our current beliefs and attitudes, suggestions from others, and the passage of time. As a result, we may unknowingly introduce errors or false details into our recollection of past events. Rewiring consciously At STEEP Renaissance, we use this fact consciously, to transform our ‘bad’ stories into ‘better’ ones, to rewire our brains, and lay the foundations for creating our better-best selves, and far better futures. Optical Illusions: Optical illusions are compelling examples of how our brains can be tricked into perceiving something that is not objectively present. These illusions exploit the brain's tendency to make assumptions and fill in missing information based on past experiences and expectations, leading to perceptual distortions. Perceptual Biases: Our perceptions are not purely objective representations of the external world but are influenced by our expectations, beliefs, and prior experiences. These biases can shape how we interpret sensory information, leading to subjective distortions. For example, the placebo effect demonstrates how our beliefs and expectations can influence our perception of pain relief or the effectiveness of a treatment.
In brief, scientific research in fields like cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and perception has provided extensive evidence for these phenomena. As they’ve studied these cognitive and perceptual biases, scientists have gained insights into how our brains construct our subjective experiences and the limitations and vulnerabilities of our cognitive processes.
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