Chapter 8: Balance In All Things
Though not usually the case, I prefer to be in a general state of homeostasis at all times. Maintaining a sense of consistency in my life has been hard-pressed this summer, but it's all that's been keeping me afloat as I struggle to take on 4 classes and a 50 hour work week. I like to drink my smoothie and french press in the morning. I like to go on a run if I can. I try my best to actually get work done for each class that I have, or at least one assignment. I'll text my girlfriend, best friend, mom. When any of these habitual behaviors is interrupted, or I'm forced to put one off because of something unexpected, I get uncomfortable. The need to feel a sense of "zen" drives me to keep moving forward.
The Principle of Cognitive Consistency is an ever-present idea in my life at the moment. The need to maintain a certain structure and uniformity in my life is the driving force behind my motivation. Now, that's not to say everything always goes to plan. Working and thinking so much often leaves me too tired to finish a lot of the things I'd normally like to get done. I identify with this principle so deeply that when I am unable to maintain that aforementioned sense of uniformity, my motivation disappears or I start to feel anxious. In stressful times like these, I think humans need a way of organizing all of their exploding thoughts and emotions, and keeping their lives structured is a good way of doing just that.
A second topic that stood out to me in Chapter 8 was the idea of normative influence. When in the midst of making a purchase decision, many people will stop themselves and think long and hard about how their purchase will make them look to their peers or others around them. This may stop them, or motivate them, to purchase an item, get a certain haircut or even sign up for a gym membership! Many of us want to feel like we "belong" to a certain demographic, and we will base many of our daily life decisions based around how we think others would like us to do.
I'm guilty of this too! Not so much anymore, but back in my high school days I wasted quite a bit of brainpower overthinking everything that might set me apart from my peer group. I wanted to conform, to be accepted by others by changing myself to fit into a certain mold. Nowadays, I pride myself in being different. Truthfully, I like living outside of the "norm" (whatever that may be), and I've learned to embrace my quirks and strange mannerisms. I think it's made me happier.
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| I stayed up all night, two years ago in the Poconos, to snap a very "zen" picture of this beautiful lake. I was so tired that I just whipped out my phone and pressed the shutter button a few times. Looks like it worked out, though. |
The Principle of Cognitive Consistency is an ever-present idea in my life at the moment. The need to maintain a certain structure and uniformity in my life is the driving force behind my motivation. Now, that's not to say everything always goes to plan. Working and thinking so much often leaves me too tired to finish a lot of the things I'd normally like to get done. I identify with this principle so deeply that when I am unable to maintain that aforementioned sense of uniformity, my motivation disappears or I start to feel anxious. In stressful times like these, I think humans need a way of organizing all of their exploding thoughts and emotions, and keeping their lives structured is a good way of doing just that.
A second topic that stood out to me in Chapter 8 was the idea of normative influence. When in the midst of making a purchase decision, many people will stop themselves and think long and hard about how their purchase will make them look to their peers or others around them. This may stop them, or motivate them, to purchase an item, get a certain haircut or even sign up for a gym membership! Many of us want to feel like we "belong" to a certain demographic, and we will base many of our daily life decisions based around how we think others would like us to do.
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| Conformity. |
I'm guilty of this too! Not so much anymore, but back in my high school days I wasted quite a bit of brainpower overthinking everything that might set me apart from my peer group. I wanted to conform, to be accepted by others by changing myself to fit into a certain mold. Nowadays, I pride myself in being different. Truthfully, I like living outside of the "norm" (whatever that may be), and I've learned to embrace my quirks and strange mannerisms. I think it's made me happier.
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