In this Ted video, NYTimes columnist David Brooks wonders why people who are as socially attuned as politicians can become completely dehumanised when it comes to policy-making.
He argues that we have inherited a view of human nature based on the notion that reason is separated from and can suppress emotions, that we are rational individuals that respond to rational incentives. We try to ‘use the assumptions of physics to measure human behaviour’ he says, and this has produced a ‘shallow view of human nature’.
However, in the past years, with the development of different fields of research in the study of the mind (neuroscience, cognitive science, sociology etc…) we have been given a deeper view of human nature, a revolutionary view of how we understand consciousness, which has given rise to a new humanism.
The 3 key insights we get from the developments in those disciplines are:
– ‘While the conscious mind write the autobiography, the unconscious mind does all the work’. What it means is: the unconscious minds takes in millions of bits of information every second, and we can only be aware of very few of those consciously. This, by the way, is the basis of NLP, Hypnosis, non-verbal communication and behaviour. The unconscious is smart, which is why when faced with a difficult decision, you often reach an easy answer by letting the idea sink in, thinking about something else, and sleeping over it.
– ‘Emotions are at the centre of our thinking‘! As Antonio Damasio has shown, emotions are the foundation of reason because they tell us what to value, what to imprint. At our core, we are emotional beings.
– ‘We are social animals, not rational animals‘. There is a deep inter-penetration between people and we are influenced to a deep level by people around us.
‘Reason is often weak’ he says, and ‘our sentiments are strong and often trustworthy’. It is our capacity to emote that gives us a deeper sense of what makes us strive.
This has a deep influence on how we evaluate people nowadays, in a corporate context, but also in schools, or in the medical field. We often think as human capital as something we can measure, and the trend has been magnified by the explosion of assessments of all kinds that help corporations, doctors and institutions put people in more manageable boxes.
But what leads us to leading a meaningful life lies in much deeper skills or gifts. Some of the gifts he mentions are:
1. The ability to remain serene and open minded in the face of ambiguity.
Relate this to the work of Clare Graves on Human Nature and the concept of ‘second tier’ thinking. Level 7 or ‘GT’ in Graves’ terminology is a level of thinking where one can comfortably hold paradox in one’s mind. Clare Graves was a Professor of Psychology at NY College who dedicated his life to work on understanding Human Nature. He is the creator of the theory (and the corresponding assessments) of the ‘Value Levels’ and the corresponding model of change now known as “Spiral Dynamics“. Click here to The MasterMinds Thinking Styles webpage to read more about Clare Graves, learn what his teachings can do for you and how to take the online assessment.
2. Street Smartness or the ability to sense one’s environment.
Institute for the Future’s well-known forecaster, Bob Johansen’s view is that the world of the 21st century is more Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous (VUCA) than ever. To successfully lead in a world that has changed beyond our understanding, the leaders of the 21st century need to develop a new type intelligence; to steer through a world in constant motion where blurry boundaries are becoming the rule, they need to develop navigating skills, sensing underlying currents, and becoming dilemmas-handler rather than problem-solvers.
3. The ability to work within groups.
Think that more than 90% of our communication is non-verbal. ‘Groups that create the deepest connections and that function best’ he says ‘are groups that interact with each other in a common physical environment’.
4. The drive for transcendence.
Ultimately, this is what we all trend toward. The whole self-help industry (“Quit smoking” “Lay off the booze” “Exercise every day” “Eat fewer doughnuts and more vegetables” “Make more money” “Quit watching TV” etc…) is based on this deep human drive for transcendence and wholeness, or, to use a language that is more acceptable in rational circles, the need for congruence and alignment.
We all have inklings of this when we are totally lost in a challenge or a task. Being at one, in the flow, is what the unconscious mind strives for and feeds from. Meditators or ‘contemplators’ as they are sometimes called, know this well (and if you read this post before June 3rd 2011, you may want to click and check about ‘The World in the Mind – Tripura Rahasya retreat‘ with Carlos Pomeda retreat in Hong Kong).
Enjoy the video! Any comments, post them in the box below.