The Essence of Individuality: Exploring Patterns of Thinking and Behaving
Understanding individuality is critical for navigating the complexities of life. One positive view is seeing our individuality as the ability to autonomously vet cultural influences, rather than being heteronomously guided. This essay will delve into the concept of patterns of thinking and behaving (PTBs) and their influence on our unique blend of beliefs and actions.
Patterns of Thinking and Behaving (PTBs)
By age 13, each of us has selected our personal patterns of thinking and behaving (PTBs) and practiced them over many years, often rejecting other patterns. This selection is a result of our personal interaction with various influences, such as family, culture, religion, peers, and media. While these external factors can significantly influence our choices, they do not program us automatically. Instead, our feelings and reasoning play a crucial role in making decisions about these influences.
However, if an individual grows up receiving “the answers” from authority figures or being harshly corrected for questioning, they may fail to develop critical thinking. Our perceived personality is a reflection of our preferred PTBs. From age 14 to 20, our brain undergoes a hormone-driven process that reinforces and prunes neural pathways in the frontal cortex, locking these preferred patterns into our behavior and mindset.
Changing Patterns of Thinking and Behaving
While it is possible to change PTBs later in life, it is extremely difficult. It often requires a significant, even traumatic realization or event to open the doors to a new pattern of behavior. Simply repeating mantras about what one “should or could” do is rarely sufficient. The understanding and acknowledgment of our profound dilemma are necessary before consciously setting aside long-established behavior patterns and inner rewards.
To illustrate, consider the concept of an “ego” as the reality of our conscious mind with thoughts, memories, and emotions, distinct from the “Id” or innate survival impulses. Our superego, the moral conscience reflecting learned standards, and the Child Chooser, our seat of observation and choice, together form the complex inner landscape that guides our actions and beliefs.
The Process and Purpose of Adult Human Life
Adult human life is meant to nurture a “goodness” within that recognizes and deals with, rather than kills, our preprogrammed animal nature. This process involves three distinct selves: the Child Chooser, the Ego (or reality of our conscious mind), and the Superego (or our moral conscience).
The Child Chooser is a loud, emotional, and vocal voice driven by DNA that resists discipline and learning. This is our Id. In contrast, the Superego represents a quiet, altruistic, self-disciplined, and virtuous voice embodied by love and truth. The Child Chooser observes and selects between these voices, making critical choices that involve increasing awareness of goodness, love, virtue, and wisdom.
From birth to adolescence, our seed of goodness is fragile and easily overwhelmed by our animal instincts. Between the ages of 13 and 20, the brain undergoes significant changes that deepen these patterns. If we continue to resist change or remain in the same patterns, we are likely to remain entrenched in our behaviors throughout life.
Personal Agency and the Four P Universe
Our personal agency is the ability to think, make choices, and take action in an environment marked by many unpredictable events and competitors. We live in a universe defined by four Ps: possibilities, passions, probabilities, and perceptions. Possibilities are within the constraints of physical laws, passions are the intensity of DNA-driven and conscious will, probabilities are a mix of predictable and unpredictable elements, and perceptions are our limited and biased awareness of the current state and future possibilities.
Individuals with limited personal passion and perception are more likely to submit to probabilities caused by entropy and the passionate will of others, leading to a passive, reactive existence. Conversely, those who adopt a proactive approach, guided by their own agency and a clear understanding of possibilities and passions, are more likely to achieve a fulfilling and purposeful life.
Conclusion
Exploring the patterns of thinking and behaving that shape our individuality is crucial for personal growth and fulfillment. By understanding and embracing our unique blend of beliefs and actions, we can navigate life more effectively and achieve our full potential.