Comfortably numb
The self-orientated psychology of “me, me, me” is problematic. This selfish attitude causes conflict, dullness, and suffering. People use each other when and as convenient. People try to maximise the “ups” and minimise the “downs”, often failing to clearly realise what is going on.
Dumbing down
People experience emotional pain early in their lives and, as a result, learn to shut off. Defensive barriers are erected and you try to avoid areas of life that might repeat any painful experience. A childhood sense of adventure soon becomes replaced with the ability to make lots of “I can’t, because…” excuses.
People learn to cope with disappointment, dumbing down. As the years go by, mediocrity is accepted as normal; you become comfortably numb.
“I want more”
Materialism delivers some relief from the emotional pain and dumbing down. You join the rat-race and get some money to spend at the end of the week or month. The adverts and lifestyle magazines sell you their dream of “I want more”. And the shops are bulging with an endless variety of things to sell you. At best, materialism provides a short-term distraction.
The “supposed-to-be” life
Pressure from family, friends, and society combines to keep the mundane acceptable. There is safety in numbers within the comfortably numb world. The conditioning effect of “monkey do what monkey see” works. Daring to be different is generally discouraged. Very few people succeed in living their dream; most settle for second-best or worse.
Escaping the mind-set
The dumbing down effect makes achieving a significant breakthrough in human potential harder to achieve. It becomes difficult to appreciate the scale of change that is needed. Everything is viewed from a starting point of small-mindedness. Life must be “safe” and “easy”. Avoidance and the fog of mediocrity keeps people stuck.
A clear appreciation of the above is required as an initial part of any changing process. The Human Potential Trust offers a realistic way forwards.