Hey hey!
Hope you are having a good time of things. I am excited about what I have in store for you today.
The Particle and the Wave. We are constantly boxed in. We are constantly divided into extremes. Are you FOR this or are you AGAINST this? And if you are FOR something, there’s the baggage of 75 other things you are apparently okay with. Let’s learn from light, and look at how we need at least 2 complementary (but incomplete) theories to navigate life.
Is that idea truly your idea? Does it matter? We write things that seem to be our ideas but are influenced by what we've read, and what we've experienced, and are processed in our subconscious in their own way.
The Hardware and Software of You. My past life as a programmer is never far away from my thinking. How can understanding the two aspects of hardware and software help you express yourself better?
Before we begin, I’d appreciate it if you can spread the word by sharing ONE of these articles with ONE friend of yours. After you read it, of course. It makes a difference.
The Particle and the Wave
High-school Physics
Did you have a fascinating physics teacher in high school? Unfortunately, most of us did not. Many of the fundamental concepts might seem irrelevant to us. For example, how a plane flies or how a train stays on the track around a curve. It only matters to us that the plane flies and the train doesn't derail. Scientists have figured it out and we only consume.
But there is value in understanding the basic fabric of what's around us. It frames our view and our perspective better. It allows us to see metaphors around us. We can see a glimpse of the larger construct around us. We end up copying/emulating in some form or the other.
The double-slit
Light behaves as a particle and a wave.
Why the fuck does that matter and how is it relevant? Hey man, watch your language.
If you'd like to revisit the double-slit experiment you must've done in high school, click here. The basic question - is light a particle i.e. made up of discrete units of light? These show up as dots on the screen. Or is it a wave i.e. continuous?
It seems as though we must use
sometimes the one theory
and sometimes the other,
while at times we may use either.
We are faced with a new kind of difficulty.
We have two contradictory pictures of reality;
separately neither of them fully explains the phenomena of light,
but together they do.– Albert Einstein
Neither is wrong. Neither explains things comprehensively. But together, they do.
The Complication
In many situations, we approach it as black or white (particle.) In reality, they are on a spectrum (wave.)
Are you for or against this issue? Governments seem hell-bent on dividing us into two and creating a left vs right. And because of our skew towards viewing things as particles, we agree with this method. And many times, we pick a side. When in reality, the issue is deeper. The radical middle needs exploration.
Viewing things as a particle, like black/white, is a helpful construct. Especially when things are confusing or overwhelming. But remember, it does not explain things completely. It needs a complementary theory (the spectrum) to help you understand things deeper.
Our skew so far
We've viewed it through the lens of a particle, of black/white for a while now.
Gender. Religion. The football team you support. The type of company you keep. Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
In our fascinating times, we are shedding this skew of viewing issues. As only a particle. Instead, we are realising that there's a whole other lens, that of a wave, to look, ponder, and analyse.
The left extreme or right extreme, let's call it the 10%, seems to be the only option. They are loud and clear. But the middle 80% is full of subtlety and this is where most of us are. Via only one tool, we miss out on the beauty of this middle position.
Remember, neither is wrong. Neither explains things fully. But together, they do.
My example
I am an introvert. My past experiences in life affirm this. I have used the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. And verified it with competent coaches to know the theory and my personality are in alignment.
But my primary job for the past decade has been standing in front of 100 people daily. Talking, teaching, learning. And I love it!
It is true that crowds and noise exhaust me but not all crowds and noise. I would've missed out on being a teacher if I had stuck to this rigid view.
At the same time, if I had not understood my skew of being an introvert, I would've been terrible at being a coach.
The extrovert part of the spectrum is always accessible. There are tasks and times when it is necessary to be that person. I look at it as a hat to wear. It is not false but it takes conscious effort to move out of my default position.
The extreme end of the spectrum, that's something I rarely touch. Because it is so far away from me that it does not feel natural.
During my 20s, I viewed this from a black/white framework. I forced myself to do things without understanding myself. Then, I stopped doing everything on "the other side."
Today, I have a better understanding of this spectrum. I am able to express myself better and do cooler things.
Your turn
The world around us wants to divide us. ( Do you see the black/white skew of my statement here :D ) And because we need to be here or there, we pick an extreme. Or worse, we choose inaction. Because deep down, we don’t agree with the extremes. That’s great. But we need to use the complementary theory here to dig deeper into our perspective.
You need to see life both as a particle and a wave.
Where have you been blinded by this? Where are you missing out on living a fuller life because you've been boxed in?
These are important questions for us all to think about.
Next time you find yourself picking an extreme, pause. Look at the spectrum. Look at the middle 80%. Use both theories and take your time.
Is that your idea?
What percentage of thoughts are your own?
What percentage of ideas are truly yours?
We write things that seem to be our ideas but are influenced by what we've read, and what we've experienced, and are processed in our subconscious in their own way.
We generate ideas that are built on gaps or holes as we see them from our lens.
There's nothing wrong with being inspired by someone else's idea. In fact, it happens all the time, whether we acknowledge it or not.
Understanding why the idea feels important to you though is something you can look deeper into, as part of exploring the idea.
What's your favourite movie?
Have you ever wondered why that is your favourite movie? The rabbit hole and profundity of this question were truly fascinating for me.
Two pieces of media you should check out
Two pieces of media that I'd like to share with you.
First, Derek Sivers on the first follower. You can read the short article or see his 3-minute video.
It was the first follower that transformed a lone nut into a leader.
And listen to Oliver Burkeman on the joys of missing out.
By embracing the joy of missing out, you can start to devote your precious time to the things that really matter to you, no matter how long they take.
The Hardware and Software of You
You think getting stronger or faster is only about bigger muscles.
In a car, that makes sense. The car with the bigger engine is going to be more powerful, simplistically speaking.
The process in a human is different. You look at a stronger or faster person, and you see a lot more muscle on them than on you. And make the obvious connection - more muscle = more strength.
That's not wrong.
But the hardware upgrade i.e. building muscle is only part of it. There is a significant software upgrade that happens behind the scenes.
Your brain and your body don't know to communicate well with each other when you start off. You don't know to keep your chest up or your back straight or brace your pillar. That comes with purposeful practice. That comes with quality repetitions.
As the software improves, the outcomes improve.
And then, you will see a spurt in the hardware improvement.
That's why focusing on quality, on your mindset, and ensuring you are focused and concentrated are all key to seeing results from your training.
It is not simply about lifting weights and then going to your phone and wasting time, or chatting with your buddies until it is time to go again. The more switched on you are, the better.
Focus on what you can control. What you control is your focus and concentration and quality of effort.
You don't control your muscle growth or your physique - at least, not directly.
Do the work. And the hardware upgrade will happen. The outcomes will happen.
And that’s it from me. Thanks for spending a few minutes of your day with me. I hope you continue to find it useful.
May 22, 2022.