I was WRONG about WILLPOWER! (And, um, correct?)
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 8 июл 2024
- Hi Friends! If you want to have ironclad willpower, here's some food for thought =)
The Willpower book I reference -- / 11104933
Some studies:
Meta-analysis of the "old" willpower idea--
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
Hit blue download pdf button on right to see full article--
www.researchgate.net/publicat...
Article from Harvard Business Review:
hbr.org/2016/11/have-we-been-...
We could not be living this life or making these videos without our beloved patrons. Join our ReWild University family here:
rewildu.com/patrons/
OR set up a monthly or one time donation through Paypal --
-- rewildu.com/patrons/
Visit our bookstore for new and upcoming titles from ReWild University at rewildu.com/bookstore/
================================
Learn more at: rewildu.com/
Check out our online video courses! "ReWild Your Mind", will guide you through methods of cultivating a clear, powerful, and positive mind-set.
rewildu.com/online-courses/rew...
"Surviving Civilization" gives you powerful tools for THRIVING in our civilized lives. rewildu.com/surviving-civiliz...
Subscribe to our UNLEASH YOUR LIFE podcast at:
rewildu.com/unleash-your-life...
Visit rewildu.com/classes/ for unique educational opportunities in rewilding, wilderness skills, mindfulness, martial arts, primal fitness, and more.
======================================
Equipment used to film this video --
Canon M50: amzn.to/2Ii2nhg
Rode VideoMic Go: amzn.to/2RXVQrf
This video description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, we’ll receive a small commission. This helps support our channel and allows us to continue to make videos like this. Thank you for the support!
Get well soon Kenton! 😊
Thank you my friend!!
Interesting!
I've seen a flip-flop over the years. My husband was far more positive back in the day than he is now. When younger, he would take off on a two hour drive with minimal directions. And other things that sometimes seemed almost impossible given his educational level. I was more negative and gloomy, and if I couldn't do something, I couldn't do it,and did not necessarily want to be encouraged to try harder.
After a bump on the head that stopped the depression for at least a year, I've gotten stronger and will try new things that I wouldn't have tried in the past. And however life tries to smack me around at this time, I believe I'll get thru it. Since a heart attack that greatly reduced hubby's physical strength, he seems to believe he has lost everything. I don't know how often I hear him saying he's not going to last much longer. He still has big dreams at times, but when a bit of remodeling here at home takes longer than he thinks it should, he doesn't want to do anything. Every time he gets himself psyched up enough to put in half a days work, he spends the next few days finding out that his willpower is not all it takes to get the job done. Then he really gets into the I can't do anything mode. Sometimes it makes me sad. Sometimes frustrated.
I had noticed that it had been several days since you had posted anything new and was hoping you were OK. Hopefully willpower does wonders getting rid of your coughing!
Love hearing from you!
How interesting, to almost have reversed roles! I suppose this must be difficult in the sense that you, feeling more positive, both know what it's like to be trapped in a more negative place (and thus are feeling compassion for your husband), and for him, of course, being in that trapped place. Hopefully your positivity can slowly lift him up =)
I'm trying to alert people via our videos and comments that we might be doing less videos on this channel -- this year we're doing an experiment starting a new family channel (I think you'll really like it =), and will be concentrating on those videos. We'll still post here, but not on a regular schedule.
We'll be letting people know via a video when our newest stuff is ready. Soon!!
Love,
Kenton =)
Very thought provoking. It reminded me of when I was trying to learn how to carve axe handles with a drawknife and shavehorse. I got so frustrated because they didn't turn out right and I almost convinced myself I couldn't do it. The old fellow that taught me was a true master of the craft and saw that I was struggling. He didn't say a lot but when he did you better listen. He told me I was trying to make something all in one go and you can't do that. "Carve out one end first, he said then swap her around and carve out the other end making sure the two ends line up. Now carve out the middle and there it is." It was like magic and all of a sudden I had a whole new level of confidence. Every day gives us a chance to learn something new but learning comes a bit at a time. Once we accept that endless opportunities await us. BTW I have had that cough for 3 weeks but started on Birch Polypore tea then Chaga a week ago and I really think it is helping.
So great that you used birch polypore and chaga -- two great medicines! And great wisdom as well, from that carving story. So many ways that we can sabotage ourselves -- in this case, you learned (and then shared with us!) a wisdom that turned it all around!
Very interesting, thank you for posting this video!
When I first watched it, I thought: "Changing my beliefs by simply thinking differently seems impossible!"
Then I was at a red light and told myself: "I believe I can be a patient person" and I think it helped.
Rather than trying to trick the brain into believing something new, maybe it could be more effective to simply tell oneself: "I believe I can be a patient, sociable, secure person" because it circumvents the mind trick and simply acknowledges one's potential.
As someone with ADHD, I know the belief that I am impatient is very deep within me (and not necessarily false), but I also know that even I sometimes can be patient, so I personally prefer this way of viewing things.
When reading Atomic Habits by James Clear, I remember he said that instead of trying to build individual habits, the most important thing is to determine what kind of person you want to be, or a new identity if you will, so that the habits derive from that. I think this can be applied here as well. Maybe I know I am often impatient and anxious (and it has become a part of my identity), but if I tell myself I want to become a patient and secure person, instead of trying to trick my mind into believing it before it's true (fake it til' you make it) maybe it would be better to tell myself I want to become this person and I know I have the potential, so that every time I find myself in a situation where I could feel impatient or anxious, I could tell myself I can maybe react differently, because I know I have the potential.
Wow, this was awesome. Sharing this, especially as you went from initial disbelief that you could do it and then into active experimentation -- way to go! Playful, curious, and open. Great advice on the end from Clear, but the way.
Humans are easily programmable! One thing we can learn from the shift in awareness you experienced is to not so easily accept any particular thing as true, even when backed by "scientific" studies! Our minds are more powerful than most people seem to realize! Our thoughts and our beliefs create our reality. Knowing this, I get really frustrated with myself because I recognize that I have a poverty mindset! I really need to work on changing this belief! Sending healing energy to you both! 💫
Absolutely. Always question! And good to hear you're putting your energy toward that poverty mindset. We're starting a new project that might be helpful in that regard -- feel free to write us through rewildu.com and we can update you!
It's hard to say whether is causal or just correlative: it could be that their beliefs reflect their realities. It could be that there are two types of people (or you exist somewhere on the spectrum between the two poles) where one group responds with growth and the other responds with draining. Definitively in building muscle mass the research shows that there is a huge genetic component--some people are hyper responders to stress stimuli (a common genetic trait among west Africans for example) and some people are under responders. There's definitely a lot of variation in humanity and there is a big danger in thinking that 'because this works for me, this is how it will work for everyone'.
Great observation -- and there is SO much of that going around. I've been guilty too! It's so easy to think that if something is super effective for us, that it MUST work for other people the same way. That's why I'm hoping people might take my challenge to "play" with this concept -- because in that play, we probably have a better chance of finding our own unique path forward =)
As I like to say: "Patience: ain't nobody got time for dat". That's one I'm not good at hehe. Willpower and the mental state is interesting, because even in the realm of some of the mental health struggles we deal with like depression, our mind itself can affect the outcome of that. Our environment and personality plays a big role, but ultimately, the way we deal with the world around us and even what is going on internally inside us, can be manipulated by the way we think. If you think you will struggle with willpower or something in your day to day to life, then you will because like you said with the battery analogy, the mental energy kind of feeds the physical, and if we don't have the mental energy to deal with information we need to process, the desire to complete a task or working through some willpower issue or other challenge, it'll be so hard to come up with and invest the physical energy needed to DO the thing.
Something I say a lot, and as studies have shown, you could take two people in a hospital of similar age and health, but with the same injury or illness, and one who is positive toward their healing/recovery will either come out of it more back to 100% again or more quickly than someone who is questioning their ability to come out of it, or has already forfeited at least in part to the condition. The mind is a powerful thing, and scientifically, it can be tough to measure exactly what it can do, but we can measure some of the after effects or manifestations that happen to show theirself (such as more rapid healing). Psychologically speaking, I guess the trick is to equip people who are struggling with some challenge, with an attitude and mental fortitude to help them gain the energy to work through whatever it is.
In my own situation, I inherited my mom's anger (a red from Alabama if that tells you anything), and had a lot of struggle with that, and finally in my 30s, I got to learning a lot more about life and what the rest of the world was actually like. It was a final realization that the angers and worries and fears were life-stealing, the stresses weren't worth it, and for it, SO many opportunities had been lost in life due to the fear or that being a difficult-to-be-around person made it so the being lone was much by default (and reason for the bullying when I was in school because others found it entertaining). Basically, I spent most of the '10s there trying to understand more about life instead of assuming the ultimate worst on all things, and getting over shadows of the past. The jadedness (aside the tone of the natural armor) is still there, because that's honestly just who I am, and as I tell folks: I am a realist, but no matter the ills around, I don't seek to internalize that anymore or gain stress over it. I can say there are a lot of differences in my overall emotional state when comparing the mind of my younger days to now, and in examining my own realm of that, I can agree that the mind's state affects actual outcomes of what manifests itself, the "self-fulfilling prophesies" if you will. If you think bad will befall, it will, because fear will cause you to make bad decisions that lead to bad happening, but if you are under the impression that good will happen, then it will, because you will do more of the actions that lead to better outcomes... and even in adversity, you'll find something in it that you make a positive out of some way or other.
Very inspiring -- you're able to both see where you are and also strive for higher flight =)
Those studies you spoke of I can validate with some anecdotal knowledge -- my father, who tends to be a very rational based person, worked as an ER doctor and always told me that when people would come into the ER "on the edge", he could almost always tell who would make it or not just based on their attitude. When people had given up, they were usually going to die. When they had that fire to live in their eyes, the opposite.
@@ReWildUniversity Oh wow, didn't know that about your dad. His testament is perfect example and evidence, seeing it first paw. That had to been kind of difficult for him, to work on someone and more or less "know" the result, but... it is one of those jobs you just have to do and give the Px every possible opportunity no matter what. I've seen some of it with members of the family... they'd be in bad shape, but soon as they were griping and giving everybody a hard time and being awnery again, you knew they were going to be OK hehe.
I figured something like this out when I was 15 or 16. I started changing things to better fit my life then. Some changes stuck some moved a bit as I payed less attention to them. When I turned 50 I decided to apply more changes. I feel that the number 50 is a scary milestone in my life. I have dropped so much anger from my life and stress. I intentionally let people in line in front of me at times. I have decided to be happy right where i am at. No more running through life at full speed. I decided to like Jazz. Just because I have always hated it. Lol. I have found a new world of music and have lowered my blood pressure listening to it. Good stuff. There seems to be no end to learning who I am. I have lost myself to going through life in robot mode for to many years. Who I am now is a good question actually. Not sure. I am still a work in progress that is always subject to change.
Wonderful words. The realization that it's not just things like alcohol or drugs that might get us "lost", but just the habit of years of life that becomes, as you so aptly put it, "robotic". I love that at 50 (same age as me, about), you're re-assessing and starting on a more intentional path. We're still spring chickens in my mind, at least, and it's the perfect time to make sure that the paths before us are strong ones =)
I miss these kind of videos. I doubt you remember, but back in 2016 or so during your forest monk program I inquired about it and so badly wanted to do it. The main thing that held me back was the winter projects. Being in WI I know how bad they could get back then (Everything seems to be a month later as far as starting an ending for the seasons now). Idk if that part is still in your process but I would try to convince you to let me skip that part if I could haha.
I did your cold shower thing incorrectly and went from steaming hot to seemingly freezing cold and my lungs seized up for a while, cause I did it wrong. I want to stress to anyone reading that I DID IT WRONG. I didn't follow the steps. That was why I didn't wanna do the program. But now, Now that I am 32 I feel a lot more ready to be challenged mentally. Thank you Kenton. You have opened my mind so much to understanding anger and expectations and fear. You are what we need more of in this society. Heck World even with all the anger and divisiveness.
Growing up you had to have a whole desktop computer to access the internet and that used to be an inclusive space. I noticed as soon as I was out of Highschool smart phones really picked up and suddenly everyone was just so ANGRY at each other. Much love and hope!
Hi my friend! Oh yes, the winter parts of those programs are HARSH! Not sure if you're still interested, but I'm doing a summer program this spring -- rewildu.com/three-month-peaceful-warrior-intensive/ It would indeed be amazing to work with you after all these years!!! =) Send me an email if you want to talk about it!
Love,
Kenton =)
Beliefs can be continually reviewed and revised. They can produce a positive outcome, or a negative outcome. A playful attitude can help to allow us to let go of ineffective beliefs and take on new and more effective beliefs. There are also perennial beliefs that are good to hold onto, as well as it is good to have discernment about whatever new beliefs are taken on.
Well said =)
I speak as an ultrarunner. I never really thought about willpower but here is me: I have #1 intention, desire, will. I have #2 emotion. I have #3 body overall energy/feeling. I have my #4 belief, what I think is possible. If you are in a run and your exhausted really tired and #2, #3, even #4 are near 0, your tank is empty. Then how can you convert #1 into a flood of energy to charge #2, #3, #4. I use the power of #1 and music to bring me to heights. I know that sometimes even #1 may not be in sufficient quantity and you may think this is impossible so the trick is to put one foot in front of another to think about the next step and to just be in a state where you bypass the mind and tap into your spirit yourself your core your essence, your belief is pulling yourself together so you can just keep going. Visualization can occur in a single split second moment and then boom! Of course you have to use that power wisely and not torture your body needlessly, you need to have willpower to know when to give up, when you drop out of a ultramarathon because your suffering far too much and might not make it if your body just gives up, i.e. muscle sprain, leg muscles just stop working... We learn to work together, mind body and spirit are one. All in all, I dont really think about it all (willpower etc), I just be, I just live. :> There is no sense of limit now (in terms of how far or long I can go) and that lack of thinking (definition) of limits makes anything possible so technically I dont need to create any willpower if I just want to do something I can. I hope all this makes sense its kind of like for me personal philosophy of living, life. I like the Rocky IV movie which really goes into the willpower theme. And to just go out and do something whether or not you think you can.
I quit ultra running after 100 races and ten years ago. I still miss it but it’s not willpower but planning, training, and never, ever giving up 😂
Absolutely love this. AND you get major bonus points for putting links to your references in the description. 🙌
It’s really a combination of the placebo effect, and the body and mind’s ability to adapt to stimuli isn’t it?
Yes -- harnessing placebo and adaptation. Exactly =)
It's called Allergic Asthma, I have it as well at certain times of the year, when my allergies strike I can end up coughing uncontrollably.
I prescribe NAC two capsules a day, rest, hydration, and staying away from the none infected for a week 👍
Nice. Already doing the NAC and rest, but none of us have been very good about hydration. We're on it! Thanks, friend!
2 to 4 litres of water a day depending on your size :-) @@ReWildUniversity
...or, maybe 'willpower' is just a fancy name for knowing if we do not rise to the challenge, we'll only get screwed harder?? Gotta wonder.....
At creation, we were created with all power over heaven and earth. We have diminished that power out of guilt thinking we are not worthy of it. When we see guilt in others, then we are seeing guilt in ourselves like a mirror but trying to unload it on others. So when we forgive others, we know we are forgiven. Our power and health returns. We falsely think if we suffer/ self-sacrifice, then we get rid off guilt.
"For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you"
"If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent."
The power of forgiveness. Something we've been exploring recently. Thank you for your words here =)
@@ReWildUniversity Greek word, metanoia covers forgiveness and repentance.
Willpower is like a muscle. Exercise it to increase its strength. Also rest it, or it will fail you.
Very interesting, thank you for this thought provoking video. I will ponder on this for sure. How can I re-create myself through my belief and become a better me?
I hope you find continued gifts in this process, Rebecca. Much magic here =)
Very interesting!
Wow Kenton sick? I guess even the best of us get sick sometimes I have a cough going on too im looking foward to more livestreams get well soon you all
Thanks for the well-wishes! Yeah, I get sick too, lol! I usually try to hide it, just for the challenge, and not let the family know I'm under the weather, but the coughs were tough to cover up in this case =)
Happy New Year's my friends!!!🎉 Great subject! Sorry you and Rebecca are under the weather. Speedy recovery!🙏 your perceptions and expectations definitely play a part on how things occur and show up on your life. Being able to be introspective and adjust is fun and exciting to play with how things come to be. Much love!❤
Happy New Year to you, Gabriela! Thanks for those inspiring words -- we love how you find a way to turn everything into play =) Sending you love!
@@ReWildUniversity ❤
I don't think it's so much that you were wrong than batteries being an imperfect analogy for willpower. Batteries has a max charge, and an emptied state. And current charge can be anywhere in between. Willpower however has no roof, there's no maxed out charge. It could however be argued it has a bottom level, an amptied out state where we can become depressed, catatonic or dysfunctional in general. And our current state can be high or low. And, unlike batteries, we can't plug ourselves in to recharge. We are more complex than that and that might be our biggest problem. People draw inspiration from different sources and utilize them differently. There is no easy answer as to how to increase or recharge your willpower. To an extent, this might come down to basic biology. You are simply born with more or less willpower, just as with other traits, strenghts and weaknesses. We can all improve ourselves but most of us won't ever be in the elites of willpower. And maybe that's a good thing. People who are highly motivated also commits some of the most heinous act of human history. In the words of George Carlin;
“Motivation is bullshit, if you ask me this country could use a little less motivation. The people who are motivated are the ones who are causing all the trouble! Stock swindlers, serial killers, child molesters, Christian conservatives? These people are highly motivated, highly motivated. I think motivation is overrated, you show me some lazy prick who's lying around all day watching game shows and stroking his penis and I'll show you someone who's not causing any fucking trouble ok?”
― George Carlin
Johan, I loved this! Essentially, that's my overall take on this -- that we humans are quite complex, and many of these studies attempt to take things "out of context" in the sense that they try to isolate something like "willpower" which is actually a number of coping methods that we use which are all wrapped up in things like our attitudes about a situation, how rested we are, our current state of health, and endless other factors. =)
Great end quote, by the way!
i think it's ok if some choose to change there believes or if some choose to not change there believes at all and i know that there are some that believe that think january is the real new year and i just also found out now a days most of the miniroty share there difference believe perspective some believe that real new year is in spring time when the trees and plants grow that it's not in january and some believe there is no such thing as new years at all that everything we say in words are made up labels that we made up and some believe that new years is everyday i know how much that i respect everyone's difference point of view perspective perception truths input take on things and opinions too
Ha! Yes! The New Year -- a great example of something that we might consider to be "real", but when looked at from different perspectives, may even be said to not exist, lol!
I have a masters in psychology ... in my graduate program I lost all sense of respect and care about the field of psychology for the same reason you said you stopped taking classes ... as soon as they started trying to push psychology as a "science" i saw the absurdity ... not saying there isn't truth to be found in the field of psychology ... the the very things you discussed ... how the human mind and individual beliefs can influence how the mind actually works ... most psychological studies are inherently flawed and the conclusions are equally flawed and all they do is pigeon hole people into ways of thinking that can be very binding on someone's personal growth.
Very interesting that you can say that from the perspective of having a master's, Phil. I had recently read some information (and included it in a first draft of this video but removed it for brevity) some info I had read about psychological studies being biased to our "Western" mindsets -- that we often imagine that a psychological principle applies to humans in general, but that such things might often only hold to people rooted in the culture in which the experiment was framed. Your final sentence was the most powerful for me -- it's exactly what I experienced here. And it makes me consider where else I and others might be holding ourselves back . . .
@ReWildUniversity not to turn this into a religious discussion or debate what part of the issue is that a teachings that come from the APA are inherently atheist and they reject any spiritual or religious influences on a human being or they do everything in their power to narrow them down to just psychological phenomena
somewhat off topic but I would just like to say that I've really appreciated your channel over the past several years. I found it because I was looking for Bushcraft information but there's so much other useful information on your RUclips channel. I know there's a handful of areas where we fundamentally disagree based on what I've watched of your channel on here but that doesn't mean there's not a lot of wonderful and valuable things I haven't been able to learn from you.
At my job I am the team leader for a team whose primary focus is to promote Wellness & resiliency among our staff. There was something you went through in one of your videos that if I remember right you called the sensory meditation. I have made a lot of use of that in my life and it is now one of the things I share with my co-workers and my colleagues. And just to be clear I do give credit where credit is due ( I mean I'm not a Harvard student) and I always tell people that I got my information from rewild University on RUclips
mullein
Yes! We thought we had some stored away for the winter, but now we can't find it. We are using some other herbs, but wishing we had the mullein . . .
It is possible to come by helpful beliefs by reading studies, but doesn’t that make a person just as vulnerable to false knowledge? I will suggest as an alternative, neither believing nor disbelieving in things, but going beyond all belief.
I’m going to include a sort of prose poem. If the second paragraph is incomprehensible at this point, just pay attention to the first. Don’t take me for a fully enlightened Buddha, but if I might speak:
The end of belief is to be found in a grain of sand, in a mountain, in a gust of wind, in the bee-balm seed heads waving in the meadow; it is to be found in water, in the obscure patterns of the herbs growing by the riverside-
it is to be found by one who goes up into the forests, into the meadows, neither too high nor too low, and sits under a tree of good and kindly nature: a pine or a hemlock, a Bodhi fig, or whatsoever tree is welcoming to such a person as would seek wisdom, or in the meadow, or any such place, and, thus sitting, they go beyond all concepts. Going beyond all concepts, they perceive true nature. Seeing no self, they aren’t worried. Not having anything to do with existence or non-existence, they don’t argue about things. Having nothing to doubt, they aren’t in doubt. Knowing God like a friend, they don’t believe anything, for God is the destroyer of belief.
That isn’t to say that belief that liberates people isn’t useful-quite to the contrary! I’m just giving a slightly different perspective.
I love it, and we'd definitely agree in essence here. Indeed, much of my life has been about trying to do just as your words suggest -- to let go of belief entirely. At times I've thought I'm "there", but I always seem to find places where belief is secretly holding on inside me, creating limitation or coloring the world. I'm so glad you brought up this alternative perspective!! =)
You are right-it is so difficult! It is probably very hard to stay in a state like that for very long except for hermits or other people of exceptional situation or skill, and often even if beliefs aren’t present in the moment, there are blocks present that prevent us from seeing things really clearly, and we revert to ideas when we have to do something. In an ordinary situation and sense, the best we can hope for is not clinging to beliefs as “mine” and being open to revising them based on reality. But then, on a higher level, it could be said that there isn’t an “I” believing, just beliefs…
I am reveling in your words, my friend! Someone who has deeper understandings, and yet humility and compassion. It's always interesting to see when people present such ideas (which we can read about and mimic from online sources or books), and present them as if "you should know better! There is no "I"! I henceforth disregard all of your videos, as you are obviously dwelling in ignorance!". I'd wager, perhaps, that when we belittle others' understandings, we may still have a of understanding to do ourselves. Or at least, we have lost sight of the broader context of "upayas", and forgotten how to relate to others so as to help them along their own paths.
You, however, display yourself as a fellow traveler -- obviously a wise one who has explored deeply, and also one who has the wisdom to acknowledge the difficulties along the way.
Always a joy to read your comments.
I’m glad to hear! As you said, it is easy enough to imitate wisdom superficially, but perhaps we are furthest from wisdom when we cling to beliefs we consider to be “wise”.
Skillful means are very important too. It’s easy to say the wrong things to the wrong people and cause them confusion or irritation, even though they might be true on one level or another and useful to another person. I worry that I did that with my original comment with the statement and going on a poetic splurge…
Thank you for your replies too; it has been an interesting conversation.
Thank you that's absolutely brilliant 🪷