YOU...part two

                             “Know thy self… The unexamined life is not worth living” 

                                                                                                               ~ Socrates

 

 “We need more understanding of human nature, because the only real danger that exists is man himself. He is the great danger. And we are pitifully unaware of it. We know nothing of man ... far too little. His psyche should be studied — because we are the origin of all coming evil”                                          

   ~ C.G. Jung

 

 “What you’re aware of is a decision, but you’re not aware of what makes you do the decision”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

                                                                                                                        ~ Francis Crick

 

If you like what I've said and you’re still with me, great!

From this point on one thing is for sure..... I can't promise you each blog will be 500 words or less. Each section from here on out will require us to dive a little deeper beneath the surface in search of the answer to, "why we do what we do?".... And the specifics of nutrition and exercise.

Before we begin I must first thank my wife Kim. I've attempted to write many blogs and books about health and fitness before and she has always been there to edit my mess.

(I know what I think... that is until I read what I write. She has always been there to help make sense of my ADD mind)

But the one thing I want to thank her about the most (besides marring me and raising the most incredible kids) is a brilliant question she asked me after another failed attempt to put my thoughts on paper regarding fitness.

She stated, in a very sensitive tone... "Kelly, this is great, but people know what to do.....a great question to address is why don't they do it?"

If it had not been for Kim's simple question, I would still be like most of you.... focusing on the solution...rather than trying to understand the problem.

Newton said, "If I have seen further than most it’s because I've stood on the shoulders of giants."

In my case those shoulders belong to my wife....thanks Kim.

So now let’s sit back, kick your feet up, and get back to YOU...

In my first blog about YOU, I stated "You cannot change what you do not acknowledge." This of course is only one part of change.....of course the most important part...but still only one part.

Most times the "acknowledgement" leaves us focusing on the manifestations (i.e. behaviors...eating, drinking, drugs, sex, etc.), rather than understanding the complexity of the origins of human desires.

For a moment...I want you to envision an Iceberg.

(Visualize the tip above the surface...now...visualize the large mass beneath the surface)

Because the density of fresh water ice is less than that of sea water, typically only one-tenth of the volume of an iceberg is above water. The shape of the underwater portion can be difficult to judge by looking at the portion above the surface. This has led to the expression, "tip of the iceberg"... when only a small portion of the entire (and usually larger) problem or situation is visible.

Let me rephrase this in human terms...

We are all individuals floating on the surface in the sea of life.

Each individual is a unique combination of genetically coded biology and environmental conditioning, which makes it very difficult to judge what lies beneath the surface.

This diverse and unique combination of genetics and environment is what makes each of us "believe what we believe", and therefore "do what we do."

Although we are different, we all struggle - it has been well documented throughout human history.

Take a look...

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do”

                                                                                                                  ~ Roman 7:15

 “I yearn to be free of pain but rush straight into it; I long for happiness, but foolishly crush it like an enemy”                                                                                               ~ Shantideva

 

"No matter how sincerely and passionately I choose to do good, I keep doing the opposite. I make a declaration of my most deeply held values, only to find myself furtively betraying them. I take a vow to dedicate myself to the welfare of others, but remain resolutely committed to my own well-being. I desire truth and find nothing but uncertainty. Even when a calm, authoritative voice whispers that I am contradicting myself by indulging a compulsion, why do I find it so hard to resist? It’s as if a part of me feels hypnotized, as if it is sleepwalking, under a spell, addicted to a sensation it cannot renounce. I know why I shouldn’t be doing what I am, but I can’t seem to help it. The struggle to resist temptation is like the struggle to resist the pull of a tide. And these longings seem but pale shadows of that deeper and darker drift of our own existence, which is known as the devil”                                              

                                                                                                                 ~ Stephen Batchlor

YOU are not alone.

One of my statements in my first blog was,

"You do what you do because you get something from it."

So what do we get?

Consequences....you get consequences.

The consequences from eating in moderation are most times health and limited trips to the doctor’s office.  The consequences you get from over eating are weight gain and most times health issues.

But looking at the consequences is like looking at the “tip of the iceberg.”  What we see is just a manifestation of what’s happening beneath the surface.  What’s happening below the surface is ironically located at the top of our head.

The next couple of sections will focus on the two main determining factors as to-

"Why we do what we do”

The next sections will cover the blind drives of biology and the learned behaviors from our environment.