The Reaction Trap

In our daily lives, we constantly interact with the world around us, which creates an interesting challenge. Our minds, always ready to respond to what's happening, often get caught up in a cycle of reactions - this can hurt both our emotional balance and our ability to make good decisions. We basically "hook" our "actions" to every external "event" or "stimulus".

The way we respond to these events is deeply rooted in our human nature and has been with us throughout history. Let's look at how this has played out in different times and how we can pause, think and respond better. And ultimately, create our own unshakeable core (values, principles, goals).

The Digital Age

Today, we face an overwhelming amount of information - a constant stream of digital content that splits our attention and creates ongoing worry about everything from stock prices to world politics.

• Keeping a tap on every news on every other topic.
• Keeping up to date about every other internet celebrity.
• Selling or buying stocks based on wars, rumors, etc.

The Ancient Past

Our ancestors, while dealing with different challenges, showed similar reactive behaviors. Even though the external stimuli and hooks were different, the pattern was the same. Spending too much energy constantly watching for dangers from predators and enemy groups, instead of creating better ways to stay safe.

In both the cases, it's not wrong to be informed. But it's wrong to let the outside world dictate your actions, especially if your actions are not related to what your goal is.

This creates a constant state of anxiety and worry. Over time this leads to a loss of focus, clarity, and making good decisions is compromised. This results in deviation from your internal compass (values, principles, goals).

The solution, I believe, is to develop what ancient philosophers called an "unshakeable core" - a strong sense of who we are and what we believe in. By staying true to our fundamental values and goals, we can better handle life's challenges with strength and clear direction. Ultimately, we need to identify the correct set of principles to guide our actions. Speaking analogously to the digital age, we should limit the number of followers/hooks/subscriptions - in our daily lives.