A world where the angel đź and the devil đ in our minds collide. Welcome.
Lex & Tim!
âCivilization happened quickly, but our brains changed slowly.â - Tim Urban, Whatâs Our Problem
Instead of incessantly listening to music, Iâve recently begun listening to podcasts.Â
âOmg, my 2 favorite content creators! Fuck yeah!â
I saw Lex Friedman hosting a podcast with Tim Urban â and that's the podcast that got me hooked.Â
Starting from minute 53:00 of the podcast, Lex and Tim uncovered a fascinating dichotomy between our primitive mind, driven by survival instincts, and our higher mind, the gatekeeper of rational decision-making. Donât worry if youâre confused, I was too. Let me explain.Â
Primitive mind: concerned with survival, more stubborn and tribal. Without training, it is in our nature, our default mode of thinking and reacting.
Higher mind: responsible for more complex decision-making, requires conscious effort. This leads to more logical and reasonable decisions.
A battle
Since ancient times, our instincts have led us to avoid danger to increase our chances of survival. Our bodies and minds have evolved very little since then; human nature stays constant. However, as civilization develops, our more âadvancedâ society and lifestyle norms are becoming vastly different from what the human body and mind used to be.
While humans are wired to seek instant gratification, weâre living in a world that rewards delayed satisfaction. Some examples include:Â
Food choicesđą. Our hardwired system tells us to eat the type of food that would help us survive the longest in nature. Thus, weâre naturally more inclined to choose sugary, oily, and fatty foods. No wonder salty, crispy Mcdonaldâs fries always look so temptingđ. A cup of rich vanilla and strawberry flavored gelato is all we want on a hot summer dayđ¨. Ah, how much I wish to indulge in a dense chocolate brownie with caramel oozing out from the middle- Wait wait wait.
In a calorie-abundant environment, our bodies function better when we listen to our higher mind and consume a balanced diet of carbs, protein, and fats.
Work procrastinationđď¸. Our body tells us to conserve energy, so the primitive mind prefers to relax on the couch and watch TV instead of performing activities that require more mental and physical energy, such as going on a run or writing an essay.
On the contrary, the higher mind recognizes the value of productivity, nudging us to check things off a to-do list.Â
Fear of criticism and rejectionđ°. Often, when we have a conversation with someone who disagrees with our opinion, we take it personally because the primitive mind sees it as a potential threat. Thus, listening to someone with polarized viewpoints and considering their perspective requires our higher mind to operate.
The primitive mind doesn't like to change, whereas the higher mind is willing to adapt to new beliefs given. Itâs logical.Â
Elena the⌠unhealthy teenager?
For the past few weeks, I was stuck in a rut of not wanting to do work or exercise, feeling drowsy 24/7, combined with a hundred random food cravings invading my brainâźď¸ Although itâs normal for people to have periods of low motivation, I still felt like I was sabotaging the progress Iâve made this year. I was trapped in a negative loop. I thought that my identity de-evolved into a person with an unhealthy lifestyle.
Is that so?
As I was listening to a podcast, I encountered a moment of realization - yes, my primitive mind dominated my actions for a while, but this is not who I am. A transformative moment came when I recognized that I can âactivateâ the higher mind to regain the healthy lifestyle I worked hard to attain. I gave myself time and space to make changes, rediscovering a disciplined routine in June :)))
Who wins?
Time after time, the angel and the devil clash within us, pulling us in opposite directions. While acknowledging that the primitive mind helps maintain our basic survival, we can only optimize our modern lifestyle through the lens of the higher mind. When the devilâs voice is louder, we can make conscious choices to resist temptations. In a realm of desires and ambitions, let us embrace innate conflict through awareness. This way, we can empower our higher mind to attain victory in the battle for self-improvement and fulfillmentđ.
Be authentic, be vulnerable
Elena đ