The Way we Think

There is a life law stating “The way we think, brings the results we have in life. Consequently, if we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change.” That same insight is reflected in the 12 step program's definition of insanity: ”Doing the same thing over and over again but each time expecting a different result.” The drunk thinks that this time he can safely drive drunk, the diabetic eat high calorie foods without going into shock, the dieter binge on super sodas and French fries without gaining weight, etc. Each time I listen to the news, especially relating to the fiscal, immigration, healthcare, or gun debates I find myself reflecting on these truisms and just how insane our actions and attempts at problem solving often are.

Successful people and businesses are successful precisely because they are willing to look at current results to find the insights needed to make positive changes. They are not locked into a specific ideology or way of doing something. They are not only willing to accept what is actually going on as a result of their thoughts and practices, but they then choose to change the way they approach and think about challenges them. They seek to reframe their problem using completely different paradymes so that the challenges can be approached from entirely new perspectives. They start with a desired end result (increased sales, increased safety, more innovation) and then work backward instead of defending current practices and specific belief systems. We need to do the same thing regarding family conflicts, social issues, financial challenges, political stalemates.

For instance, if a stream is polluted and the source of pollution is defined, it is illogical to expect that stream to clean up that stream by adding more pollution. If a specific medication causes specific side effects, things will not improve by increasing the dosage. Yet when it comes to gun violence a commonly argued solution is adding more guns to the population. Perhaps we could find some common ground if we chose to reframe the issue by looking at gun violence as a health issue, by looking a guns as possessions similar to cars that require licenses, special insurance, and training.

There is a life law stating “The way we think, brings the results we have in life. Consequently, if we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change.” That same insight is reflected in the 12 step program's definition of insanity:”doing the same thing over and over again but each time expecting a different result.” The drunk thinks that this time he can safely drive drunk, the diabetic eat high calorie foods without going into shock, the dieter binge on super sodas and french fries without gaining weight, etc. Each time I listen to the news, especially relating to the fiscal, immigration, healthcare, or gun debates I find myself reflecting on these truisms and just how insane our actions and attempts at problem solving often are.

Joyce Shutt is pastor emeritus of the Fairfield Mennonite church.