The First Right Answer
This photo of a bed spring came from Flickr contributor Jen84
Sometimes the exploration of an idea or search for truth is terminated abruptly when one stumbles across an aphorism or tidy statement that seems to provide an answer or sum up the thought process. I call this a “thought terminating cliché”. When this happens take a moment to look further.
Don’t stop at the first right answer.
How do you distinguish between a thought terminating cliché and a flash of inspiration?
We all receive flashes of insight or inspiration. I believe that at least some of these gifts of thought come from God through the Holy Ghost. Perhaps evil ideas also enter our mind when it is properly conditioned to receive them. How do you tell the difference?
This is the process I have used with a credible measure of success.
FEEL -> ACT -> EVALUATE
Let’s say you are searching for an answer to a problem. An idea enters your mind. Act on it, put it to the test then evaluate the outcome. You may need to repeat the process several times until you are satisfied you have your answer. It is important to consider the possible negative outcomes before you act. In some cases it may be wise to seek out the second and third right answers before acting. Here is a juvenile example of not considering the consequences before acting.
As long as I can remember I have enjoyed making things, creating and experimenting. Sometimes I discover a unique looking object and ponder for days how I can make it useful.
When I was quite young, before becoming a teenager, I came across a burned out mattress that consisted of dozens of coil springs wired together. I had a flash of insight that lead me to believe I could cut out a couple of springs and tie them to my shoes so that I could bounce up and down the street, kind of like bouncing on a pogo stick. It wasn’t long before I had the springs wired to my shoes but they merely collapsed under my weight. My next flash of insight was that jumping off the roof of the building behind the Smith twins house would somehow make the springs work better.
It didn’t.
Fortunately I wasn’t hurt. Years later I learned my father had done the same thing when he was young and that is one reason why he had bad feet and a game knee.
Now here is the most important point. The ability to tune into inspiration is a skill. It can be improved with practice or lost through indolence. Be curious. Don’t let a thought terminating cliché stop your search.
Here is some sage advise from The Screwtape Letters by C S Lewis
”The more often he feels without acting, the less he will be able ever to act, and, in the long run, the less he will be able to feel.”
You can choose to act and be a hero or to be acted upon and be a victim.
Application
This week:
• Identify a thought terminating cliché.
• Practice “Feel -> Act -> Evaluate” and write down what you learn.