James spends the first half of this
chapter on The Will explaining the
difference between precipitate (extremely impulsive actions) and obstructed (over-inhibited)
will. In addition, he also discusses a unique conception called ‘ideo-motion’
action which is action without expressing effort or decision (p. 84). He goes
on to talk about how higher emotions will essentially trump a lower one, also
referred to as, “expulsive power of the higher emotion” (p. 85). The more I
read I began thinking about different examples to help make my own associations
with the material. When he talks about “two ideas oscillating in a kind of
deadlock, called the state of hesitation or deliberation”, is this similar to
cognitive dissonance? In the first scenario the cold temperatures upon awaking
from sleep are forgotten for a moment and the idea of getting up will
immediately spring into action. Is this habit? While the second scenario talks
about feeling a sense of duty to get out of bed and this feeling may become so strong
that it determines the act of getting up. Is this motivation or will?
One of the difficult things about
enveloping one’s cognitions in the world of communication and psychology, such
as myself, is the tendency to analyze every word, phrase, gesture, and the
like. For me, finding a balance between what James calls “impulsive actions and
inhibitions” is a daily challenge for me (p. 88). I concern myself too often
with how I interact in certain situations, the way I communicate in
conversations, and how I should respond in an emotionally charged situation. When
reading this particular passage it was as if a warm blanket of comfort came
over me and I realized that although it’s not uncommon to over analyze, it is
not benefiting me to the extent that it should. He wrote, “…talk can be
brilliant indeed. But its flame waxes dim where the mind is stitched all over
with conscientious fear of violating the moral and social properties” (p. 88).
I’m at that point in my life, through my education and my experiences that I
don’t need to scrutinize and so deeply reflect on every single current, past,
or future interaction. It’s exhausting! I believe that I can “act energetically
under an array of inhibitions”, say what I think and feel with poise and
articulation.
I am beginning to recognize the
importance of passive/voluntary attention and the role it plays in the classroom.
Trying to get students attention and then keeping it, with all the other
physical and psychological distractions, is no easy task, but I think James has
caught onto something with regard to “inhibition by substitution” (p. 94). Teachers
shouldn’t demand attention, which sometimes to I’ve attempted to do, and now I
know why it wasn’t effective. The key is to make whatever it is being discussed
so much more fascinating and interesting that it trumps or dilutes the
attractiveness of what they were previously preoccupied with.
I liked this quote from the video,
with regard to effort, “He who can make none is but a shadow, he who can make
much is a hero”. It is easy to operate on a daily basis off our habits; they
don’t require much cognitive effort in my opinion. It’s the actions that demand
attention, demand resolution, or demand a desired outcome; those require effort
and at times more effort than we can even muster. But tenacity, determination,
and will can create opportunities for
people to achieve things they previously thought were impossible. It’s effort
for me to run every other day, to cook dinner sometimes, to partake in my
household chores, to prepare for class, to deal with difficult students or
colleagues, or to resolve a conflict. However, similar to what Mr. Richardson
says in the video, life is full of ups and downs, it’s those who “can stand the
world, accept reality, even an ugly and unwanted reality is the hero”.
No comments:
Post a Comment