to con — which ultimately means whether you're running your life or other
people are — depends a great deal upon whether you treat words as signals
or symbols.
A signal is an event or a sign intended to incite you to immediate action.
For example, if you were in a foot race, the crack of the starter's pistol
is a signal for you to get started at once. Which means there's no thought
involved. But there usually is emotion involved.
A symbol, on the other hand, represents something other than itself.
And so it's not intended to incite you to immediate action. Therefore,
you don't react to a symbol directly, but to whatever it is that you believe
it was intended to represent. Which means that there is thought involved.
But usually no emotion.
Epictetus put it well when he said: Be not swept off your feet by the
vividness of the impression, but say:
Impression, wait for me a little. Let me see what you are and what
you represent. Let me try you.
What it all boils down to is this. If you treat words as signals, others
can push your buttons very easily making you feel something instead of
think something. And when you're in that state, they can get you to do
whatever they want you to do. Which means that they run your life. And
you don't.
But conversely, if you treat words as symbols, then others can't push
your buttons because you don't have any.
Therefore, they can't make you feel something instead of think something.
Which means they can't get you to do whatever they want you to do. Which
means that you run your life. And they don't.
It's really that simple.
Think about it. |
