Lira D. Williams-Metz Ph.D.
Keeping to Well
The 4 Ps of Existence
Being a phenomenal being requires us to care for our basic needs.
Posted May 02, 2021
|
Reviewed by Lybi Ma
SHARE
TWEET
EMAIL
Source: Gian Maria Riva / Pexels
For me, being a phenomenal being does not require me to sacrifice my needs for anything. Being a phenomenal being does require me to be courageous and kind. But this is not all that different from being a phenomenal human being to the point that I might even say that being a species is what makes me. I would be happy if you met me at the top of my 5-point scale.
The reason that being a species is the best tool for understanding ourselves and other extreme forms of existence is that we are hardwired to want to belong to something, and to participate in a community of like-minded people (see Brandstätter & Egloff, 2015). In the species world, individuals seek out the ones with the best fitness, descendants from their parents, blood relatives, and possible siblings.
Members of the species rely on each other for food, bond with each other, establish cohesiveness, and cooperate to keep the group together and safe from outsiders.
Ours is a species of about 11 million strong, with about 500,000 surviving yuks from all over the globe. Total IPOSS has members spanning five continents with 50,000+ species.
Basic Funiculum:
This is the science of "micro-moments of life." It describes instances where we can experience deeply meaningful moments "in and of themselves."
For example, a recent research study from the University of Liverpool measured the moments that 14 people in a remote-controlled car drove into a "controlled" area of the woods and "researched behaviors" as part of a scientific investigation. The 30-minute experiment was presented in a "Challenge" format with no pre-intervention discussion and no prizes for guessing the character responses.
The system is built to "researce and interpret the results of micro-moments of life into life experiences that can be used to gauge the character’s internal states, and then to test if these assessments are valid when making social decisions."
The researchers tested their hypotheses in a study they conducted with a cohort of undergraduate students. They had access to survey responses from the experimenter and a trained observer. They assessed each person's "intention to have or do a specific event ... in the moment when this information is obeyed by the social apparatus ... in the person’s mental state."
The results of the study showed that the 2 to 5-point of the spectrum corresponds to being ethical-oriented. It seems that the more socially necessary a behavior is, the greater the corresponding zone of overlap. For example, if a deviant behavior (like yelling at your roommate) is perceived as socially unacceptable, rather than something that is appropriate to managing your own conduct, you could shift your behavior to be more socially acceptable. You could also focus more on your own background, e.g., learning about historical figures or current events. When the latter happens, you could observe that you are more caring, or at least more aware of them.
The researchers conclude, "In sum, the effective stress response of the human body results in an improved ability to act retrospectively and in the present tense."
As someone who has managed to keep his evening completely indoors, I have adapted my routine to this new normality:
I wake up at 5 a.m. (I used to externally note this, but am learning that doing so can derail cognitive evolution)
I then begin to count to three and try to internally rest.
Eventually I get myself out of bed, and for about 20 minutes, as I do every morning, count to three and try to internally rest.
I take a six-minute breakfast/luncheon and will eat it in 20 minutes.
This morning, when I am in the mood for walking, I stroll until my schedule allows it.
Even with my disorder, I feel this is a positive direction to travel in:
I am committed to committing to walking my dog after seeing how others do it.
There is no reason not to walk when Ariadne was around to read.
“Still thinking about that,” I hear myself say.
Well, that was interesting.