My Australian Cattle Dog (Blue Heeler)
It’s fun to watch your own mind create a trap in which it then flutters around like a dragonfly in a web. For example, there’s a book on Amazon that concentrates practical experience in rehabilitating a climber/golfer’s elbow, medically speaking medial epicondylitis. But the asking price of $41.61 is abnormal for Amazon, where the book typically costs between $9.99 and $19.99. It would seem, what difference does it make - $10, $50 or $100, the main thing is to solve the excruciating problem as soon as possible? But no, the mind is indignant: “This is unheard of! Robbery! A book can’t cost that much!”. I have to literally force my will to overcome the mental barrier, understanding its absurdity. After all, it is correct to compare not in the category of “Books,” but in the category: “Any alternative ways of solving my problem.
This illustrates the peculiarity of the functioning of the mind - to understand the value of X, it needs Y for comparison. And if I don’t behave as its master, but let the whole process run its course, then, like a naughty dog, the mind finds something to occupy its teeth with on its own. From the position of the mind, the objects chosen for comparison are relevant. But as the master of the mind-dog, I am usually unhappy with his choices. Why?
The mind does not consider my interest and my context. In other words, the dog’s perspective is always local and the master’s is always global. So to avoid irritation and bitterness of loss, I need to tell the mind the criteria for making a decision in advance. Even if you are lucky enough to have a very high IQ, still the mind cannot be delegated the answer to the question, “How do I think about it?” It just isn’t capable of that. Even smart dogs like the Border Collie or the Australian Heeler don’t know the owner’s value system until the latter, through methodical training, takes the trouble to pass it on.
Conclusion — local superefficiency turns into nothing if the global sense is missed or silenced. This is worth remembering for parents who think that their son is somehow misbehaving, but in his actions and words show him contradictory values. Similarly, the founder is kidding himself if he requires his employees to act wisely, but doesn’t bother to clearly describe what kind of business they need to build in the long run.
Yours sincerely,
-Alexander
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