The world is a funny place, it’s incredibly temperamental yet extremely fun. It’s completely unforgiving and also can be extremely helpful. It’s very colourful and exciting, and it’s very uncertain. So how do you navigate this uncertainty?

Well the world is constantly in a state of flux, things are always changing that are way beyond our control. But there is something that you can control. Yourself!

There are so many great ideas from history’s greatest thinkers that touch upon these things, so it’s no mere coincidence that the keys to navigating the world are basically all the same. The secrets of the universe are all the same, gasp!

In Eastern Philosophy, e.g. Zen and Buddhism etc, they talk about the external world and the internal world and in order to master the universe you must first seek inward to master yourself. In other words it is known as a Locus of Control, internal and external.

As a man, true masculinity is focusing on that internal locus of control and really mastering it, not being phased by the external environment, Hollywood’s latest example of this is Ryan Gosling in Drive (minus the violence of course). Completely non reactive, so go check it out if you haven’t done so already.

The great management and human relations expert Dr. Steven Covey, in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, talks about Circles of Influence. Basically he talks about just focusing on and taking responsibility for those things that we can control, and not to worry about the bullshit that we can’t control, like the world!

“Instead of reacting to or worrying about conditions over which they have little or no control, proactive people focus their time and energy on things they can control. The problems, challenges, and opportunities we face fall into two areas–Circle of Concern and Circle of Influence.

Proactive people focus their efforts on their Circle of Influence. They work on the things they can do something about: health, children, problems at work. Reactive people focus their efforts in the Circle of Concern–things over which they have little or no control: the national debt, terrorism, the weather. Gaining an awareness of the areas in which we expend our energies in is a giant step in becoming proactive.”

When you focus only on what you can control and something doesn’t go your way, then it’s something you can’t control. If you’ve controlled yourself, take a small victory for yourself for remaining unshaken!

That’s how you navigate through the wild waters, because the waves of uncertainty will come and go, but when you have the right internals dialed in, then you just roll with the punches. I always say to my girlfriend that it takes a lot to actually piss me off and the reason is when I focus on what it is I can control and something doesn’t go to plan, it doesn’t go to plan. I have to let it be, let the universe do it’s thing.

And so should you

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

~Oliver Wendell Holmes

I am sure, with no doubt, that any person has asked, at least, once in life, this question. Well, I just had an insight, based on a dream. Now, honestly, I don’t believe in paying too much attention to dreams, especially since my subconscious has a very weird sense of humor . But this time, what matters more is not the dream itself, but the ideas it led me to. And it highly relates to the question in the beginning. Not as a question the I myself am asking, but as one everyone is asking. Please consider this article as a mirror. It will help you find better its signification.

Ana-Maria Iana [ro, blog] has asked the question at the end of this article [ro, blog].  I have answered to it. The answer came as an insight. Now let me tell you about a dream. Please pay attention, this is going to lead in a very precise point.

I dreamed myself about 5-6 years ago, when I was more unsure of myself than I am now. I perceived the dream as rather long. Certain situations appeared, which made me wonder and seek answers. Ana-Maria appeared in my dream at least 2 times, the last time being more relevant. I was in a tram with her, she was going to work and we stopped at, what was in the dream, a common friend, Tom [en, php]. Ana interacted with Tom, talking about daily routine stuff. I dreamed both of them as I perceived each of them in real life. Ana was especially firm, strong and encouraging. After the meeting, Ana and me went back on the tram, at which moment I said to her:

Stefan Alexandrescu: “I know what I’m looking for in you”

Ana-Maria Iana:”You did?”

Stefan Alexandrescu: “Yes. I’m looking to be more sure of myself. And you came with some answers to my questions”.

Somewhere around this moment, the dream stops. Now, the weird thing is that, to my conscious  knowledge, Ana and Tom don’t know each other. BUT Ana, in the dream, looks very much like a common friend me and Tom had, during gymnasium, where, by the way we met and became friends. The common friend we actually had,in opposition to Ana’s attitude in the dream, was totally unsure of herself. I dreamed of her the way I would have liked her to be: more confident. In the same time, in the dream, this strong source of confidence for me was Ana. But, as Ana would certainly say in real life, she doesn’t have the answers to other people’s questions. That’s why she essentially asked in the quoted article [ro, blog]: “What is it about me, that attracts the people?” – a question about herself, in relation to others.

Now let us think a little bit on this question, which is a better version of the classical transactional analysis question: “why is this happening to ME?”. Many of us, have this question, as it satisfies a pattern, and a quite disempowering one. So I asked myself the question: “why is that happening to people?” . Also, from the standpoint of NLP, it’s classified as an psychological search pattern, opposed to “how”. I pause to pay a little attention to the difference here. The bipolarity of “why?” vs. “how” was, to my knowledge, first asserted by Alfred Korzybski in 1933, in the greatest epistemology treaty “Science and Sanity [en, html]” and was further developed into a metaprogram [ro, blog]. The “why” orientation asks for a causal argumentation for a link between the past and the present , an explanation of content . It is a driving question in psychotherapy. “How” on the other side, focuses on a process, and is a driving question in coaching. Each of them are appropriate in certain contexts. And the difference is relevant here. I have invariably met more people asking the “why is this happening” than people asking “how is it happening”. It is my assertion that if I had more customers asking me the “how” question, I would have made a lot more money from people that are focusing on active solutions rather than simple passive understanding (which is not so simple, as you will see).

A possible answer came to me from Harry Potter – the cinema series. I offer you here a short moment from “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”, directed by Chris Columbus. If in time it disappears from youtube, it’s the scene with the Mirror of Erised (anagram for “desire”).

Many people are unconsciously looking for this kind of mirrors, which would answer to the question: “Mirror, mirror on the wall, tell me what I’m looking for”. That is natural. It’s also a good strategy for people with money, which pay consultants not only to give them answers, but especially  find the right questions for them (which, in some case, may be “how” questions rather than “why” questions). Psychologically, people look into mirrors to find an information which is external to them. Sometimes, people do the same when they go looking for zodiac, horoscope, palm reading, signs in the sky or superstitions. These claim to provide a qualified answer from an authority. This kind of belief in a magical, superstitious form of knowledge, is based on the very subtle belief that there is something else, outside of our power, which controls our life. This a very current belief in Romanians especially and in Balkanics particularly: that there is a kind of driving force in nature, which makes their life go into one direction or the other. This kind of thinking implies an external locus of control, tragically often combined with an internal frame of reference (I have written more on this topic in Romanian, in the article “Ce este şi ce nu este cadrul de referinţă [ro, blog]“).

Personal & professional development use a different conviction: “You are the master of your life. Everything that happens in your life is your responsability. You have the free choice to opt for one option or another.”. This kind of thinking may very well be misunderstood, especially for those seeking understanding, for/from the inside/the outside.

Now let’s go back to the Mirror of Desire. Like all the symbols in “Harry Potter”, the mirror has a satanic, occult signification [en, CFML] To quote the commenter of this blog post[en, blog], “magic is simply science that has yet to be understood. Before one could log onto a laptop and read the news report or Hollywood Illuminati and before the invent of the tv and radio, there was a crystal ball or a black mirror that allowed the occulist to see and read about events all over the world [...] Magic is the use of unseen forces to manipulate either mental, emotional or physical.”. These “unseen forces” are called in Christianity “demons”, and they have the knowledge of everything which has happened and is happening, and they have the power to read gestures and especially deep desires, in everyone. This kind of knowledge can be presented in such a mirror. Please correlate with the wiki entries for the Mirror of Erised from Harry Potter:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_mirror_of_ERISED:Harry_Potter#The_Mirror_of_Erised

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Muggles%27_Guide_to_Harry_Potter/Magic/Mirror_of_Erised

Now back to me. Like Ana, I had this question, about myself. But first, I gave the answer to Ana for her question, and just now, I have realized the answer for myself. it was easy for me to give the answer to Ana, for two reasons:

1. My job is to know (and explain to others) how people’s mind work. In marketing, I am paid to explain how consumers think, in order to promote a certain product/service/organization. In human resources, I am paid to explain employers and (potential) employees how their mind works, how it doesn’t work and how to make up for the gap between what is and what would actually work better, within an organizational framework. Therefore, some people think of me that I have the answers, when in reality, all I have is the questions. And a little bit of sense of observation. But asking a good question is sometimes more than a good answer, in my opinion, because it empowers the client to find his or her own answer.

2. For those people which see in me “the Mirror of Erised”, I seem (or, in their perspective, I “am deemed”) to have a set of magic tools – magic which is nothing else but science that has yet to be understood. For these persons, I am seen as a “guru” or as a “magician”. It is this kind of belief system that I want to discredit, but, to a certain point the status of  “magician” can be flattering. But let us remind ourselves of what St. Paul is writing in the Epistle to the Corinthians, chapter 13, verse 12: “For now we see through a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I am also fully known.”. In this verse, “now” refers to the earthly life and “then” to the eternal life, the after-life.

I have an exercise I have written about here [en, blog] and in this article: “Who Are You and How Do You See Yourself in the Mirror” [ro, blog]. There, I used the mirror as a metaphor of the fact that we are all looking, in others, for mirrors of ourselves, and each of the people we ask about ourselves will provide a mirror for themselves as well – beacuse we all like about others what we like about ourselves or what we aspire to, and we all dislike about others what we dislike in ourselves or what seems so foreign to ourselves. Now, this is not the kind of thing you usually get confronted to, but it’s also not something you haven’t heard before. I myself know it because I have learned it from  two other men. First, Ana sought a mirror, at the end of this article [ro, blog]. I provided one for her. Then again, in my dream, I was looking for a mirror, and that was Ana for me. A mirror of believing in myself (“a avea încredere” in Romanian), which is semantically similar to “trust” (“a crede“).

Before ending, I subject to your inquiry(to be read: “insight”), the classical mirror scene from “Lady in Shanghai”, where Orson Welles delivers this line: ““One who follows his nature, keeps his original nature in the end, but haven’t you heard of something better to follow?”

I end, not with my words, but with a reflection of Ana-Maria Iana’s article, “De la viata, cu dragoste” [ro, blog]:

<<You are searching for security, safety, a certain creed, a certain “ism”, a place to belong to, to rely on. You have came here out of fear. You want a sort of beautiful prison, thus you can live without acknowledging something. I want to make you more unsure, more unstable, more uncert [...] I don’t want you to trust me, I want you to have courage in front of  me.>>

PS: What is your favorite mirror of the absolute?

]]> http://carolinerigby.wordpress.com/2012/06/14/locus-of-control-rotter-reflects-on-his-work-on-radio-4s-mind-changers/ Thu, 14 Jun 2012 21:23:09 +0000 crrigby http://carolinerigby.wordpress.com/2012/06/14/locus-of-control-rotter-reflects-on-his-work-on-radio-4s-mind-changers/ Mind Changers

The excellent Radio 4 Mind Changers series explored, earlier this year, the impact of Julian Rotter’s (surprisingly pronounced Roter) concept of Locus of Control.  In the programme (made available online from 30th April 2012) Rotter, now in his 90’s, talks with great modesty about the origins and impact of his work. Presenter Claudia Hammond interviews Rotter and others in this entertaining and accessible broadcast uncovering the origins of the concept, its widespread application, the misuse of the concept in some cases and its continued influence in therapeutic settings. For me, hearing first hand from Rotter about his work and his feelings about the impact of his research, is the particular appeal of using this audio resource in the classroom.

AS AQA A Unit 2:  Social Influence

Locus of control remains part of the AS AQA A specification in Unit 2 (PSYA2 Biological Psychology, Social Psychology and Individual Differences) in the context of independent behaviour. The AS textbooks contain research that suggests that those who are more external are more likely to be influenced by others and less likely to remain independent. This is currently in the spec as part of explanations of independent behaviour. The argument being that some people show independent behaviour, rather than conformist or obedient behaviour, because they have a stable personality characteristic that prevents them from being swayed by the influence of others. This is a small part of the spec but an important one, often glossed over to an extent by textbooks. This Radio programme sets the scene perfectly for an informed discussion about whether the application of Locus of Control to predict conforming or obedient behaviour is appropriate.

Locus of Control

Rotter, a Clinical Psychologist, theorised that there was a stable personality characteristic that determined whether we perceived internal or external factors to be responsible for the outcomes of events in our lives. Rotter describes a patient of his who believed in luck and the influence of factors beyond his control. What surprised Rotter was that this perception didn’t change when the patient got better. This led him to propose that this was a stable characteristic. Rotter went on to devise a test to provide an empirical measure of this characteristic. The programme reveals that Rotter’s scientific approach to his research – his drive to make this characteristic measurable – was seen as unusual but refreshing in the clinical field at this time.

5 reasons to use this in the Psychology classroom

There are many reasons to use this audio resource in or outside the classroom with AS Psychology students but here are 5.

1. Not only does this audio explain eloquently what is meant by the concept of Locus of Control but the insight into where it came from is engaging and it is refreshing to hear from a Psychologist first hand (especially as we tend to assume influential Psychologists cited in textbooks are dead!).
2. The programme discusses the pros and cons of the scale and the concept itself as well as the inappropriate application of the concept to predict behaviour. Rotter points out that where you score on the scale, between highly internal and highly external, will only be relevant in novel situations. According to Rotter, experience will always prevail if you have been in that situation before.
3. Rotter is described as taking a highly scientific approach to his work; an approach that was relatively unusual at the time in the clinical field. This allows discussion for focus on why a scientific approach is important.
4. Rotter’s humble and modest response to Claudia Hammond’s question about his feelings about the huge impact of his work is refreshing in a society dominated by the pursuit of fame and fortune. He describes being motivated by wanting to know the answer to questions. A nice way to link to learning and thinking skills and back to the scientific approach.
5. Rotter raises the issue that his own tendency towards being, according to him, more internal than is ideal, biases his perceptions of the concept when asked about how easy it would be to make yourself more internal or more external.

Some practical ideas

This programme is definitely worth listening to prior to teaching this part of the spec but also worth asking students to listen to. At 29 minutes students could listen to this before they look at applying the concept to conformity/obedience as a “homework” task as he programme is available online.  Students could be asked 2 questions:

1. Given what you have learned about Locus of Control from this programme, is it appropriate to use Locus of Control to predict independence in Milgram’s study or Asch’s study? What about outside of the lab?
2. Is it better to be more internal or more external?

The first question should allow students to focus on the idea that situations need to be novel, according to Rotter, for Locus of Control to come into play. In experiments into conformity and obedience the situations are often novel so it seems an appropriate application. Whether this generalises beyond the studies is more questionable. How novel would a situation involving pressure from other people be in the “real world”?

A really interesting listen with lots of scope – highly recommended!

I battled classes from Aleph through to Omega. From Mabul to Timelessness. I was stretched beyond my physical, emotional capacities at times. But I had great friends, professors, and I didn’t snap. 107 credit hours, and by the grace of Jesus, I stand on the cusp of completion.

Some of the teachers that I initially dismissed as being too simplistic taught me some of my most important lessons. The ones that could exegete a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma  left me with wide eyed wonder, but I can’t repeat much of the material from their classes.

One of the most important lessons that I learnt is what is termed the Locus of Control. This term says that as the environment around you changes, you can either attribute success and failure to things you have control over, or to forces outside your influence. The orientation we choose has a bearing on our long-term success. 

Sometimes I chose to blame professors [for the grade I didn't like] the awesome Michigan snow [for making me late, even though I left my house with exactly 37 seconds to spare] or sneaky deadlines [for making me pull an all nighter].

At times I neglected things within my own control, and then got eaten alive by my circumstances outside of my control. God’s grace is a very soothing balm, and so I finish full of excitement, expectation and optimism for the blank canvass of my future! And furthermore my biblical locus trumpets victory.

NIV – 1 John 4:4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

There are three main ways in which stress can affect us: psychologically, physiologically, and behaviorally. Psychologically, we respond to stress in emotional ways like having low self esteem, becoming irritated, feeling sadness or depression, feeling high anxiety or fear, disliking our jobs or the subject we chose to study at school. Physiologically, we respond to stress in ways in which our bodies react like by sweating, a rise in blood pressure, increases or decreases in the hormones our bodies make, lower tolerance to diseases and viruses, trouble breathing, and in countless other ways. Finally, behaviorally, we react to stress by how we act or choose to react like using drugs or alcohol, not showing up to school or work or other obligations, abusing others, abusing our own bodies, taking risks or playing dangerous sports, or working hard to improve something in your life. I m sure you can see how there could be many more responses in each category than what I listed here, and this list might go on forever. Who knows what further things we will learn abotu responses to stress in the future, as well.

As veterans of the armed forces, we chose to take on some pretty serious responsibilities, and with those responsibilities comes a lot of stress. Many people can handle this level of stress, fairly well. For the majority of us, however, this level of stress will affect us for many years to come, if not the rest of our lives. For some of us, the stress is tolerable. For many of us, it isn’t. It all depends on who you are and what things added to your stress. We are all different with diffrent experiences and different levels of coping skills. What we do know is that no matter what level of stress you are confronted with, it is always better to take out some time to talk to someone about the things that cause you stress. Why? Because holding it in makes it even more stressful, and talking helps to get a portion of it out! One of the things I am most grateful for is our veterans support group. It gives me and others like me a chance to talk about the things we experienced in the military with the only people who can truly understand… other veterans.

People can deal with stress in many different ways. As a matter of fact, we have personality characterstics which could predict if a person will seek out help and what kind of help would help them most. One of those characteristics, for example, is called locus of control. That sounds like something hard to understand, but it is actualy quite simple. Locus of control is just the name of the extent to which people believe they have control over their own lives.  There are two kinds of locus of control, internal and external. People with what is called an internal locus of control are those people who believe they have a high amount of control and responsibility for what happens in their lives. In contrast, people who have an external locus of control believe that they are always victims of circumstance, luck or fate, and they have little to no control over what happens to them in their lives. Because of this,, people who have an internal locus of control are mroe likely to seek out help or take action to reduce their stress, because they think they are responsible for their own lives; whereas, people with an external locus of control usually just accept that they have no control and either let themselves become more stressed out or just accept that things are the way that they are, and they can’t do anythinig about it. People with an external locus of control tend to be less likely to be proactive to make changes or go out and search for help.

There are many ways that proactivve people try to relieve their stress. Those who are willing to do something about it may ask for help from others, get into a support gorup to talk to and surround themselves with people with similar issues, or might find activities or educational ways to work through their stresses. I know a man who goes to the gym, every day after work. It isn’t because he wants to stay healthy or get ripped. It’s because exercise gives him a way to work out some of his stress, and it seems to work for him. I know a woman who has learned that if she schedules everything from the moment she wakes up until she goes to bed at night, she relieves much of her daily stress. I, personally, have tried a number of things… yoga, relaxation exercises, and visualization were among the things that work for some people, but did not work for me. What did worked for me was a breathing technique I learned from Dr. Goodman at the VA hospital. I found that when I learned how to breathe in a certain way, I could relax my muscles, slow down my heart rate, stop chest pains and panic attacks, and clear my mind. It also made it easier to go to sleep at night! I was lucky… I found someting easy that works for me wihout having to take medicine. I would have never have found this exercise, if I didn’t take the time to go talk to someone, though.  I wonder what could work for you.

This is kind of interesting: I heard a story, once, of a psychologist in California who wanted to reach people who have that external locus of control. He realized that the way that many of them coped with stressors was to go to a bar and drink, or just talk to the bartender. The same people are less likely to look for a counselor or support group or talk to their spouses about their problems. It gave the psychologist an idea… if these people are consistently seeking help at bars, then why not provide them with real help? So he bought a few bars (over 50, I hear). He also hired psyhological counselors to be bartenders and trained his wait staff in psychology methods and helping skills. He basically found a way to be able to reach many of those who would otherwise not be able to get help because of their inability to be able to recognize that they needed to talk to people to help relieve stress.  What a Concept! I think it would be interesting to see what kind of results his staff has seen.

It just goes to show that there are people out there who want to help others and would be wlling to do it in some off-the-wall ways. Everyone has stress. Everyone reacts in different ways to the stressors in their lives. Everyone could use a good, understanding friend, a support group, or a counselor to just talk about it and help to get their stress under control or find something that will. Don’t feel like you are alone. We are all in this thing together! Wanna Talk?

Why the discomfort? Well, perhaps it should not matter what others think. If I am pleased by “naturally feminine” I open myself to be distressed by the judgment “peculiarly masculine”. It still feels like a judgment on whether I am right to have transitioned. But- hey, it is supportive! It is Nice! I know I am right to have transitioned, and it is pleasant to have that confirmed and be called Beautiful.

My discomfort with the compliment comes from my residual fear and distress at being transsexual. No, presenting male was not, in the long term, an option for me, I had to express myself female though that was completely terrifying. Anne’s compliment, ten years on, still raises echoes of that for me: No, being Normal is not an option, however terrified I am I have to do this.

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At the party, M introduced me to the concept of locus of control. Do you believe in fate, or that you make your own destiny? For me, it is more complex. I really wanted to be a husband and father. I wanted to be normal. I did not achieve that, I could not go against my Nature. (I would not have wanted to go against my nature apart from Kyriarchy, but in my situation that is what I desired.) I believe I do create my own destiny, but often it is different from my most passionate conscious desires. I feel dragged, kicking and screaming, to the best place I may be.

Address Distracting Personal Matters

The first step to bouncing out of a work slump is evaluating what is going on in your personal life that could be influencing how you are performing at work.  If you are experiencing unexplained physical symptoms like lethargy or difficulty focusing, you should go see your doctor or care providers for an evaluation.  If you are going through a difficult transition in your personal life such as a divorce, or your children are leaving for college or your spouse is out of work, you may want to consider engaging in a form of counseling to ensure that you have an appropriate space to reflect on those experiences.  Sometimes it is difficult to be objective about matters going on in our own lives, so talking to someone you are very close with about this subject is very helpful.  And then of course, making sure you are organized outside of work so that you are getting adequate sleep, exercise and nutrition so that when you do show up to work you are putting your best foot forward.

Revamp Your Daily Schedule

When I see clients who are trying to work themselves out of a work slump, they are either burned out after having endured a stressful and demanding project or role or they have lost their confidence and are so worried about possibly losing their job that they have begun to behave strangely in an effort to disguise their inadequate feelings.  Whether your particular slump falls into the loss of motivation or confidence bucket, the second step I suggest taking at work is to enact a schedule into your day so that you follow a consistent routine.  The benefit of doing this will help get you back on track and be able to understand exactly where your pain points might be occurring versus simply viewing your entire work experience as ineffective.  For example, I have been working with a gentleman who was sent to me by his boss because he had begun exhibiting very ‘desperate’ behavior when he was attempting to close sales deals with clients.  When this client, Bob and I were discussing his behavior we identified that he was feeling very out of control with his ability to meet his sales goals and resultedly was behaving in a very desperate manner.  Once Bob began to structure his week he regained what we call his own internal ‘locus of control’.

Revisit Your Industry’s Best Practices

The most successful people are those who view themselves as lifelong students or learners.  Simply because you have completed your formal education, does not mean that you should ever stop investing in our own development.  For some a slump at work can occur because folks have become so distanced from the theory or best practices of their particular industry that they feel uninspired and undirected.  This is very normal and happens to all of us.  When this does occur, I strongly suggest that you dust off some of your favorite old classics and take your own refresher course of your industry’s best practices. Perhaps you might even want to sign up for a webinar or a community college course if reading a book or a blog is not enough for you to feel adequately refreshed.  The goal of this step is to re-boot if you will in order to get grounded back into the core of your job role and to make sure that you are staying abreast of new trends and developments that are occurring within your field globally.

Strengthen Your Work Relationships

Once you have addressed personal matters, instituted structure into your work week and revisited best practices in your industry, it is time to strengthen your work relationships.  Sometimes people can fall into a work slump because they have stopped connecting with people at work.  This is not so easy to do so start with simple gestures with the folks who you want to improve your relationship with like asking them for some feedback or input on something you are working on, or supporting them in an initiative they are involved with or asking them to go out to lunch with the simple goal of connecting with them beyond your work roles.  Often times you will find that you will be able to garner needed mutual support from your work relationships that will result in you feeling more confident, less isolated and overall enjoying your time at work.

If you are the type of person who looks at the negative side of things or has a hard time seeing the brighter side then you could have probably proclaimed yourself as one of the unluckiest person on earth at least once or too many times in your life. Yet life is not all about luck or coincidences or things out of one’s control. Nor should we always believe that everything is within one’s control or will. Why does everything always have to go our way? Why does everything have to be favorable to ourselves?

I am reminded of a theory in personality psychology known as locus of control promoted by Julian Rotter in the 1950s. The theory states that individuals have the tendency to perceive control over his or her life, also known as internal locus, or that the environment or other people have the control, or external locus. Perceived locus of control can say much about how a person evaluates himself or herself. This self-evaluation was found in many studies to be a good predictor of behavior. It is worthy to note that locus of control is viewed by Rotter not as an either/or typology but two ends of a continuum.

thefrontlinegamer.blogspot.com

Moreover, a person who has a higher tendency to locate control to internal factors is said to have higher levels of need for achievement whereas a person with an external locus of control tend to feel less control over what is going to happen with himself or herself. In more cases, they give up that easily and “leave things be.”

Where is your control located?

That locus of control is important in all aspects of our lives – at home, at school and at work.

If you are an employer or supervisor, it is crucial that you keep your staff members informed of changes that will affect them personally and wherever possible, consult them and elicit their feedback. Engaged and empowered employees will not only be happier and less stressed; they will be more productive.

With corporate downsizing and layoffs, the demands on individual employees can be overwhelming. If workers are not given sufficient time, training and support to meet their assigned tasks, they are set up for failure, stress and burnout.

We have to be vigilant of the signs that workers – or we ourselves – are becoming significantly anxious or depressed. Productivity plummets, and employees become physically or psychiatrically ill. These are the usual reasons that employees will need to stop work and go on “stress leave.”

Coming up:  Work stress – it’s recognition, management and prevention – and other important aspects of workplace health.

But of course, in the real world, many of us are just working to pay the bills and to keep food on the table. As one of my best friends says, “It’s just a job.” At different points in our lives, our circumstances are such that we have to settle for a job that we don’t find particularly meaningful, challenging or the opposite – way too stressful.

But our ideals – and our dreams – are worthwhile considering if you are a young person considering your vocational options, an adult looking for work, a boss trying to engage employees, or a worker wondering how things could be better.

Just as we don’t have complete control over the circumstances of our lives and our physical health, we have to pause and consider those things that we can influence. When I work with patients with a chronic health condition such as congestive heart failure or diabetes, we focus on the things they can do to maintain mastery over their health – what activities will improve their condition, what types of food will reduce potential complications and what they need to monitor to slow down the progression of disease.

A sense of control – and recognizing that our actions can make a positive difference – can make us empowered and engaged patients.

Next: The importance of a sense of control to your wellbeing.

People lament that they tried the best workouts and the best diets but can’t seem to carry through and blame the fat gene and come to live with sup optimal fitness and health levels. They start a ice-cream consolation club or smokers feel good club, using immediate feel good (but ultimately harmful) ways to make themselves feel better. But nothing tastes as good as a fit body feels, nothing beats sticking through something meaningful and having the body to remind you day in and day out the power of your convictions.

“Life does not get easier, we get stronger”

Nothing succeeds like failure

Have you ever failed before ? Fail as in – fail spectacularly, like learning to dance in front of a crowd and falling flat on your face, trying to impress a date and finding he or she avoids you like the plague or having the project you worked tirelessly on for a year get shot down 5 minutes into a presentation.

How do we deal with failure ? Normally, it’s easy to give an excuse, it’s the shoes that made me fall, the girl/guy I was trying to impress was not my type and the project I worked on was quite stupid to begin with. How many times do we dust ourselves off and try another approach and not be discouraged after a spectacular failure? Probably very few. So what if you fail ? The below clip shows famous failures, who despite all odds turned out to be the world’s greatest successes;

1. When Thomas Edison was a youngster, his teacher told him he was too stupid to learn anything.  He was counseled to go into a field where he might succeed by virtue of his pleasant personality.  He also failed his first college entrance exam.  His writing skills were poor throughout his life.
2. Albert Einstein was 4 years old before he could speak.  He was 7 years old before he could read. A teacher described him as “mentally slow, unsociable and adrift in foolish dreams.”  He hated school and dropped out of high school at 15 years of age.
3. Actor Tom Cruise is unable to read even today due to severe dyslexia.   He never even finished High School.  Never the less, he has the ability to memorize his lines and perform on both the stage and screen.

These people defined what they see as failure (which is not trying, by not trying you fail by default), and had a great internal locus of control, they did not take it to heart that they failed spectacularly and were labelled as “stupid” or incapable of achieving anything significant.

What if we stripped failure of all its terrifying implications and took some of our personal power back. What if we viewed failure as just feedback reflecting on a better procedure needed instead of a way to guilt-trip us into giving up ?

Approach – Why people succeed

People tend to learn things the hard way, I had a friend who jogged and enjoyed jogging a lot until his knees gave him problems, he believed that fitness is through jogging only, and had no flexibility to change his marathon-like habits. People will always stick to what’s familiar even when it is no longer useful and even detrimental to them. So eventually he developed serious knee problems and lapsed into depression, until he changed his procedure and took on swimming and therapy again. Having determination without flexibility to change your approach (when there is a need) is like having dynamite and not enough strength to throw it away from you, its always dangerous.

We know intellectually the phrase that when one door closes another one opens, and that there’s no dead ends in life unless you just stand in front of the closed door and refuse to move. One clear illustration of the countless ways that we can approach things is from the paper clip, it’s made for use to keep papers together, but there are actually 145 uses. (See link here).

Attitude and Approach – The Two As

People succeed not because they are better and possess more inner strength or willpower. These people have tenacity and the hustle to get things done which (ie, internal locus of control). But, they also have the flexibility to change their approach when need be. They know there is no one set way to accomplish something and have the ability to fire a million arrows at their target until one hits.

Likewise, when it comes to fitness, it is best to keep trying but always have the flexibility to change your procedures. If you find running is not your thing maybe soccer can make you run without the monotony, if you think the gym is not your cup of tea, maybe you can create your own resistance by bands, calisthenics or plyometrics. There are always ways as long as we maintain our internal locus of control – knowing we can do it and be flexible in our approach. There are always ways to succeed if we search hard enough for them.

Related articles

• Trying Fitness
• Art of Manliness

One in particular I’d like to focus on here: the use of the first-person: I, me, mine.

Take an example from the other night when I went out to dinner with a friend. Here’s the conversation I had with the hostess when I got to the restaurant:

Me: Hi, have you got a table for two please?
Hostess: Sure, let me see what I’ve got [pause as she looks over reservations]. Well, I have a table for two over there which should be done shortly so I could give you that if you’re happy to wait five minutes?

Pretty standard, right? Well, here’s how the conversation would probably have sounded in London:

Me: Hi, have you got a table for two please?
Hostess: Sure. Let me see what’s available. There’s a table for two over there which should be done shortly so you could have that if you’re happy to wait five minutes?

Although acute, I think the difference in language used in each case is actually hugely significant. The use of “I have” as opposed to “there is” marks an important disparity in the sense of ownership that the hostess has in each scenario. In the US example, the hostess owns those tables – they are hers to give or not give – whereas in the UK example, the tables belong to the restaurant and the hostess is merely a conduit.

I see this play out in language every day here, whether at a restaurant or in a business meeting. There is a sense of ownership that permeates US society and its markedly different to the UK, where we’re far more self-effacing.

At first I tended to see it negatively – a sign of egoism and self-centredness – but I am starting to change my mind. I think it’s a reflection of what psychologists call locus of control: the extent to which individuals believe that they can control events that affect them.

One’s “locus” (Latin for “place” or “location”) can either be internal (meaning the person believes that they control their life) or external (meaning they believe that their environment, some higher power, or other people control their decisions and their life).

Individuals with a high internal locus of control believe that events result primarily from their own behavior and actions [...] Those with a high external locus of control believe that powerful others, fate, or chance primarily determine events.

The impact this has is far-reaching. Studies have shown, for example, that locus of control is a key determinant of academic attainment and entrepreneurial success. Perhaps most important of all, though, an internal locus of control has been shown to correlate highly with happiness and an external locus of control with depression.

The language we use doesn’t just reflect our locus of control though; I think it actually defines it. It shapes how we position ourselves in relation to the world around us and, by extension, the degree to which we can bring about change and realise our ambitions.

The Taoist philosopher Lao Tzu summed it up perfectly when he said:

“Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.”

This is Part II of two blogs begun March 2012 which addressed Dr. Gawande (New Yorker Magazine Article). He has a  quest for ‘coaching’ to continue developing  into his Personal Best.  I felt it necessary to analyze the article written by Dr. Gawande in order to address a professional sense of self-reflection, that of a professional surgeon.  Dr. Gawande so thoroughly addressed his personal role in medicine AND all the other potential factors  of medicine that I was compelled to use this as an example.   Dr. Gawande admitted the fault of being human and demonstrated humility in  not being  God.  He noted that the human condition is imperfect yet there is a way to learn and continually improve ourselves over time,  most often with self-reflection and insight from others as it is difficult to view ourselves while being ourselves.

Only by carefully observing other professionals outside the field  of education can we begin to develop a consciousness of  professionalism, what it means to good, better, best, great and so forth and look for tools to apply to the teaching profession.  Focusing only on education assumes the worst case scenario – teachers are distinctly different in the world of humans, but instead of being viewed as deities, in America, they are viewed as pure evil by many, often including their own administrators and the government at state and federal levels.

When we see what others do, we get past the misanthropic view of one group of people (non- teachers)  regarding teachers and notice more of  the similarities between teachers and other professionals.  Once back from the brink of insanity,  we can address the multitude factors which effect the outcomes of education, which are not strictly the result of teacher quality.  Many outcomes in education have everything to do with poverty, parental involvement and  self motivation/will.

If we were to blame only surgeons and doctors for ALL medical outcomes, no one would have surgery any more. It is both a science and an art.  There is not ‘perfection’, rather there are gradations of success based on a whole slew of issues above and beyond the doctor/surgeon.  We may seek perfection -  this involves coaching and improving professional practice.  It is NOT the golden bullet to prevent all problems.  Doctors can not account for your DNA, what you choose to eat, how you choose to take care of yourself.  Doctors have to work with what is presented to them and hope that with their best ministrations, they obtain a positive outcome as they take an oath to do no harm.  In the case of doctors, we need to look from within regarding outcomes of surgery,  because we came to the doctor damaged.

When we grade a teacher, we wish to push results and outcomes on people whom have the least control over what goes on in a child’s life. Teachers have only 40/168 hours, including sleep. Take out sleep (which is substantially important) and you have 40/118 hours assuming kids sleep a 10 hour night. In both cases, 40 hours is very little and yet so much is expected.   Teachers, like doctors, have to work with what is presented to them and hope that with their best ministrations will produce positive outcomes in nine months of the school year of eight-hour school days.  Let me be clear – most kids do not sleep even eight hours a nigh.t Not all school days are actually eight hours so the numbers I present are skewed by things such as testing, minimum days, staying up late at night for a variety of reasons and a multitude of other issues (lockdowns, snow days, illness, etc.).  Grading a teacher on amount of time of ‘influence’ alone is inadequate.

In order to explore  various ideas within education reform, I also sought out different pieces of writing from others who address the ideation of grading teachers.   It is not enough to say something is a  bad or good idea, rather one needs to support different views and perceptions so the discussion can center on what is best for children, not what is best for our sense of power over things we lack control.

As Dr. Gawande indicates, coaching is costly and rarely something schools can afford. It is awkward – in the hospital and in the classroom.  Obtaining coaching can be (and often is viewed outside sports and singing) seen as an admission of failure instead of the converse – an admission of willing to improve.  When coaching is used as punishment in education, it automatically infers substandard performance.  To change the perception of coaching in education will be no different or easier than the exact experience Dr. Gawande addresses at the end of his written piece.   Demonizing teachers does not improve their quality – it does slowly wear them down and destroy them which could not be good for students.

I am done picking at the bone of grading teachers with  a public which hates  teachers, who think denigrating and demeaning teachers (public humiliation/bullying/ exposing student success or failure on our backs) is reform.   This bone is from a  recently dead animal which was left rotting on the street, run over by a car and bits of it are smashed into the concrete. The piece of bone left has tendons and muscle hanging from it, smells of horrible decay and clearly would be of no use to the mammal it came from so we need to start over and not be so willing to kill.  Bloodsport does not ever portend to good.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/04/opinion/sunday/confessions-of-a-bad-teacher.html

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203458604577263603261494594.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

http://scholasticadministrator.typepad.com/thisweekineducation/2012/03/more-wk-value-added-.html#more

http://schoolsofthought.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/06/my-view-when-did-teacher-bashing-become-the-new-national-pastime/?hpt=hp_bn1

So, to use a quote:

New Yorker Magazine cartoon (5 Dec 2011) by Victoria Roberts: “There’s an elephant in the room and no zookeeper.”

Let’s try to find a better course of action because grading teachers is not working the way we assumed it would.  Here is a smattering of examples of alternative perspectives.  What would be awesome is if the people who hired teachers had as much interest in teacher success as their own rise to power.

Almost all men can stand adversity, but if you want to judge a man’s true character, give him power.   (I have been unable to find the source in order to attribute this quote – if you know it, please comment!)

http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/the-8-qualities-of-remarkable-employees.html?

http://scholasticadministrator.typepad.com/thisweekineducation/2012/03/thompson-how-is-teaching-different-from-all-other-professions.html

http://scholasticadministrator.typepad.com/thisweekineducation/2012/03/thompson-address-behavior-first.html

http://www.kqed.org/a/radiospecials/R201203292000

http://whereiskatima.wordpress.com/2009/06/28/zagat-type-ratings-at-schools-all-for-it/

When society begins supporting ways for teachers to improve their personal best, obtaining the caliber of teachers  wished for will be in reach.  Brigham and Women’s Hospital in MA and Harvard University are fortunate to have such a self reflective staff member AND some one so willing to share their personal experiences in order to help others.  By supporting Dr. Gawande and his willingness to strive for better, these institutions and patients benefit greatly all the way around.

We would do far more to improve education by creating a positive environment for teachers.   It is our choice – surgically destroy education with reforms that have little to nothing in offering actual  improvement or healing what happens in the classroom by owning our locus of control and assisting teachers in achieving their personal best.

I ascribe to a constructivist philosophy of teaching. It is my job to work alongside my students to help each member of the learning community (including me) clarify and perfect practice. We have guides – a literature base, research, mentors, and each other – to provide insight into our work. This insight helps us reflect on our practice, what is working and where we need additional input. Rather than “correcting” my students’ work, it is my job to enter onto dialog with my students. I can provide feedback, I can ask questions, I can comment. In short, I enter into a professional conversation with my students. This conversation honors their thinking, and helps hone their own insight into ways they might grow in their work. The work remains their work rather that work done for the teacher – a critical difference.

Language and semantics might seem trivial. But if we endeavor to equip our students with an internal locus of control in which they have the means to critically reflect on their own learning, a slight shifting in our language impacts our own attitudes, which in turn, will impact our students. It is important for teachers to be vigilant in how they think and how they speak. Our students hear our words and read the nuance. In the end, it is this nuance that can speaks the loudest.

“Too often we are so preoccupied with the destination, we forget the journey.” -Some unknown on Google who was more articulate than the others

Writing entries such as this, for me, is, in part, to tap into the locus of creativity. Not that I’m writing creative things, but that the act pours out my consciousness into an abstraction; indexing and documenting it. In mapping my consciousness, I may be become closer to mastery of this creative complex.

And so the formation of an idea must first be understood. This is my attempt:

An idea is like the bursting of a bubble in a boiling vat of tar that is your subconscious.

Certainly there is more charismatic imagery to make this metaphor (See ‘lightbulb.’ Also, yes I know it’s a simile). However this prompted me to write in the first place, and has many effective aspects.

• It concedes to the arbitrary nature of inspiration, in that the bubble may surface anywhere in the reservoir. The convergence of whatever microcosms in the conscious pallet are temporal and corporeal (experience, environment); yet unplanned exactly how they converge.
• There is a simmering period whereupon the idea is formed over time.
• The motion of “bursting” is the unfurling of the idea from the mind, suddenly visible and apparent for what it is.
• There is a heat source, or source of the fumes — the point is there is a “source.” This is the creative locus.

Really I should have used a solar flare for this entry, come to think of it.

Anyways, that last bullet point is the main point. Beneath the entire conscious being is a source that drives the entropy of creativity. It’s not the point to direct this creativity; the dialectic of randomness and thought occupations are what define the “bubbles.” The goal is to have more source energy, to create more bubbles.

I mean, like, overhead projectors have to warm up… It’s not all bad.

Thus spake the soothsayer in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Those words foretold the assassination of Caesar in the Roman Senate that very day. You can’t escape fate, it seems. In the Shakespearean folio, the play’s the thing; and here fate trumps human endeavor every time.

Many contemporary patients consider themselves to fall in the same category. Somehow they’ve gotten it into their heads that there is little they can do to alter the course of their health. more»

That hasn’t kept me away from racetracks, mind you. When my girls were 6 & 9, I took them by subway to Aqueduct [we were already visiting NYC at the time], where, it being early on a weekday, the only other punters were the Damon Runyonesque characters so endearingly portrayed in the HBO series Luck [filmed at a favorite SoCal track of ours, Santa Anita]. Overhearing my girls’ uncanny handicapping skills [especially the 6-year-old's], one railbird approached her as we were leaving and offered, “Girlie, I would buy you sodas and snacks all day, if you would stick around and pick horses for me.” We had other fish to fry that day; but similar offers are made to them, every time we go to the races. True to my promise to Poseiden, I keep my money in my pocket & my havoc-wreaking opinions to myself.

Last Saturday, on the 3rd of March, on Big ‘Cap [Handicapping] Day, our family had just arrived at Santa Anita in time for Race 3, when “Muny,” the horse in Post position 3, broke through the gate early, and chaos ensued. As reported by Tracy Gantz in Bloodhorse.com/Horse Racing News, only 3 of the 7 horses “came out of the gate properly.” 3 assistant starters were able to hold their horses, as it were; but “Mr. Bossy Pants,” “Oak Kye Why,” & “Sky Cape,” were off to the races, even though, “before the horses had traversed even half the distance of the race, the stewards posted the enquiry sign.” Meanwhile, back near the starting gate, “Lord’s Minister” had thrown his jockey, Martin Garcia, and “proceeded [riderless] down the hill after the other 3″ before being skillfully wrangled by an outrider in the stretch. Both horse & jockey were unharmed [thank Poseiden]; and Garcia went on to win an impressive victory in the very next race.

As “Mr. Bossy Pants” romped home for the ostensible “win,” the huge crowd went silent, as the track announcer intoned, “Hold all tickets, please.” We were standing at the rail, just behind the fancy box seats, not 10 feet from the Luck actor, John Ortiz [later joined by the jockey-commentator-actor, Gary Stevens]; but everyone seemed baffled. As we wandered back into the betting hall, the tote board flashed the message, in huge red letters: “NO CONTEST”; and seasoned punters explained to rookies, “All bets are off. Everybody gets their money back.” One railbird quipped, “Does this mean I get back all the money I’ve lost all day?” Well, no, but “all 7 horses were considered winners for the purposes of multi-race wagers, except for daily doubles.” The only possible loser was “Mr. Bossy Pants” and his connections, who must have felt “they was robbed.”

Now for an analysis of Magical Thinking [which is inherent in the Sport of Kings]. Seriously, do I believe that I have such powerful internal locus of control, that my mere presence at a race meeting was enough to cause all this mayhem? Never mind me, how ’bout all those 3′s? Don’t you just bet a lot of punters played “the 3″ in all subsequent races? Both my girls stuck to their usual [intuitive but effective] wagering strategies, with the younger one winning more than her sister, while Chris lost a few bucks. In the last race we stayed for, the 10th, our elder girl pulled herself “out of the whole” by betting the 9-to-1 Irish-bred longshot, “Willyconker,” who won by a neck in a thrilling finish.

As the old Irish joke goes, when asked if she believed in fairies, the country woman replied, “I do not; but they’re there.” Do I believe that a deal I made with a Greek god, more than 50 years ago, helps to bring all horses and their riders “safe home”? Well, now, I wouldn’t be bettin’ against it.

What the hell am I supposed to do?

Yesterday, I tried to write an assignment for my fiction writing class. I had put it off for two weeks, and the assignment was due today.   So I sat down with every intention of writing, surfing the web was far away from my mind. I found myself, however, clicking on Google Chrome. I traipsed over to the New York Times page and I lost myself in the news. My inability to write furthered, and I found myself falling into a place of despair. The worries of the world bogged me down, made me feel helpless. I began to realize that everything is pointless; we’re all going to die anyway. This thought reminded me of the bad news that I heard yesterday: that I probably got a bad grade on a paper. I began to doubt myself as a writer, as a student, as a man. What the hell am I supposed to do?

As I sat there, in my thinking chair, trying to figure this whole life thing out, my mind wandered further. I thought of the possible point deductions I was going to run into if I began to write, the areas where I would most likely fail. I thought of the other students, and how well they were favored by my fiction teacher. I fell into that area of self-pity that I find so poisonous. I was immobilized by paralysis, the fear of going any further with the assignment stopped me.

As I sat there, in my thinking chair…

I began to think about how I actually meant very little, and that the differences I expect myself to make in the world are probably false, and a little delusional. I quickly began to think back to interactions with class mates, I searched my memory for any sort of indication of my worth. I couldn’t find what I was looking for.

Fortunately, after wallowing in self-doubt for a little while long, I remembered where I was.  I remembered that I am a person, autonomous and free.  I shouldn’t let myself be fettered by peoples’ opinions or expectations. A term that I learned in a psychology class popped into my head: locus of control.

Julian Rotter, a social-cognitive psychologist, coined the term “locus of control.” It refers to the measure of how often a person attributes life outcomes to things external or internal to the self. In other words, it refers to what I think causes change in my life. When I internalize my locus of control, I have a handle to grab onto, and I have something to do with what happens to me. When I externalize locus of control, then the world dictates what I do, and I have no say in my outcomes. People who have mostly external perceptions of control are more passive and depressed (Benassi, Sweeney, and Dufour 1988). They have more stress in their lives, more problems and less solutions. People who have high internal attribution of locus of control tend to be higher achievers and have less stress and depression (Findley and Cooper 1983).

If I internalize my locus of control, then I see my part in all of those situations. I see that I have the capability to push forward, to complete my tasks, to free myself of resentments.  I can remember when these things were so easy, when I was a child.  Everything was so simple then.  I learned about the cause and effect of actions, and I was excited about my ability to affect the world.

Locus of Control! Hmm…

I want to impress something here: the concept of locus of control doesn’t necessarily refer to fact. It doesn’t specify where control actually comes from, an external or internal place. It does, however, focus on what happens mentally. So if I only change my thinking, my way of believing who has control in my life, I can dictate a certain level of effectiveness and happiness.

It’s important to take note that this locus of control concept refers to where and how an individual attributes power.  It has nothing to do with controlling other people.  If I think about changing my life, I have to realize I have the power to change my life but only in a way that doesn’t run others over.

Remembering the concept of locus of control is comforting.  Yesterday, after I had picked myself back up, attributed my happiness to myself, and started writing without thinking, I felt much better. Remembering to attribute my locus of control internally on a consistent basis is tough, but when I do it, it makes life much better.

References:

Findley, M. J., & Cooper, H. M. (1983). Locus of control and academic achievement: A literature review. Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology, 44(2), 419-427. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.44.2.419

Benassi, V. A., Sweeney, P. D., & Dufour, C. L. (1988). Is there a relation between locus of control orientation and depression?. Journal Of Abnormal Psychology, 97(3), 357-367. doi:10.1037/0021-843X.97.3.357

Seven years and six days ago I made a choice. I drove when I had drunk judgement away hours earlier in the night. Along that drive I wanted to stop, just stop. Then I was in the ambulance, emergency room, hospital bed; a concussion, broken shoulder-blade and wounded spirit. The night before that Nascar race that so many enjoy watching simultaneously was one of the best and worst events in my life. It cost me in some ways:

• Over $10,000 in Fines and Court Fees
• No NYS Driver’s License for 5 years
• My Self Respect
• A vehicle
• Friends

It also taught me about strength, persistence, courage and honesty. I have been more honest with myself in those seven years than ever before. I am thankful everyday that event transpired, I would likely be someone, somewhere else if it had not. This event made me who I am today. I am strong. I am courageous. I am grateful. I am weak. I am honest in that weakness to seek help. I am humble. I am close to the best version of myself that I have been in a long time, but I will continuously improve. I understand my locus of control.

As Viktor Frankl said, “We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” We have a choice in how to respond in any set of circumstances, that power lies within us. In moments of weakness we may complain, blame outside forces or simply underestimate our internal power. Sometimes it takes going to the deepest, darkest places in our mind to find the light.

Personally speaking, an internal locus of control has helped me remain true to my calling during periods of professional upheaval. Several years ago, I took a detour from my social work career, accepting a position as a development writer at a large philanthropy because I needed a job that paid decently and gave me flexibility to care and eventually grieve for a terminally ill loved one. I had been an unfulfilled journalist before obtaining my MSW and earning my clinical license at an outpatient addiction and mental health counseling center in Maryland. But as a newcomer to New York City, I was in no position to start a private practice and all the social work jobs either paid a pittance or had client quotas that would have impeded my care-giving responsibilities.

via The You Behind Your Resume | Psychology Today.

What I love most about this quote is that the locus of control it emphasizes on is internal not external.  Being a business student and majoring in entrepreneurship, I learn several theories explaining what makes successful entrepreneurs. What I have come to agree with and accept the most is the fact that everything starts with you, internally. Its funny how sometimes when you agree with something or start believing in a particular way of life or philosophy, everything around starts to align with the specific philosophy you believe in. The conversations you have friends start to revolve around this philosophy, the movies you watch start to have characters that depict such philosophies too!

The other day in class we were watching Men of Honor(2000). What I found really inspiring about this movie was the fact that the protagonist, Carl Brashear faced so many difficulties(from racism to becoming an amputee) in his life. However he never did once complain about these issues. He just kept going to achieve his dreams of  becoming a navy diver.  He wanted to change the situation around him. He started towards this change through himself — keeping an internal locus of control . Never did he once complain about how life was unfair — as it many times is.

Often we, the protagonists of our own life stories are faced with so many not so pleasant situations. Often all we do is complain, atleast I used to. However, I am learning lately that complaining ain’t gonna get me anywhere. It actually is just going to make me more angry at the unpleasant situations in my life. I need to remind myself everyday and every moment that I have all the resources that I need, right here which is me, to change these unpleasant situations.

Yes, there are many things that are out of control and will continue to remain so.  But sometimes we need to remember the following:  ”Do what you can, with what you have, where you are“( Theodore Roosevelt). We can change our situations by changing the smaller things that encompass them like our attitude, perception, mindset.

I have a friend by whom I am so very inspired. What inspires me about him is his smile. He smiles every time I see him. When he is tired, sad, stressed, dissapointed– I can see his conscious effort to choose to smile. By choosing to smile he is directly in control and can thus change his attitude, perception and mindset. He no longer is enslaved to his situation(the events that make him tired, sad, stressed or dissapointed).

I know I have kinda rambled on.. but honestly before starting this post I wanted to write something. Was not sure what, I just wanted to write. I had some things going on in my mind.. and after getting few sentence down I feel like I was able to connect the various things going on in my mind. This is what I like about writing, it kinda organizes your thought process!

Over the last year I’ve learned far more about qualities like self-efficacy, locus of control, intrinsic motivation, and well-being, such that I think these are worthwhile to promote alongside disciplinary skills through education. And the ideal vehicle for such an education is a massively-multiplayer virtual world. I think the people working on games are too disconnected to properly pursue such an aim at present. Researchers in educational technology do not grasp commercial gaming sufficiently. Researchers in game studies do not consider the educational implications of games in any amount of depth. Commercial game designers view themselves purely as providers of entertainment. And traditional researchers in psychology and sociology do not understand games at all as sites for natural experiments—the minimal research that has been done examines gaming as a phenomenon distinct from reality, or as gamers distinct from normal people.

When I was extensively involved with MMO and RTS games I realized that greater mundane realism was actually the route to greater entertainment value. Having the ability to swing a sword rather than press a button would be desirable for MMO players, as there’s a demand for greater skill requirements. Similarly with crafting, no one enjoys the simplistic processes currently used in MMO games. A process that required players to engage in a complicated, realistic process to fashion a strong suit of armor would be desirable. Further, with RTS games, the most innovative design aspects are closest to reality—realistic line-of-sight, weapons with arcs of fire that require set-up, destructible terrain. For RPG games, storylines that are complex and analogous to real-world events like civil wars and revolutions are preferred to simplistic missions; characters that have ambiguous motives, choices that impact the storyline directly, and noticeable impacts of one’s actions in the game world are all preferred in a modern RPG—Fable III, for example. Overall, if one infused commercial games with disciplinary content, I think they would actually increase in entertainment value, along with providing visible educational uses.

I think working with commercial gaming as a base rather than educational technology is preferable because the most difficult aspects of game design involve world creation, quest design, interface construction—all of the things commercial games have perfected. The “educational content” is not difficult at all to incorporate into something like Dragon Age or World of Warcraft. Rather than have a quest requiring the player to kill five rabbits nearby, the player could be asked to solve a relevant mathematical problem: for example, the hunter needs to know how quickly the rabbits reproduce, and from that how quickly he can kill the rabbits without destroying his food supply. Such a quest would make use of several disciplines including math and ecology. I don’t think many understand just how boring many quests within highly successful games actually are. Even if the “kill five rabbits” quest were replaced with “do five multiplication problems,” I doubt it would have a significant impact on the game—the success of World of Warcraft is built upon other qualities, like an immersive world, a sense of agency, exploration, and social challenges.

At its best, the quests in World of Warcraft are quite innovative, but I think the addition of real-world content would actually increase entertainment from the present state of “kill some amount of something” with aesthetic differences depending on the zone. Another interesting development is commercial games that closely emulate the real world: SimCity, Zoo Tycoon, Roller Coaster Tycoon, and Transport Tycoon, among many other similar games, are all highly entertaining while requiring the player to understand and optimize the functioning of some sort of complex system. Zoo Tycoon would be even better if it required players to learn greater amounts of information about specific animals to craft realistic ecosystems as nature preserves. SimCity would be improved if the political aspects of city planning were included as a sort of MMO version—players can occupy various administrative posts in city departments with competing objectives and funding needs.

Another idea: in a game like Bethesda’s Skyrim, players acquire money and status through completing complex quests and it would be easy to include quests that are more “educational” in referencing science, architecture, mathematics, computer programming, and writing. For example, if the player wants to gain an audience with the king, he/she will need to write a formal letter requesting it, and if it doesn’t have proper formatting and salutations, the request will be rejected. Teachers would be personnel hired to “grade” the work of players on assignments designed for specific game worlds. Rio Salado College’s online courses are an abstracted version of this: the content is pre-made, the resources a student can use are available in various locations, and the teacher basically grades work to ensure that it conforms to standards and provides direction to students who have difficulty finding information alone. The same process would occur in game worlds, but the teachers would interact with students via characters like innkeepers, scientists, and generals. These teacher-controlled characters could then tell the students who do not excel to seek out resources in the game world which can be in the form of activities, books, or videos.