Thought Tweet #731 In days of old, fear made us fit and functional. Now, with many options as close as our remote, we rarely allow that.

The Thinking Behind The Tweet

Fear is the part of the human condition that provides us a fighting [or flighting] chance to survive. In tougher-times-of-old, fear-triggered physiological changes pumped blood to our arms so we could fight and to our legs so we could run. 

Now...

Rather than fight we take out our aggression on a big bowl of popcorn while watching GSP doing MMA on PPV.

And, rather than run we calm our troubled minds by watching Honey Boo Boo reruns.

Now, more often than not, fear bypasses our arm and leg muscles and finds its way to our bellies and hips.

In reaction to our fears and pain, we seek comfort & relief in the form of Bad Habits.

We develop our Bad Habits 3 ways:  

1. When we protect our ego by avoiding challenging situations and replacing them with not-challenging, comforting situations. 
2. When we bolster our ego by being aggressive with other people. Aggression appears in a wide range of forms. It can be as blatant as physical assault and as subtle as a harsh glance. 
3. When we justify our ego - when we support and encourage our egoic frailties - by complaining to others. 

Perhaps, #3 is the most destructive because it:

• occupies the time and consumes the energy of at least 2 people, taking their attention and talents away from important work; 
• tends to spread to other people...bad news tends to travel...misery enjoys company; 
• has a pernicious ability to linger over time. I call this tendency to linger over time a 'Complaint Lifetime". 

Complaints have the ability to live longer than the people who express them.

Prejudices are an example of long-living complaints. They are passed through time, generation to generation. It takes conscious and concerted effort to reduce and remove prejudices.

Thought Tweet #725 How do your inner insecurities handle themselves in tough situations?

The Thinking Behind The Tweet

Do they champion courage?

Do they cry out for help?

Do they fluctuate in-between?

Do you make the best of your tough situations?

Does your self-control grow?