There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance — that principle is contempt prior to investigation..
Attributed to Herbert Spencer
`Was der Bauer nicht kennt, frißt er nicht.´ (What the peasant doesn´t know, he will not eat)
German proverb
When confronted by challenging situations, we sometimes retreat into our comfort zones by means of reflex rather than reflection. In such cases, the protagonist is not aware of the process until it has taken place, whether we have scooped the child for the train tacks, ahead of the oncoming train, or removed our fingertips from the hot plate before substantial damage has occurred. Furthermore, many people have reported experiencing, in such situations, levels of strength and determination way beyond the normal.
In physiology, a reflex occurs under stress, when (re)action is time-critical. In such cases, the signal does not go all the way to the brain for deliberation and decision, but only as far as the spinal cord, whereupon a physical reaction is immediately initiated. It is a trade-off between the thoroughness of the decision-making process and the amount of time available.
It is interesting to observe that such phenomena are not limited to the physiological. When it comes to emotional and other forms of stress, we are also inclined to retreat into the shells of our familiar behaviour rather than even open ourselves up the possibility of trying something new. Of course, if we never did, we would not grow. So, obviously, we do. Personal growth is a life-long process, if we choose to partake of it as such, with our readiness to open ourselves up to the ever-expanding ebb and flow, as we proceed.
How often, as children, did we refuse to try some new food, convinced from the outset that it could never taste good. How glad I am that my diet has expanded since the days of my Irish childhood! Our parents do their best to coax us out of our shells, dedicated to the challenge of helping us to push our boundaries, how to engage in the process of development, and learn as much as possible, as we grow up.
At some point we are out in the world, on our own. Adulthood brings both rewards and challenges. One challenge is the we are now the ones responsible for the continued expansion of our boundaries, for our continued growth. We may have the good luck to find healthy role models and mentors along the way, but, ultimately, we are the ones with the finger on the button. Do I progress into the unknown or retreat back into the familiar? Often it is a case of two steps forward and one step back. As long as we keep moving in the direction of acceptance, healing, and growth, we should be fine.
From personal experience, I know there may come a time when the foundations of my world view need to be questioned. This happens when we paint ourselves into corners, a situation which makes clear that our current way of doing things is truly unworkable. Yet we continue with the same old behaviours again and again, expecting, or at least hoping for, a different result. I experienced this in the years leading up to 2003, shortly before I discovered the quote at the top of this piece.
The dynamic can often be clearly observed in the case of the addict. Let’s take a workaholic. After a number of years, he begins to recognise that the effort expended on work is detrimental to all other areas of life. Perhaps there is constant tension in the family at home, or, due to negligence, his physical health has been deteriorating, his circle of friends has dried up, favourite hobbies have long since disappeared, or all of the above. But somehow he gets the idea that, with even more dedication and application of will-power, success in the current assignment, with the ensuing recognition and rewards, will allow him to escape.
He fails to recognise that the hamster wheel, in which his life plays out, is not a ladder bringing him ever higher through life, even though it may appear so from the inside. He cannot see what others, looking from even a slight distance, can; that he is caught in a trap which he himself cannot spring.
When the situation escalates and push comes to shove, the prospect of entertaining a different life model may be broached by doctors, family members or friends (those who are left). This is where contempt prior to investigation often kicks in. We are so invested in the old model, financially, emotionally, even spiritually, that any other considerations are considered trecherous, even blasphemous, and immediately swept aside. Our investment may be compounded by hubris and pride, both of which are products of deep insecurity, about how we have been operating, convinced that `my way is not only the single viable way, but that anyone adhering to other ideas must belong to that distained pitiful cohort of losers..´
With such emotional and mental baggage, our capacity for renewal by means of re-imagining and re-routing our lives is greatly diminished. Yet it is at this precise juncture that it is most required.
My attention being drawn to the phenomenon by means of the `contempt prior to investigation´ quote was helpful in itself. It is a bit like being shown that there is a veil behind which I have not yet looked, allowing me the freedom to decide for myself if I am going to peer behind it.
In coaching organisations, one of the tools I really like working with is the Boston Consultancy quadrants. In this case, the horizontal axis represents `what I know´ and the vertical `what I don’t know´.
The four quadrants are therefore as follows: `That which I know I know´, `That which I know I don’t know´, `That which I don’t know I know´, and finally, `That which I don’t know I don’t know´.
Simply making room in my imagination for the possibility that there may be contents in each and every one of these four quadrants is a liberating exercise. Then, breaking things down and allocating them (through knowledge, speculation, or imagination) to the various quadrants may, in the end, bring me to some very important questions, such as: `What is behind that curtain?´ and `What knowledge and resources reside in me to which I have not yet had recourse in my life?´ or `What do I need to re-member?´
For example, as Jordan Peterson points out in his latest work `Beyond Order´, the ancient Greek philosopher, Socrates, believed that all learning was a form of remembering. He suggested that the soul knew everything before it was born as an infant. However, at the point of birth, all previous knowledge was forgotten and had to be recalled through the experiences of life.
With the help of such perspectives and ideas, it is possible to swim free from and steer clear of contempt prior to investigation, whereupon I can approach my challenges in a truly solutions-based manner. The manner in which any situation is tackled determines the quality of the energy field in which we operate. This, in turn, will have a great bearing on the results.
