Thinking Twice and Thinking Three TimesUnity Consciousness #731

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In any craft requiring measuring and cutting, it is considered wisdom to measure twice and cut once. Same goes for the craft of decision-making. It is considered wisdom to think twice.

There are at least two ways to think twice.

1. Think once then don't change the perspective, don't change any of the information and don't change any part of the thought process. Think again.
Thinking twice this way is a review and double-check. This is what is usually meant by “think twice.”

2. Think once then change one or more of the following, partially or completely: perspective, information, thought process. Then think again.
Sometimes this will lead to a different conclusion, sometimes not.

Far too many people mistake the first approach to thinking twice for the second approach. They mistakenly think they have been open-minded just by simply going over the same information using the same thought process from the same perspective.

It is also important to understand that when two conclusions exist after thinking twice, one conclusion is not necessarily better than the other.
It simply means that some portion of the first time you thought about something and some portion of the second time you thought about something is different enough to lead to a different conclusion – slightly, significantly or totally.

This helps remind you how a difference in perspective, information or thought process, changes conclusions for yourself and for others.

When you have reached different conclusions, it is helpful to seek to understand where the difference occurred and why. Then, you must seek to understand whether or not you need to make some adjustments between information, thought processes and perspectives used during each of the two times you thought about the same thing.

This helps you understand yourself better when you reach conclusions and make decisions and also helps you understand others better when their conclusions and subsequent decisions differ from yours. Don't focus on the person or their conclusions and decisions. Focus on the information they are using, the perspective they are using and the thought process they are using.
Practice on yourself by reviewing conclusions you once reached and decisions you once made that are now different.

Pick an approach and try it out. Then change something and try it out again.
Try to understand the points of convergence where the two approaches match and also try to understand the points of divergence, where the two approaches don't match.

I suggest avoiding the use of the words agree and disagree when practicing on yourself and when thinking about others or having discussions with others. Those two words, agree and disagree automatically invoke thoughts of persuasion and convincing, which are two things that most people resist and guard against because those words cause people to think someone is smarter than them or right and they are not as smart and wrong. All of this is not a good basis to try to reach understanding of information, understanding of thought process or understanding of perspective.
If we do some or all of what is put forth in this blog message, it will help facilitate understanding of self, which is what our focus should be on when it comes to encountering information, experiencing information and studying information, processes, perspectives, conclusions and decisions made by self and made by others during any time period of human existence.

Think Three Times

Even though each person has the free will to decide when and how to think twice, that does not change the obvious need to think more than once when it comes to making certain decisions.
It helpful to think once, then think twice using the first approach, and then think twice using the second approach.

Thinking more than once automatically occurs when a person seeks counsel from family, friends or other sources.
However, sometimes the person falls into the trap of relying on family, friends or other sources that meet the requirements of the first approach above but do not meet the requirements of the second approach. This becomes confirmation bias intentionally or not.

Consider this. Every moment of every day, we are constantly living, experiencing and encountering information through our various sensing abilities.
Hopefully we are also increasing in understanding (maturing).
As a result of all this information, we should either continuously or periodically think twice and think three, four or more times about some of our most important conclusions and decisions.

Compounding Mistakes: Sunk Cost FallacyUnity Consciousness #704

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Hidden in the sub-logic of non-confirmation bias is the “sunk cost fallacy.”

Sunk Cost Fallacy means sticking with something due to amount of time, materials, money or other resources already invested in the decision.
This logic leads to sticking with something that needs to be changed and would be changed if not for the amount of resources already invested. Instead of adjusting or abandoning the decision, the person continues to invest more resources.

Why Would Someone Do This?

1. Lack of Understanding - The person thinks making changes to decisions means a mistake has been made. A mistake is viewed as being unintelligent. The person does not understand that one of the purposes of this life is to make the necessary adjustments to move closer to becoming one with the Creator and that this life is just one leg of a continuous journey and that adjustments not made in this life will have to be made in another life. The person does not connect the other understandings which teach that making adjustments is part of the learning, growth, development and maturity process. The person does not understand that a grown-up is not someone who does not make mistakes but is someone who does better as they know better.

2. Identity Crisis – A large part of the person's self-esteem (knowledge of self) is based on what they think intelligence means. This comes from a suboptimal context of a suboptimal culture. Anything that even looks unintelligent is a threat to self-esteem. The ego is in control and the façade has become the preferred image.

3. Emotional imbalance - (Fear, Guilt, Shame, Pride, etc.). The person sinks deeper and deeper into despair because the only way out is changing the decision but the person is unwilling to do this. As a result of this contradiction, turmoil inside shows up on the outside in behavior that causes physical sickness. This person is in danger of emotional and physical breakdown, because as time passes and nothing changes for the better in the area they know they should have already changed, hidden pressure continues to build. The person acts out and lashes out. Whatever is in range is in danger because a sinking ship creates suction.

All of the above is the domain of the lower self. This spirit within all of us is very good at self-deception. The person thinks they are too clever, smart and intelligent for self-correction because no one can prove they need to change or make them change or know they need to change. This is perfect. So it seems.

If the person is a follower of the Jewish-Christian Bible, they continue to overlook the fact that God made frequent adjustments starting in Heaven when some angels revolted. Adjustment was made in the Garden of Eden and then with the flood and then with sending Yeshua (Jesus) as a sacrifice. Many more adjustments to the plan were made when things did not go as expected.

The Ecosystem within and without are ever-changing, always making adjustments in response to information.
Life is an adjustment process.

It is abnormal not to make adjustments.
The biggest thing is not that you're prodigal and have been gone for so long. The most important thing is that you turn and head home.

Without adjustments and self-correction, a person has not repented because the person is in denial and resistance of the need to make corrections.
Clearly, the benefit of making adjustments along the way of a journey outweigh the sunk costs because lessons learned are automatically reinvested into the next steps taken. Nothing is lost or wasted.
In other words, you transform sunk costs to work for you as you do what you know to do.
In other words, there is no such thing as sunk cost. Sunk cost is energy not yet recognized and/or not yet properly applied. Sunk cost is a function of understanding. Sunk cost exist to the degree understanding does not.

The biggest thing is not that you're prodigal and have been gone for so long. The most important thing is that you turn and head home.

Stop being stubborn. Forgive yourself! This gives the greater portion of you, inside you and outside you, a chance to help you do the rest.
Use your free will to choose the spirit of the higher self which is very good at self-correction and leading you towards knowledge of self.

(UC#566), (UC#567), (UC#571), (UC#595), (UC#670)

Relationships | Stupidity, Sadistic & Anti-God Behaviors

”Family Planning Developments, Self-Esteem And Abuse & Neglect Context.”

Non-Confirmation Bias | Definition & MeaningUnity Consciousness #703

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Until you have fully confirmed the information your logic is based on, it is a good idea to continue seeking understanding.
Even if you have a degree of confirmation from low to high, it is still a good idea to continue seeking understanding.
Why? Because any change in the information you are relying on could create the need to update current understanding.
I'm certain this is “preaching to the choir” since your reading of this message probably means you are seeking information, thus you are seeking understanding, thus you are being open-minded.

Yet, there are some people who prefer another approach. They seek information for the purpose of non-confirmation.
They would rather not confirm the basis of their logic.
They prefer to simply believe for whatever reasons they choose to believe.
This type of person considers the confirmation of information a hindrance and threat to their self-esteem.
They have a non-confirmation bias.

When the most important part of the information relied on comes from human logic without any ability to confirm it from a non-human source or you have not taken the time to do so or at least review the logic, you have a non-confirmation bias.

A non-confirmation bias causes you to avoid, discard, disregard and fear information that might cause you to have to make adjustments to your logic because most of it is based on belief than information that can be confirmed – at least broadly. It causes you to go on ad hominem attack – even if just privately in your own mind to defend your logic.

Because you function in health in relation to all else, you are designed to understand self in relation to all else – so you can be healthy. This is Ecosystem logic. The logic of harmony, peace and the higher self.

Ecosystem logic can be confirmed by observing, experiencing and studying the Ecosystem within and without. You do not have to rely on another human in order to know how to live in harmony with self and all else.

If you say you already use a natural world context and yet this contexture, this culture does not move you towards health, harmony, your origins and an increasing sense of interrelatedness and interconnectedness, then you have another kind of bias - confirmation bias. This is contrary to your default settings. You have been recalibrated to only see what you want to and only agree with what you already believe or want to believe. On the other hand, non-confirmation bias would rather not see the information at all if there is any sense the information being encountered makes more sense in relation to the observable and experiencable Ecosystem, than currently-held belief.

Lastly, in a strange twist of redoubled logic, there are some who have non-confirmation bias, who think they are confirming their belief each time they apply their non-confirmation bias to information and successfully keep the information from “changing their mind.” Their ability to do this is proof that their belief is strong and therefore must be what it should be. This, of course, is a highly questionable thought process.

Transcending Places That Hold UsAlong With Rubin “Hurricane” CarterUnity Consciousness #126

What Holds Us?

Is it a lack of knowledge?
Do we trust western-styled beliefs rather than the principles from the birthplace of humans and civilization?

Does lack of other nutrition hold us?

Does our failure to Sankofa hold us?

Does fear hold us?
Does this fear come from uncertainty due to lack of nutrition and presence of toxins that cause further attrition?

Is it human creations that hold us?
Does information about the Most High come from a primary source (written by God, not from God through humans)? A primary source is creation devoid of human manipulation, i.e., the natural world.
Or does information about the Most High come from a secondary source (written by humans who claim it came from God) - holy books?
Do we allow our definition of what is holy (determined by humans) to override our sense of what is universal (determined by God)? Do we study, observe, interact with and merge understanding of the natural world without and within? The natural world is The Word. The Word of God written in all languages everyone can understand spiritually, literally and metaphorically is the natural world.

Transcending Contradictions

The greatest contradictions start at the root of reasoning – our spiritual foundation.

If we acknowledge a Higher Power, why should we allow human law to be the highest authority? We must transcend the law of humans that is out of agreement with universal laws.

Then we transcend the law. We get back to humanity.

Transcending False Notions & Self-Esteem

There are many false notions, here are just a few:

1. Life ain't fair. Until we have transcended focusing on this Earthly life and have extended our knowing to the lives before and after this one, knowing what is fair will remain elusive.
2. Does our main identity hold us - job, car, house, money, romantic love, family, friends, children, memberships, etc. Our earthly identity is a small portion of our total identity because the physical is a small part of our identity. It is temporary. We are mostly spiritual and universal in nature and eternal.

Transcending Circumstances

If we feel our conception, birth and upbringing was not and is not on point, instead of blaming parents, we should work towards the perfection we expect of others. If we consider our circumstances, but yet, do not consider the conception, birth and upbringing of our parents, we are guilty of a double standard. Double standards always hold the holder of double standards.

”You have transcended, it's very important to transcend the places that hold us.”
- - Rubin "Hurricane" Carter

Transcending With Open-Mindedness & Thought Process

We must check out information before throwing it out. Digest it by absorbing it into the subconscious long-term information processor. If it is junk food, it won't kill us. If it is nutrition, it will help cure us. The reward for seeking truth is greater than the risk. The risk of ignoring or passing by what might be an unknown or hard-to-swallow truth is also greater than the reward for ignoring. There is little benefit to closed-mindedness and an insufficient thought process. They hold us in low places.

Transcending Logic Of The Lower Spiritual Self

Once we seek truth, which implies sincerity, which implies honesty, we will see it and be unable to turn from it.

It is a contradiction to claim to seek truth, but do so dishonestly. This dishonesty becomes evident when facts are ignored. Lying to ourselves becomes evident when we seek nothing more than to confirm our biases and what we already believe no matter the falseness of the long held notions. This is why those who ignore their African human origins and all truths/facts about Mama Africa and all world history, will remain held by the lower self.

”I ask you to consider the evidence. Don't turn away from the truth. Don't turn away from your conscience.” See related articles.

Google Alerts & Information Research

Automated Searching

Google Alerts is a research tool that allow users to set up and save search terms. The results are emailed periodically. Search terms may be edited. This is especially useful for topics of interest for self-study. Google Alerts should not be used to the exclusion of separate searches on Google, Bing and other search engines.

Go to Google Alerts.

Transforming Our Research View

Research is nothing fancy or hard. Research simply means to search, re-search and keep re-searching until satisfied information gathered is sufficient to satisfy the purpose for searching in the first place.

Research should always begin with a general idea of current thoughts on the subject and the major sources relied upon to create these thoughts.

Research means, after finding information, updating as needed, based on additional information. Often, research is not an end game. It is usually a “what is able to be determined at the moment” game. Learnderstand this: one of the fundamental universal principles of life & existence is change. All essential functions and energies that maintain life, including growth, require change.

Taking Research Personal

Research is a personal responsibility. It's not someone else's job to be a researcher and do all the studying, analyzing, figuring out and thinking and then tell us how to think, feel and act. This is dangerous in every single way. Even if we use this approach it is not a good idea to trust those whose worldview, value system and definitions are vastly different from ours because worldview, values and definitions matter in how information is approached, comprehended, reported in media and taught in schools.

Where Research Occurs

Life, experience, experimenting, practice, trying again and learning from mistakes is part of what research is. It is not research to make the same mistakes when a reasonable number of reasonable people have made the mistake and the information is available to learn from.

Research includes fact-checking, analyzing and critical thinking. Research includes considering information different, and sometimes even opposite, to what you want it to be, otherwise research becomes limited to what we already think and know. We must practice avoiding confirmation bias.

Researching is soul searching by tuning in to intuition and wisdom. This includes wisdom from conversations with humans and the rest of the natural world. Researching is watching videos or taking a class. Researching is effort applied towards learning and understanding.

Research is more than a head game, computer game or library game. It involves going to primary sources when possible. The natural world is a primary source. The spirit is a primary source.

Research involves the spiritual self and the study of the complete self. For this reason alone, researching is an ongoing, never-ending, personal growth & development daily event.

Related:

Unwillingness to change when the need to change is known is a mental illness.

“...to master a human being, no matter what his race or color, all you need to do is to strip him of his identity, his land, the strength of his culture, and the memory of his ancestors.”

Health Information Simplification, Nutrition, Sunlight, Iron Deficiency & Comprehensive Approach Context And So Continues The Meaning Of Life & Existence (Part 7b)

Articles About Creativity, Analysis Of How Creativity Fits ME

If I don't take control of my own education, I will continue to be imprisoned by what I had no choice but to learn. If I don't take charge of seeking what I need to read, I will only read what is offered up in a daily soup of media and entertainment goop.

Day 1: Mind-Centered Living & Disability

10 Days Of Upheaval & Fulfillment

“I”m scared!”
“Of what?”
“I don't know, that's what's so scary!”*

A lot that has to do with scariness in life comes from the mind that tries to know it all, do it all and be in charge of everything. This is impossible for the mind to accomplish on its own. As a result, when a person is mind-centered, what the mind can't know, can't do and can't control, the mind fears because the mind has more faith in itself than anything else. Existence is limited to what the mind can handle.

If living was supposed to be a mind dominated experience, we would be one big mind of intelligence, reason and logic. The body would adapt to be smaller and less significant than it is today. It would become an appendage merely to carry around the mind/brain/head. All of the capabilities of the body would be diminished. Only those that help supply information and physical nutrients to the brain would be needed. Sensory input would be solely for the mind's benefit. Even now, the brain consumes more than its share. The brain is only 2% of body mass but uses 20% of the body's oxygen and energy. If the mind was supposed to function as a control freak dictator, it would definitely use a whole lot more.

On its own, the mind is a circular lock of logic. Despite its recent rise to dominance in our lives, logic that supersedes all else, is an inhibitor that locks down the mind and thus shuts down growth. Superficial is the mind without its spirit being lead counsel. Mind-centered living is superficial living.

The mind-centered have a self-concept we are mostly logical, thinking intellectual beings. We believe we are the sum of our human-taught information. Thinking is rigid. In order for a new idea to get in, it must cut through frozen locks of logic. To mind-centered people, this feels like our entire being is under attack from an idea. It feels like our safe cognitive shell is being cracked. This is why we defend our thinking to the death because we believe we must in order to save our lives. We live in fear. Today and the here now are the only things that matter. There is no learning from the past, thus only feigned concern for the future. We have no concept of our far greater spiritual aspect. All that exists is ill logic. This is mental illness masquerading as the superiority of a species. This is scary.

To keep from coming to this realization and scaring ourselves, we mind-centered folks have a preventive measure - a trump card that's sorta like a shield and a weapon. Research and experts are used bravado-style to shout down the sensibilities of the intuitive self. This is confirmation bias.

Unknown to the mind, winning these battles increases susceptibility to gullibility. This makes thinking for oneself a major illusion of mind-centered living. We trick ourselves. Since this mindset makes us think we are already in control and thinking for ourselves, then investigation, analysis, examination and critical thinking regarding “what is what” seems redundant, without benefit and unnecessary. When we take a mind-centered approach, we disable ability.

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Related: Meet the Spirit of Goodwill band — a unique assembly of singers and musicians who live with varying degrees of physical and mental disability and a fierce drive to improve.

(Note: Just in America alone, there are 54 million (17%) people with disabilities and 1 billion in the world 14% or 1 in 7 and many more unaccounted for).

*Opening conversation is between Me, Myself and I.