PILOTed

Talking to AI engines about free speech and the government-media complex

Dwight Eisenhower warned about the dangers of the military-industrial complex. Today, we are also talking about a government-media complex that might be suppressing free speech and promoting policies and points of view of those in power. This continues my exploration of the AI engines GPT-4 and Bard, and this time I wanted to explore a controversial topic and push the limits of how the engines digested and interpreted news.

GPT4 was particularly not helpful, as I began with the question, "What were the main points revealed in the twitter files by Taibbi, Weiss, and Fang?" and it responded:

As of my last knowledge update in September 2021, there were no specific leaks or revelations known as "the Twitter files" by Matt Taibbi, Bari Weiss, or Lee Fang. These three are journalists and commentators known for their work on various topics, but they have not collaborated on a project called "the Twitter files."

It is important to note that my knowledge is not up-to-date, and any developments that have occurred since September 2021 are beyond my scope. If "the Twitter files" is a new leak or revelation that took place after that time, I would not be aware of it.

Here was the conversation with Bard:

What were the main points revealed in the Twitter files by Taibbi, Weiss, and Fang

The Twitter Files revealed a number of controversial decisions by Twitter, including:

• The suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop story in 2020.
• The deplatforming of former President Donald Trump.
• The practice of shadow banning conservative users.
• The use of AI to generate deep fakes and propaganda.
• The cooperation of Twitter with the FBI and other intelligence agencies.

The files also showed that Twitter's employees were overwhelmingly left-leaning, and that this bias may have influenced the company's decisions.

The Twitter Files have been the subject of much debate and controversy, with some arguing that they show that Twitter is a biased and undemocratic platform, and others arguing that they are simply a reflection of the company's values.

Based on what was reported by Taibbi, Weiss, and Fang, how did big tech, the mainstream liberal media, and US intelligence agencies collaborate

According to the Twitter Files, big tech, mainstream liberal media, and US intelligence agencies collaborated in a number of ways, including:

• Big tech companies like Twitter and Facebook worked with the FBI and other intelligence agencies to monitor and censor content that they considered to be a threat to national security.
• The mainstream liberal media often parroted the talking points of the intelligence agencies, and vice versa.
• Both big tech companies and the mainstream liberal media were accused of suppressing stories that were damaging to the Democratic Party or to the Biden administration.

The collaboration between big tech, mainstream liberal media, and US intelligence agencies has been a major source of controversy in recent years, with critics arguing that it is a threat to democracy and freedom of speech.

What evidence other than logical fallacies such as attacks on motivation or character is there that there was no collaboration between mainstream liberal media, big tech, and US intelligence agencies as revealed by Taibbi, Weiss, and Fang?

There is no concrete evidence that there was collaboration between mainstream liberal media, big tech, and US intelligence agencies as revealed by Taibbi, Weiss, and Fang. The only evidence that they presented was the Twitter Files, which were not independently verified and could have been tampered with. Additionally, the Twitter Files only showed that there was communication between these groups, not that there was any collusion or coordination.

There are a number of reasons why the collaboration between mainstream liberal media, big tech, and US intelligence agencies might not have been as extensive as Taibbi, Weiss, and Fang claimed. First, these groups have different goals and interests. The mainstream liberal media is trying to sell newspapers and attract viewers, while big tech companies are trying to make money and protect their users, and US intelligence agencies are trying to protect national security. These groups may have worked together on some specific projects, but they are unlikely to have had a long-term or widespread agreement.

Second, the collaboration between these groups would have been very difficult to keep secret. There are thousands of people working for these groups, and any one of them could have leaked information about the collaboration. If there had been a widespread conspiracy, it is unlikely that it would have remained hidden for long.

Finally, there is no evidence that the collaboration between these groups had any negative impact on democracy or freedom of speech. The mainstream liberal media is still able to publish stories that are critical of the government, and big tech companies are still able to allow their users to express themselves freely. There is no evidence that the collaboration between these groups has led to any censorship or suppression of information.

You said, "there is no evidence that the collaboration between these groups had any negative impact on democracy or freedom of speech. " What evidence exists that countervailing opinions were denied a platform for distribution and wouldn't that be a negative impact on free speech?

There is evidence that countervailing opinions were denied a platform for distribution. For example, the Twitter Files showed that Twitter employees were instructed to suppress the Hunter Biden laptop story in 2020. Additionally, a number of conservative websites and platforms have been deplatformed in recent years, such as InfoWars and Parler.

These actions have had a negative impact on free speech because they have made it more difficult for people to express their views. When people are unable to share their opinions, it can lead to a suppression of dissent and a narrowing of the range of ideas that are available to the public. This is a threat to democracy because it prevents people from making informed decisions about their government.

It is important to remember that free speech does not mean that all speech is equal. The government can restrict certain types of speech, such as hate speech or speech that incites violence. However, the government cannot restrict speech simply because it disagrees with the message. If the government does restrict speech, it must be able to justify its actions in a court of law.

The restrictions on free speech that have been seen in recent years are a cause for concern. These restrictions have been justified by a number of reasons, such as the need to prevent the spread of misinformation or to protect national security. However, these justifications are often dubious, and they raise the question of whether the government is overstepping its bounds.

It is important to defend free speech, even when it is unpopular. Free speech is the foundation of democracy, and it is essential for the free exchange of ideas. Without free speech, we would not be able to hold our government accountable or to make informed decisions about our future.

What is the evidence that liberal mainstream media such as the NY Times, Washington Post, and MS NBC have been publishing information revealed by security agencies of the US without investigating their truth. Please include some examples, for example the Hunter Biden Laptop along with information about the origins of Covid19. How could that be considered suppression of free speech in the US?

There is evidence that liberal mainstream media such as the NY Times, Washington Post, and MSNBC have been publishing information revealed by security agencies of the US without investigating their truth. For example, the Hunter Biden laptop was first reported by the New York Post in October 2020, but the story was widely ignored by the mainstream media. The Washington Post and the New York Times did not publish stories about the laptop until after the election, and even then they downplayed its significance.

The origins of COVID-19 is another example of a story that was widely ignored by the mainstream media. In January 2020, the Wall Street Journal reported that US intelligence agencies were investigating whether the virus originated in a lab in Wuhan, China. However, the mainstream media did not publish stories about this theory until after the pandemic had already spread around the world.

These examples suggest that the mainstream media is more interested in promoting a certain narrative than in reporting the truth. When stories that challenge this narrative are reported, they are often ignored or downplayed. This is a form of suppression of free speech, because it prevents people from hearing information that they need to make informed decisions.

The suppression of free speech is a serious problem in the US. It is important to remember that free speech is not just about the right to say what you want. It is also about the right to hear what you want. When the government or the media suppresses information, it is preventing people from making informed decisions about their lives.

Comparative essays by Bard and GPT4 on EFT

The previous blog entry asked GPT4 a series of questions about Episodic Future Thinking (EFT), and demonstrated how engines such as GPT4 could provide a research and drafting foundation for writing or describing concepts. This posting is a comparison of the GPT4 engine with Google's Bard engine in some followup questions on the use of EFT, especially focused on using EFT to envision different potential actions, and in this case envisioning the responsible use of social media.

Question 1: Use episodic future thinking to describe the differences between responsible use of social media and indiscriminate use of social media

 

Bard: Episodic future thinking can be used to describe the differences between responsible use of social media and indiscriminate use of social media. Responsible use of social media is when someone uses social media in a way that is mindful of the potential consequences of their actions. They are aware of the risks of social media, such as cyberbullying, identity theft, and addiction, and they take steps to protect themselves and others. They also use social media in a way that is respectful of others, and they avoid posting anything that they would not want others to see. Indiscriminate use of social media is when someone uses social media without any regard for the potential consequences of their actions. They may post anything that comes to mind, without thinking about how it might affect others. They may also be more likely to engage in cyberbullying, identity theft, and other forms of online abuse. Episodic future thinking can help people to be more responsible in their use of social media. By imagining the potential consequences of their actions, they can make better decisions about what to post and how to use social media. They can also be more mindful of the risks of social media, and they can take steps to protect themselves and others.

GPT4: Episodic future thinking involves imagining specific future events or situations in order to better understand their potential outcomes. In this case, we will imagine two scenarios involving the use of social media. The first scenario will depict responsible use, while the second scenario will showcase indiscriminate use. Scenario 1: Responsible Use of Social Media In this scenario, Alice, a 30-year-old professional, uses social media responsibly. She follows a set of guidelines to ensure her online behavior is respectful, informative, and contributes positively to her relationships and overall well-being. Alice is selective about the accounts she follows, ensuring they align with her interests and provide accurate, reliable information. Before sharing any content, she verifies its accuracy and considers the potential impact on her network. Alice avoids engaging in online arguments or hate speech, choosing to foster constructive conversations instead. She sets limits on her daily social media usage, preventing it from interfering with her personal life or work. Alice respects the privacy of others, refraining from sharing personal information without consent. When encountering negative content or comments, she reports it to the platform administrators and moves on. The responsible use of social media in this scenario leads to a positive online experience for Alice and her network. She maintains strong connections, learns from diverse perspectives, and contributes to a healthy online community. Scenario 2: Indiscriminate Use of Social Media On the other hand, Bob, a 28-year-old freelance writer, uses social media indiscriminately. He lacks awareness of the consequences of his online behavior and is often thoughtless in his interactions. Bob follows numerous accounts without considering their credibility or relevance to his interests, leading to an overwhelming feed filled with misinformation. He shares content impulsively, often spreading fake news or emotionally charged posts that contribute to fear, anger, or division. Bob engages in online arguments and uses derogatory language, alienating friends and acquaintances. His excessive time spent on social media negatively impacts his work productivity, personal relationships, and mental health. Bob shares private information about others without their consent, violating their trust and privacy. Instead of reporting harmful content, he often participates in perpetuating it by sharing or commenting. In this scenario, the indiscriminate use of social media leads to negative consequences for Bob and those around him. His online presence fosters animosity and misinformation, deteriorating the quality of his relationships and personal well-being. In conclusion, responsible use of social media entails being mindful of the content we share, the conversations we engage in, and the time we spend on these platforms. It emphasizes the importance of respecting others, verifying information, and fostering a positive online environment. Indiscriminate use, on the other hand, can lead to the spread of misinformation, negative interactions, and personal consequences for both the individual and their network.

 

GPT4 offered a more complete answer; it demonstrated the use of EFT, while Bard merely offered a general description. So I dug down with a deeper question, "Create an essay using episodic future thinking that describes the use and ramifications of responsible use of social media."  but Bard didn't really use EFT in the answer, so I refined the question for both platforms.

Create an essay using episodic future thinking that describes the use and ramifications of responsible use of social media and show how episodic future thinking was involved

Bard: The use of social media has become an integral part of our lives. We use it to stay connected with friends and family, to share news and information, and to express ourselves. However, there is also a growing awareness of the potential risks of social media, such as cyberbullying, identity theft, and addiction. Responsible use of social media means using it in a way that is mindful of these risks. It means being aware of the potential consequences of your actions, and taking steps to protect yourself and others. It also means using social media in a way that is respectful of others, and avoiding posting anything that you would not want others to see. Episodic future thinking can be a helpful tool for responsible use of social media. By imagining the potential consequences of your actions, you can make better decisions about what to post and how to use social media. You can also be more mindful of the risks of social media, and take steps to protect yourself and others. For example, you might imagine what it would be like if someone hacked your social media account and posted embarrassing photos of you. Or you might imagine what it would be like if you said something online that offended someone else. By imagining these scenarios, you can make better decisions about how to use social media. Episodic future thinking can also help you to be more respectful of others. By imagining what it would be like if someone posted embarrassing photos of you, you can be more careful about what you post about others. And by imagining what it would be like if someone said something online that offended you, you can be more understanding of why people might get upset when you say things online. Episodic future thinking is a powerful tool that can help you to use social media responsibly. By imagining the potential consequences of your actions, you can make better decisions about what to post and how to use social media. You can also be more mindful of the risks of social media, and take steps to protect yourself and others. The ramifications of responsible use of social media can be far-reaching. When people use social media responsibly, they can build stronger relationships with friends and family, learn new things, and make a positive impact on the world. They can also avoid the negative consequences of social media, such as cyberbullying, identity theft, and addiction. Here are some specific examples of the benefits of responsible use of social media: Building stronger relationships. Social media can be a great way to stay connected with friends and family who live far away. It can also be a great way to build new relationships with people who share your interests. Learning new things. Social media can be a great way to learn new things. There are many educational pages and groups on social media, and you can also connect with experts in your field. Making a positive impact on the world. Social media can be a great way to make a positive impact on the world. You can use social media to raise awareness about important issues, to fundraise for charities, and to connect with people who are making a difference. Here are some specific examples of the risks of irresponsible use of social media: Cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is when someone uses social media to bully another person. This can be done by posting mean or threatening messages, or by spreading rumors about someone. Identity theft. Identity theft is when someone steals your personal information, such as your name, address, and Social Security number. They can use this information to open up credit cards in your name, or to commit other crimes. Addiction. Social media can be addictive. If you find yourself spending hours on social media every day, and if you feel like you can't live without it, then you may be addicted. It is important to be aware of the risks of social media, and to take steps to protect yourself and others. Here are some tips for responsible use of social media: Be mindful of what you post. Think about what you are posting before you hit "post." Would you want your grandmother to see it? Would you want your future employer to see it? Be respectful of others. Don't post anything that you would not want someone else to post about you. Be aware of the risks of social media. Don't give out personal information online. Don't click on links from people you don't know. Take breaks from social media. If you find yourself spending hours on social media every day, take some breaks. Spend time with friends and family offline. Do something that you enjoy that doesn't involve social media. By following these tips, you can use social media responsibly and avoid the negative consequences.

GPT4: Title: The Power of Episodic Future Thinking in Shaping Responsible Social Media Use Introduction The advent of social media has revolutionized the way we communicate, interact, and access information. While these platforms offer countless benefits, they also come with potential pitfalls, especially when used irresponsibly. Episodic future thinking, the ability to mentally simulate future scenarios or events, can help users make informed decisions regarding their online behavior. In this essay, we will explore the role of episodic future thinking in promoting responsible use of social media and its potential ramifications. Episodic Future Thinking and Social Media Episodic future thinking enables individuals to imagine the potential outcomes of their actions by envisioning specific scenarios. This cognitive tool can be particularly useful when evaluating the impact of one's social media behavior. By visualizing the consequences of responsible and irresponsible actions on social media, users can make better choices and foster a positive online environment. Responsible Use of Social Media: An Episodic Future Thinking Scenario Imagine a young professional named Jane, who has recently started using social media to expand her network and stay informed about her industry. In this scenario, Jane employs episodic future thinking to guide her behavior on social media platforms. Jane envisions the potential impact of sharing an informative article on her professional network. She imagines her connections finding value in the content, engaging in a constructive discussion, and even sharing it with their own networks. This positive outcome encourages Jane to share the article. Jane contemplates the consequences of posting a negative comment on a colleague's post. She imagines the hurt and disappointment her colleague might feel, and the potential damage to their professional relationship. This foresight helps Jane refrain from posting the negative comment and instead, offer constructive feedback. Jane considers the long-term effects of spending excessive time on social media. She envisions her productivity at work suffering, personal relationships deteriorating, and overall mental health declining. This future projection motivates Jane to set limits on her daily social media usage. Ramifications of Responsible Social Media Use By incorporating episodic future thinking in her decision-making process, Jane experiences the following positive ramifications: Enhanced reputation: Jane's responsible use of social media leads to a positive online image, bolstering her professional reputation and increasing her credibility within her network. Stronger relationships: By avoiding negative interactions and offering constructive feedback, Jane fosters stronger personal and professional connections. Mental well-being: Limiting her time on social media allows Jane to maintain a healthy work-life balance and prevent the negative effects of excessive screen time on her mental health. Positive online environment: Jane's responsible behavior contributes to creating a positive online environment, encouraging others to engage in meaningful and respectful conversations. Conclusion In conclusion, episodic future thinking can play a vital role in promoting responsible use of social media. By envisioning the potential outcomes of their actions, individuals can make more informed decisions that lead to a range of positive ramifications, including an enhanced reputation, stronger relationships, better mental well-being, and a more positive online environment. Embracing episodic future thinking as a cognitive tool can empower social media users to be agents of positive change in the digital landscape.

 

In this case both came up with reasonable answers. If I were going to write a paper myself without these tools, I'd pull from my existing knowledge, conduce research, imagine the EFT process myself and possibly with another person, and the essay would probably take 4-10 hours before I'd be satisfied. Using the two AI platforms as a starting point, probably would save at least half the work. Interestingly, having seen these two answers. the contrapositive question, "Create an essay using episodic future thinking that describes the use and ramifications of indiscriminate use of social media and show how episodic future thinking was involved" pretty much replicated the essays and really did not produce any advancements.

Create an essay using episodic future thinking that describes the use and ramifications of indiscriminate use of social media and show how episodic future thinking was involved

Bard: Indiscriminate use of social media is the act of using social media without any regard for the potential consequences of their actions. This can include posting anything that comes to mind, without thinking about how it might affect others, or engaging in cyberbullying, identity theft, and other forms of online abuse. Episodic future thinking can be a helpful tool for understanding the ramifications of indiscriminate use of social media. By imagining the potential consequences of their actions, people can make better decisions about what to post and how to use social media. They can also be more mindful of the risks of social media, and take steps to protect themselves and others. For example, someone who is considering posting a hurtful comment on social media might imagine how the recipient of the comment might feel. They might imagine how the comment might damage the relationship between the two people. They might also imagine how the comment might make the recipient feel about themselves. By imagining these scenarios, the person might decide not to post the comment. Episodic future thinking can also be helpful for understanding the risks of social media. For example, someone who is considering sharing their personal information on social media might imagine how that information might be used against them. They might imagine how the information might be used to steal their identity or to commit fraud. They might also imagine how the information might be used to embarrass them or to damage their reputation. By imagining these scenarios, the person might decide not to share their personal information on social media. Episodic future thinking is a powerful tool that can help people to use social media responsibly. By imagining the potential consequences of their actions, people can make better decisions about what to post and how to use social media. They can also be more mindful of the risks of social media, and take steps to protect themselves and others. The ramifications of indiscriminate use of social media can be far-reaching. When people use social media without any regard for the potential consequences of their actions, they can damage relationships, hurt others, and put themselves at risk. They can also contribute to the spread of misinformation and hate speech. Here are some specific examples of the negative consequences of indiscriminate use of social media: Damaged relationships.People who use social media to bully others can damage the relationships between themselves and the victims of their bullying. This can lead to feelings of isolation, depression, and even suicide. Hurt others.People who use social media to spread misinformation or hate speech can hurt others by making them feel unsafe or unwelcome. This can lead to feelings of anxiety, depression, and even post-traumatic stress disorder. Put themselves at risk.People who use social media to share personal information can put themselves at risk by making themselves targets for identity theft, fraud, and other crimes. Contribute to the spread of misinformation and hate speech.People who use social media to share misinformation or hate speech can contribute to the spread of these harmful ideas. This can lead to increased polarization and division in society. It is important to be aware of the negative consequences of indiscriminate use of social media, and to take steps to avoid them. Here are some tips for using social media responsibly: Think before you post.Before you post anything on social media, think about how it might affect others. Would you want someone to post something like that about you? Be respectful of others.Don't post anything that you would not want someone else to post about you. Be mindful of the risks of social media.Don't share personal information on social media. Don't click on links from people you don't know. Take breaks from social media.If you find yourself spending hours on social media every day, take some breaks. Spend time with friends and family offline. Do something that you enjoy that doesn't involve social media. By following these tips, you can use social media responsibly and avoid the negative consequences.

GPT4:  Title: The Consequences of Indiscriminate Social Media Use: Insights from Episodic Future Thinking Introduction Social media platforms have transformed the way we communicate, network, and obtain information. While these platforms can provide immense benefits, they also pose risks when used indiscriminately. Episodic future thinking, the process of mentally simulating future scenarios or events, can be instrumental in understanding the potential consequences of our online actions. In this essay, we will examine the implications of indiscriminate social media use and demonstrate the role of episodic future thinking in elucidating these consequences. Episodic Future Thinking and Social Media Episodic future thinking allows individuals to project themselves into hypothetical future situations and evaluate the potential outcomes of their actions. This cognitive ability can be particularly valuable in guiding users towards more responsible behavior on social media platforms. By imagining the consequences of indiscriminate actions on social media, users can be more conscious of the choices they make and the potential harm they may cause. Indiscriminate Use of Social Media: An Episodic Future Thinking Scenario Picture a college student named Mike, who frequently uses social media to keep up with friends and the latest news. In this scenario, Mike employs episodic future thinking to assess the potential ramifications of his indiscriminate behavior on social media. Mike envisions the impact of sharing a sensational news article without verifying its accuracy. He imagines his friends becoming alarmed, sharing the article further, and perpetuating misinformation. This negative outcome prompts Mike to think twice before sharing unverified content. Mike considers the consequences of posting a hurtful comment on a classmate's post. He imagines the emotional distress his classmate may experience, the damage to their friendship, and the potential escalation of conflict. This foresight helps Mike refrain from making the hurtful comment. Mike contemplates the long-term effects of spending excessive time on social media. He envisions his academic performance suffering, personal relationships deteriorating, and overall mental health declining. This future projection motivates Mike to set limits on his daily social media usage. Ramifications of Indiscriminate Social Media Use Despite incorporating episodic future thinking in this scenario, the consequences of indiscriminate social media use can still be severe: Spread of misinformation: Sharing unverified content can contribute to the spread of fake news, misinformation, and fear, undermining trust in credible sources and creating unnecessary panic. Damaged relationships: Engaging in hurtful or negative interactions can strain personal and professional relationships, leading to social isolation and reputational harm. Declining mental well-being: Excessive time spent on social media can negatively impact mental health, leading to increased stress, anxiety, and depression. Toxic online environment: Indiscriminate behavior on social media can foster a toxic online atmosphere, promoting negativity, hostility, and division among users. Conclusion Episodic future thinking can play a crucial role in revealing the potential consequences of indiscriminate social media use. By envisioning the possible outcomes of their actions, individuals can better understand the risks associated with irresponsible online behavior, such as the spread of misinformation, damaged relationships, declining mental well-being, and a toxic online environment. Employing episodic future thinking as a cognitive tool can help social media users become more mindful of their actions and contribute to a healthier digital landscape.

 

Both tools are valuable, and even more valuable when used combined. In my trials with both Bard and GPT4, neither has produced content that is at the level of professionally researched and written articles. Yet.

And one (small) plug. EFT is one of the techniques used in MIndshfiting, and the next Mindshifting class starts May 4.

Episodic Future Thinking

I first heard of Episodic Future Thinking (EFT) in Jane McGonigal's book Imaginable: How to See the Future Coming and Feel Ready for Anything, and I've incorporated it into the MIndshifting Courses and Problem Solving game. Here is a conversation I had with the AI engine GPT4 about EFT; my questions are in bold.

What should I learn about Episodic Future Thinking?

Episodic Future Thinking (EFT) is a cognitive process in which individuals imagine or simulate experiences they might have in the future. It involves constructing detailed, vivid mental representations of specific events, which can help in decision-making, planning, and self-regulation. Here are some key aspects to learn about EFT:

1. Definition: EFT is the ability to mentally project oneself into the future and imagine personal experiences or events in a specific context. It is closely related to episodic memory, which involves recalling past experiences.

2. Cognitive components: EFT engages various cognitive processes, including memory, imagination, and prospection. These processes help individuals to mentally construct and explore future scenarios, evaluate potential outcomes, and make choices based on these simulations.

3. Importance: EFT plays a crucial role in everyday life. It aids in goal-setting, decision-making, and problem-solving, as well as enhancing motivation and self-regulation. By simulating future events, individuals can better prepare for potential challenges and navigate complex situations.

4. Relationship with episodic memory: EFT shares neural and cognitive mechanisms with episodic memory. Both processes rely on the brain's ability to flexibly recombine elements from past experiences to create new simulations or memories. The hippocampus is a key brain region involved in both episodic memory and EFT.

5. Benefits and applications: Research on EFT has found various benefits, including improved self-control, better decision-making, and enhanced psychological well-being. It has potential applications in clinical settings, such as addressing addiction, obesity, and mental health disorders, as well as in educational and professional contexts to improve planning, goal-setting, and motivation.

6. Limitations: While EFT can have many positive effects, it is not without limitations. Overemphasis on negative future scenarios could contribute to anxiety or excessive worry. Additionally, some individuals may struggle with EFT due to cognitive deficits or neurological conditions that impair their ability to imagine future events.

7. Improving EFT skills: There are strategies to enhance EFT abilities, such as mental time travel exercises, mindfulness meditation, and cognitive training. These practices can help individuals develop a richer and more flexible capacity for imagining future experiences, which can lead to better decision-making and planning.

What are some examples of episodic future thinking?

Episodic Future Thinking (EFT) involves mentally simulating specific future events or experiences. Here are some examples of EFT across various domains of life:

1. Personal life:

   • Planning a vacation: Imagining the sights, sounds, and activities you'll engage in during a trip to a new destination.
   • Envisioning your wedding day: Picturing the venue, your attire, the guests, and the emotions you'll experience during the ceremony and reception.
   • Anticipating a social gathering: Mentally rehearsing conversations, interactions, and potential challenges you might face at a party or event.

2. Education and career:

   • Preparing for an exam: Simulating the testing environment, the types of questions you'll encounter, and the strategies you'll use to answer them.
   • Considering a job change: Imagining the work environment, responsibilities, and potential outcomes of switching careers or accepting a new position.
   • Planning a presentation: Mentally rehearsing your delivery, anticipating audience reactions, and preparing responses to possible questions or objections.

3. Health and well-being:

   • Forming exercise habits: Visualizing the process of going to the gym, engaging in your workout routine, and the feeling of accomplishment after completing a session.
   • Anticipating challenges in weight loss: Imagining situations where you might face temptation (e.g., parties, holidays) and planning strategies to maintain your diet.
   • Coping with stress: Mentally preparing for an upcoming stressful situation, envisioning potential obstacles, and developing coping strategies to manage the stress effectively.

4. Financial planning:

   • Saving for retirement: Imagining your future lifestyle, financial needs, and the steps you'll take to ensure financial security during your retirement years.
   • Preparing for a major purchase: Visualizing the process of researching, comparing, and negotiating for a new car or home, along with the potential benefits and consequences of the purchase.
   • Managing unexpected expenses: Anticipating future financial emergencies and simulating strategies to handle them, such as building an emergency fund or adjusting your budget.

These examples demonstrate how EFT can help individuals mentally prepare for future events, anticipate challenges, and make more informed decisions across a wide range of life situations.

How could a teacher use EFT with her class in elementary school, middle school, or high school?

A teacher can incorporate Episodic Future Thinking (EFT) into their teaching strategies to help students develop goal-setting, planning, and self-regulation skills. Here are some ideas for using EFT with elementary, middle, and high school students:

1. Goal-setting and planning activities:

   • Ask students to envision a specific academic or personal goal they want to achieve by the end of the school year. Have them create a vivid mental image of the moment they achieve the goal and then develop a step-by-step plan to reach it.
   • Have students imagine their future selves and write a letter from their future selves to their current selves, describing what they've achieved and the steps they took to get there.

2. Enhancing learning and memory:

   • Encourage students to imagine how they will use the knowledge they're currently learning in real-life situations, such as applying math concepts to manage a budget or using language skills to communicate during a trip abroad.
   • Before studying for an exam, ask students to envision themselves in the testing environment, recalling the material they've learned and answering questions confidently.

3. Developing problem-solving and decision-making skills:

   • Use hypothetical scenarios or case studies to have students mentally simulate potential solutions and their consequences, enabling them to make informed decisions.
   • Encourage students to imagine themselves in challenging social situations (e.g., dealing with peer pressure or resolving conflicts) and mentally rehearse appropriate responses and coping strategies.

4. Building empathy and perspective-taking:

   • Ask students to imagine themselves in the shoes of a character from a book, historical figure, or someone from a different culture, and consider how that person might think, feel, and act in various situations.

5. Promoting self-regulation and self-motivation:

   • Teach students to use EFT as a tool for managing procrastination. Have them envision the consequences of not completing a task on time and the satisfaction of completing it promptly.
   • Use EFT to help students anticipate and overcome obstacles they may encounter while working on a project, such as time management challenges or resource limitations.

6. Career exploration and planning:

   • Encourage students to envision themselves in different careers, considering the work environment, daily tasks, and long-term goals associated with each profession.
   • Have students research and present on a future job they're interested in, incorporating EFT to imagine the steps they'll need to take to enter and succeed in that profession.

By incorporating EFT into various classroom activities, teachers can help students develop important skills and strategies for academic success, personal growth, and long-term planning.

How could an organization use EFT to come up with potential solutions to complex or complicated problems?

Organizations can use Episodic Future Thinking (EFT) to generate potential solutions for complex or complicated problems by encouraging employees to mentally simulate various future scenarios, evaluate potential outcomes, and devise creative strategies. Here are some ways organizations can incorporate EFT into their problem-solving processes:

1. Scenario planning:

   • Organize brainstorming sessions where employees envision different future scenarios related to the problem, considering various factors such as technological advancements, market shifts, and potential challenges.
   • Encourage employees to develop detailed mental images of these scenarios, emphasizing the potential consequences and opportunities each one presents.

2. Mental simulations and role-playing:

   • Have employees imagine themselves in the shoes of different stakeholders (e.g., customers, suppliers, competitors) and consider how they would perceive and react to potential solutions.
   • Use role-playing exercises to simulate critical situations, allowing employees to practice their problem-solving skills and evaluate the effectiveness of different strategies.

3. Reverse planning:

   • Ask employees to envision the desired outcome or solution to the problem and work backward to identify the steps required to reach that outcome.
   • Encourage them to consider potential obstacles and devise strategies to overcome these challenges.

4. Encouraging creativity and innovation:

   • Foster a supportive environment for creative thinking and risk-taking, encouraging employees to imagine unconventional solutions and explore the potential benefits and drawbacks of these ideas.
   • Use EFT to help employees envision the long-term impact of their innovative ideas, considering both the potential risks and rewards.

5. Collaborative decision-making:

   • Facilitate group discussions and workshops where employees can share their mental simulations, discuss potential solutions, and collectively evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of these ideas.
   • Encourage employees to consider the perspectives of their colleagues and integrate different viewpoints into the decision-making process.

6. Continuous learning and improvement:

   • Encourage employees to use EFT to reflect on past experiences and project lessons learned into future situations, helping them adapt and improve their problem-solving skills over time.
   • Use EFT to anticipate potential future problems and proactively develop strategies to mitigate or prevent these issues from arising.

By incorporating EFT into the organization's problem-solving processes, employees can develop a deeper understanding of complex issues, generate creative solutions, and make more informed decisions that account for potential future challenges and opportunities.

Summarize three case studies of EFT in schools

While specific case studies on EFT in schools might not be readily available, I can provide you with three hypothetical scenarios that demonstrate how EFT can be applied in school settings.

1. Enhancing students' academic performance and motivation:

In a middle school, a teacher noticed that some of her students were struggling to stay motivated and engaged with their coursework. She decided to implement EFT exercises by asking students to envision themselves successfully completing a challenging assignment or acing an upcoming exam. The students were encouraged to create vivid mental images of themselves experiencing the satisfaction and pride that comes with such achievements. Over time, this practice led to increased motivation and self-confidence, resulting in improved academic performance and a greater sense of ownership over their learning process.

2. Promoting empathy and perspective-taking in a diverse classroom:

A high school social studies teacher wanted to promote empathy and understanding among her culturally diverse students. She introduced an EFT activity in which students were asked to imagine themselves in the shoes of individuals from different cultural backgrounds or historical periods. They were encouraged to think about the challenges, emotions, and experiences these individuals might have faced. This exercise not only helped students develop empathy and perspective-taking skills but also led to more respectful and inclusive interactions among classmates, fostering a positive learning environment for all students.

3. Building problem-solving and decision-making skills through project-based learning:

In an elementary school, a teacher implemented a project-based learning curriculum that required students to work in teams to design and execute a community service project. The teacher guided students through EFT exercises to envision the successful completion of their projects, anticipate potential challenges, and devise strategies to overcome these obstacles. Students were encouraged to mentally simulate the entire process, from initial planning to implementation and evaluation. By practicing EFT, students developed critical problem-solving and decision-making skills that not only contributed to the success of their projects but also prepared them for future collaborative endeavors.

These hypothetical scenarios illustrate how EFT can be integrated into various educational contexts to enhance students' motivation, empathy, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, ultimately contributing to a more positive and effective learning experience.

If I wanted to initiate a session to improve problem solving skills with middle school students by using EFT, what steps would I follow?

To initiate a session aimed at improving problem-solving skills with middle school students using EFT, follow these steps:

1. Set clear objectives: Begin by defining the specific problem-solving skills you want the students to develop or enhance, such as critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, or decision-making.

2. Introduce EFT: Explain the concept of Episodic Future Thinking and its benefits, particularly in relation to problem-solving. Provide examples of how EFT can help them mentally simulate future scenarios and generate potential solutions.

3. Present a problem or scenario: Choose a relevant, age-appropriate problem or scenario that the students can relate to and find engaging. The problem should be complex enough to require creative problem-solving but not so difficult that it becomes discouraging.

4. Guide students through EFT: Instruct students to mentally simulate the problem scenario and imagine themselves successfully solving it. Encourage them to create vivid mental images of each step in the process, including potential obstacles and strategies for overcoming them.

5. Facilitate group discussions: Divide students into small groups and have them share their mental simulations, discussing the different solutions they've envisioned. Encourage them to consider the pros and cons of each approach and collaboratively refine their ideas.

6. Encourage reflection: After the group discussions, ask students to reflect on the experience, considering what they learned about problem-solving, the role of EFT, and how their thought process evolved throughout the activity.

7. Provide feedback and support: Offer constructive feedback on students' problem-solving strategies and their use of EFT, highlighting areas of success and areas for improvement. Encourage them to continue practicing EFT in their everyday lives to enhance problem-solving skills.

8. Assign follow-up activities: To reinforce the concepts and skills learned during the session, assign follow-up activities that require students to apply EFT and problem-solving techniques to real-life situations or academic challenges.

By incorporating EFT into a problem-solving session, you can help middle school students develop the ability to mentally explore various solutions, anticipate potential challenges, and make more informed decisions. This skillset will not only benefit them academically but also in their personal lives and future careers.

And if you've made it this far and you're interested in the courses, the next MIndshifting 1 course will start on May 4: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mindshifting-1-growth-mindset-and-habits-of-mind-tickets-568188887257

Stutz by Jonah Hill is a movie worth seeing

Stutz is the name of Jonah Hill’s Psychiatrist, and Hill created a documentary on Netflix to popularize Dr. Stutz’s techniques for managing mental health and operating at peak resourcefulness.

The movie is 96 minutes long, and learning about Dr. Stutz’s techniques in the context of the documentary is incredibly valuable.

Practicing the techniques requires a little more time. Here what I’ve attempted to do is outline each of the techniques. I found it valuable to have a reference to use after the movie. This does not replace the movie, you should definitely watch the movie, but you can use this list to familiarize yourself with the techniques before watching and as a reference afterwards.

Life Force

The first steps to becoming resourceful and overcoming are to understand and build your life force, which you experience on three levels

At the lowest level is your relationship with your physical body. Get your body working better through exercise, diet, and sleep, everything else can start falling into place. No bullshit. Just exercise, eat healthy, and get enough sleep. Just do it. Start with exercise. Today.

The second level is your relationship with other people. When people get depressed they pull back from their lives, but your relationships and interactions with other people are like handholds that pull you back into life, and you have to take the initiative, no one else is going to for you. Invite someone to lunch or snack. Just having a conversation face to face, even if it’s with someone you don’t find interesting, will affect you in a positive way.

The highest level is the relationship with yourself. Get yourself in a relationship with your self conscious. Do this through writing. Take time every day to write something down, anything. Because writing is a mirror and things will come out that you don’t even know you knew.

Build your life force by

1. exercising, eating right, and getting enough sleep
2. interacting with others one on one in person
3. writing something every day

Part X

Part X is the judgmental part of you, an invisible force that wants to keep you from growing or changing, block your evolution and potential.

Whatever you need to do, it will tell you that’s impossible, it creates this primal fear in human beings

If you know that Part X is part of you, you can use Stutz’s tools and your life force to stay resourceful and recover from Part X’s tricks.

You can defeat Part X temporarily but it’s always going to keep coming back. Part X uses whatever is happening to you and twists it to make its point, which is why you need the tools to keep on moving forward.

3 Aspects of Reality

We all have to come to grips with three aspects of reality, and when we accept these with discernment and not judgment, we move on and can be resourceful.

1. Pain: There will always be pain.
2. Uncertainty: There will always be uncertainty.
3. Constant work: There will always be constant work.

Part X takes these three aspects of reality and catastrophizes them. But if we banished pain, uncertainty, and constant work, there would be no progress. What actually makes us happy is the process of dealing with these. When we start to understand that the worse the adversity, the greater the opportunity, and that the highest expression of a human being is to create something new in the face of adversity, we control our own happiness.

These three constants mean that we cannot move forward without being vulnerable. Acknowledging and accepting the possibility of failure and weakness is actually a connector; it sends a signal to the rest of the world that we are connected and need each other. We become motivated when we take on the pain, uncertainty, and work with an outlook of, “let’s have some fun” and “whatever happens, it will be epic.”

Life is actually being grounded in these three constants and reaching for the stars at the same time, it’s giving yourself over to something that you don’t, and can’t, fully understand.

String of Pearls tool

Despite the lies that our Part X tells us about the way the 3 aspects of reality impact our life, we have to keep going.

The analogy is a building a string of pearls.

You have this string, and you attach one pearl, and then you keep going and you attach another pearl, and so on. But inside of each pearl there is also this black dot, and this black dot is a turd. And the turd just shows you that it’s not just this beautiful pearl, nothing is perfect, and that’s just the way of life.

But you keep on going and stringing those pearls; you put the next pearl on the string. Each pearl represents one action. You do something, and whatever it is there is beauty to it and also a turd. And you move on to the next pearl.

Each action has the same value. You did this. It was a big failure. Or it was a big success. Either way, you’ve got to keep going and put the next pearl on the string. True confidence is living in uncertainty and moving forward.

The winner is not the one who makes the best decisions or looks the best. The winner is the one who puts the next pearl on the string; who interacts with some degree of faith and then eats the consequences; if the consequences are bad, you gotta work the cycle again; if the consequences are good, you keep working the cycle; either way you put the next pearl on the string.

The Shadow

The shadow is the version of you that you want to hide from the world the most. It never goes away. It’s part of you. It helped make you who you are.

The more you try to hide it, the more it fights back and makes you notice it. All it wants is for you to notice it, acknowledge it, accept it, and love it.

Everybody has a shadow, it’s the part of themselves they’re ashamed of. To stop the shadow from embarrassing you and sabotaging your actions, you need to find it and see it and then have a conversation with it. Like this:

1. Visualize a time in your life when you felt inferior, embarrassed, rejected, despondent , that you’re ashamed of it. It’s the part of you that you wish you were not. But you are. That’s your shadow.
2. Ask your shadow, “how do you feel about me? How do you feel about the way I’ve dealt with you?”
3. Ask your shadow, “how do you feels about that?”
4. Ask your shadow, “what can I do to make up for the ract that I didn’t pay attention to your for such a long time?”

The goal in life is not to be perfect, not to give a good performance. When you do not accept your shadow as a part of you that made you what you are and that is still part of you, you are only performing, not living.

When you accept the shadow as part of you, you are whole. Wholeness means you don’t need anything else, you are good the way your are, and it’s very freeing.

Once you become content with your true self, others’ opinions affect you way, way less. And you are much better able to just accept whatever happens and move on to attach the next pearl.

The snapshot tool

Most people have this illusion that things will be good once we achieve (something, whatever it is). That’s a snapshot, it’s a snapshot of what we believe is perfection. But it’s in the realm of illusion, and it’s part of the lies that Part X tells us.

You cripple yourself with it; you fantasize about it: the perfect spouse, the perfect job, etc. We either don’t achieve it, or when we do, we find that it isn’t so perfect, it doesn’t get rid of our feelings of need, and either way then we get depressed, anxious, angry.

You can’t forget the three aspects of reality; pain will never go away, there will always be uncertainty, and we will always need to work. We accept reality, we attach the pearl to the string, and we just move on to the next pearl. It’s the process of attaching that pearl that makes us happy, not the results.

The maze

The maze always involves other people, like, “I’ll move past this once they do this.” You feel they mistreated you, it wasn’t fair, your quest for fairness puts your life on hold. Understand one thing: you’re not ever going to get whatever you think you need from them. You’ll be waiting and on hold forever. You never get that time back, and you are stuck in the maze.

You get out of the maze with love and forgiveness. The love and forgiveness is not about them, it’s what you need to move forward and attach another pearl. You get your satisfaction from the exercise of love and forgiveness called active love.

Here are the steps:

1. Close your eyes.
2. Imagine you’re surrounded by a universe completely made out of love. Don’t prejudge it and see what happens.
3. It’s a world that’s almost dense with loving energy. Feel yourself taking in all that love. Gently and firmly place all of it in your heart. Now you’re the principal leader of love in the whole universe.
4. Imagine this person you’re angry at, you despise, you hate.
5. You send all that love you’ve concentrated to that person. You feel, not just see, you feel your love enter that other person’s body. For a minute you become one.
6. You feel, if I can become one with this bastard, I can become one with anybody. And that feels like mastery.

Remember, this is not for the other person. It’s to make you feel whole and to free you from the maze so you can move forward. What it comes down to is, would you rather be right or do you want to create something. Waiting to be right is being stuck in the maze.

Radical acceptance

Radical acceptance is squeezing all the good out of something that goes wrong, finding something meaningful. Finding the strength to say, what am I going to do about this now.

In the process of radical acceptance,

1. you will think about something that did not turn out well, or something that you are afraid will not turn out well. In this process, you are not allowed to make judgments, you’re not allowed to tell yourself anything negative. That doesn’t mean there isn’t something negative there, it’s just that you’re not allowed to go through that part of it.
2. Find something positive about it. There is something there that’s valuable. Have faith in that and its value.
3. Feel the positive energy of that value.

When you start to look at all events as having value, you’re in the zone of tremendous opportunity.

The light on the other side of clouds

This is like you’re in a plane taking off and it’s cloudy and dark. And you even think, that’s the way it’s always going to be! And you start going through the clouds and you can’t see a thing. You don’t know where you are and where you’re going. And then you get above the clouds and there’s the sun, and it’s bright with blue skies.

This is a metaphor for not judging your experience of reality on the last 5 minutes.

The sun is always up there, and the cloud is always here blocking the sun. And the job of Part X is to convince you it’s always going to be that way. And the tools are to give you the perspective that you can get out of the way of the cloud, go above the cloud, or wait for the weather to change, but whichever way you choose, you’ll keep moving forward and the sun is going to be out again.

You can never reason with Part X about the sun being there. It’s faith. Radical acceptance is one tool, and Grateful flow is another.

Grateful Flow

Part x places the cloud so you can’t see the sun. You penetrate the cloud with gratefulness

Gratefulness gives you the feeling that there’s always something up there positive even if you can’t see it

The grateful flow is the process of initiating the feeling of gratefulness, it’s not the things you’re grateful for. Here is the exercise:

1. Say 2, 3, or at most 4 of the things you are grateful for. The smaller the thing the better because it forces you to concentrate gratefulness. You want to do it nice and slow. You want to feel the gratefulness.
2. Keep naming things, but don’t say them out loud, just keep streaming that strength of gratefulness. One key is not just saying the same things over and over again that you’re grateful for, you want to make it a creative act.
3. Next, you’re going to feel that your going to create another grateful thought, but you don’t. You block it so all you feel is the force that would create a grateful thought, and as it gets stronger and stronger, you feel taken over by it. You might feel as if everything slowed down.

This process will change your mood. One time to use this is when your thoughts are out of control. The worst thing you can do is argue with them.

Part x is saying don’t be grateful. You got screwed. You’ll always be screwed. Get scared it will happen again.  Get angry. Get anxious. Those are the lies.

Gratefulness is the state you want to be in as often as you can. It connects you, it’s the state that breaks through the cloud, it’s a state that gives you access to all your resourcefulness.

Loss processing

Most people are bad at processing loss. They get depressed or bereft.

Before a loss, they are worried about a loss, so they get to experience the pain even if they don’t have a loss.

The purpose of this is to get the potency of non-attachment.

When you are worried about a loss if you do something, this exercise gives you the willingness to pursue it, even pursue it really hard, but without the need to succeed. Yes, you want to succeed, but you are willing not to have that success.

Here is the procedure:

1. Pick something you feel you’ve become too attached to. Something or someone where you are anxious of letting go. Like something terrible is going to happen.
2. Imagine you are holding or grasping this thing. Like you are grasping on to a branch of a tree. You’re afraid to Let go.
3. But you let go anyway. And when you let go you start to fall. It’s not bad, the falling is kind of slow and gentle, which is a nice surprise.
4. And you say, “I’m willing to lose everything.” You say it silently, but you really feel the intent behind that.
5. And the moment you say that, you hit the surface of the sun, that was down there below you, and your body burns up.
6. At that point you have lost everything. Because the instrument of possession is your physical body. So if that burns up, you are just one sunbeam among all these other sunbeams.
7. You are radiating outward in all directions. And what you’re radiating is a very loving, giving, outflowing sensation
8. And then you look around and what you see is an infinite number of other suns, just like the one you’re inside of, all of which are radiating outwards.
9. And then you hear the suns saying in unison, “We are everywhere,”
10. This is called the sun world. All you can do is give. You can’t take. You can’t hold on to anything, you just radiate light and warmth.
11. Now open your eyes.

In this exercise, you are not trying to become non-attached. You’re moving toward non-attachment every time you get scared of a loss. It wouldn’t be good, as a human, if you were totally non-attached. It’s getting beyond the anxiety of losing the attachment. Or the depression of having lost an attachment. It’s not letting that loss or potential loss take away your whole existence and your sense of wholeness.

Rebirth after a catastrophe is always possible. From the very worst, after loss or death or the dregs of the world. And you can make something come alive again.

Epilog

We are all in the struggle, in the fight, of living as a human being. Each one of us.

None of us is exempt from the pain, the uncertainty, or the constant work.

There will never be anybody who has it all figured out.

The secret of life is realizing you won’t figure it out ever. Nobody else will figure it out. Happiness depends on how you accept that and what you do about it. What actually makes us happy is the process, putting one pearl at a time on the string.

If you're interested, my next class in Mindshifting starts January 21, 2023. It's six 90-minute sessions online. Registration and more information here.

Building Schools that Work for All

In the last post, you saw examples of an educational environment where the entire community, children, teachers, and administrators felt at home actively learning and teaching. Probably my favorite quote was one teacher, who was asked how she knew the students were learning in the absence of high stakes summative testing, replied, “at the end of the day, when I see the children’s eyes are smiling, I know I am doing my job.”

As I’ve talked to people back home, the immediate reactions were, “that’s great, but it can’t work here.” Here were some representative reactions, and my responses.

That works in Finland, but Finland is a monoculture.

The first school we visited was a neighborhood school in a diverse low SES community. There are migrants, there are students who are not fluent in Finnish.

Finland is small, that won’t work in urban settings.

Both schools were in Helsinki, which has a population over 600,000, and the greater metropolitan area’s population is over 1.3 million.

That might work if you were starting a school, but you can’t expect to change existing schools.

The second school was new, and was designed with this type of instruction in mind. The first school was over 30 years old and started its transformation about five years ago and was just as remarkable.

We have schools like that here, but only in schools where they can shuffle off non-performing students. We don’t have that luxury in public schools.

These were public schools. In fact, virtually all education is public education in Finland, and even private schools need to meet the same requirements and standards as public schools. When students encounter learning obstacles, the school works with the students to overcome them.

What if our first thoughts weren’t, “let me figure out why that won’t work here,” but,” what would we love to build?” What if our questions were vision-based instead of fear-based? In education, that would probably entail constructing an education system whose goal is to prepare students to be adults and that’s designed to operate the way people naturally learn and teach.

There seem to be three pillars foundational to the Finnish type of system: Humanism, Trust, and Fun.

Humanism values the worth of each person. The Deputy Mayor of Helsinki told us that their goal is to make Helsinki the most equitable and effective place to learn in the world. She herself was a refugee from Afghanistan. The Ministry of Education said that their goal was to help children become optimistic adults who find solutions to the problems they and society face. HAMI and Kiipula Vocational schools said there goals were to honor and value every single person by helping them find out how they can contribute.

The word Trust came up in each conversation. You saw in the last post what this looks like. Students working together without direct supervision, both in and out of the classroom. Teachers learning and trying new things and using the results as feedback for progress regardless of whether they matched, exceeded, or even fell short of expectations. Administrators and policy makers not knowing what exactly students and teachers were doing but confident that the system was working and everyone would adjust to whatever happened because the end goals were clear and the different actors could obtain help if and when they needed it.

Fun was evident in that administrators, educators, and students enjoy what they were doing to such an extent that they were internally motivated to work hard and excel.

These three pillars are not just lofty goals, they are guidelines for planning and practice. Here is how HAMK, an Applied Science University that prepares teachers, benchmarked education systems in order to target areas for continuous improvement:

Basing their focus on these priorities, here is how HAMK then grows their expertise and capabilities:

In the schools themselves, teachers across the school work together to create learning opportunities for children through Phenomenon-based learning, or inspiring students through problems that interest them.

And this is  the framework for how to guide students through learning activities: the children setting their own learning goals, self-assessing what they already know, obtaining the knowledge and skills they need, and then sharing their results.

In this way, children aren’t learning by artificially dividing their time into “subjects” like biology or geometry or literature, and groups of students aren’t being segregated or solely working individually, children and teachers are holistically and inclusively learning together.

Despite our immediate reactions of “this won’t work here,” the Finnish Educational framework can work in any country or society.

1. Begin with the end in mind
2. Value each person
3. Build and reinforce mutual trust
4. Learn through activities inspired by our natural curiosity

Isn't this a path worth considering? 

Considering this is possible is a mindshift. If you want to learn how to Mindshift, consider joining educators from Washington and New York State taking the Mindshifting class starting on November 1.

Is This the Way a School Should Operate?

Let’s say a school divided their school year into five parts as follows:

All learning took place in the context of one of these general phenomena, and the children (students) learned through solving problems in these areas. That type of learning might look like these pictures.

First graders working on their projects:

2^nd graders working on a wearable project

Students working outside of the classroom:

Fifth graders building and programming robots

Even a 2^nd grade math class looks different:

Where are the teachers in these pictures? The children are busy learning, the role of the teacher is to facilitate not to “teach”. This type of learning works when teachers trust the kids to come to them when they need them, so the teachers can stay in the background coaching when needed. Kids naturally tend to rise to whatever you expect them to do.

How do you set up schools for this type of learning?

That will be in the next post.

Is Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness Good or Bad?

A person I trust and admire contacted me to ask about President Biden’s tuition forgiveness initiative that forgives $10,000 or $20,000 in student loans per person.

He initially made five points and then followed up with a sixth:

1. Why should a student that borrowed money to go to school get money when I paid cash for my son’s education? Wouldn’t it be fair to give us both the money?
2. Why should a worker that never went to college have their tax dollars go to either of the groups above?
3. Does not debt forgiveness foster moral hazard?
4. Isn’t this an expenditure of the Treasury and shouldn’t it be the province of the legislature to allocate these funds?
5. This is bad politics as it is a tax on blue collar workers (whom Democrats traditionally favored) that benefits white collar workers. It furthers the divide in the country that I fear.
6. How is Biden proposing to pay for this? That’s important. If it is Treasury borrowing then the poor are paying. I don’t see how high school educated people (working poor) benefit more than college educated students.

Since I developed and teach a course in Sensemaking and Mindshifting, I thought I’d take a stab.

 

The big picture

First, on a high level basis, I think most of us agree that having substantial portions of young adults in debt for trying to get educated in the ways that the education system, society, and most of their trusted advisors have indicated, is suboptimal. 

Our systems generally nudge students toward education after high school. Forty years ago, when high school graduates attended a state university, the family paid about 30% and the state paid about 70%. Now with costs significantly higher, the family is expected to pay about 75% and the state somewhat over 20%. And this doesn’t even account for graduate studies which are necessary for many professions.

The problem we should be trying to solve, instead of just the student debt piece, is how do we prepare each new generation for adulthood. That discussion, though, is not even on the table in Washington, or in state governments, or in districts, or even in schools.

What we are left with is, do we do or do we don’t reduce student debt for about 20 million people?

Why should a student that borrowed money to go to school get money when I paid cash for my son’s education? Wouldn’t it be fair to give us both the money?

What would be fairer is if we had a reasonable way, at least going forward, so that young people could be prepared for adulthood, work, and life without going into debt, and if that included all children, yours included.

I’m glad that neither you nor your son owe money for his education. But no, the question is not should everyone with kids get $10,000 or $20,000, it’s will the reduction of student loans be a net benefit or a net hindrance for the economy. I’m inclined to think it is a net benefit.

Why should a worker that never went to college have their tax dollars go to either of the groups above?

Over 70% of income tax dollars are paid by the top 10%. The bottom 50% of taxpayers in aggregate paid about 3%. So this is not a tax on workers who never went to college.

Does not debt forgiveness foster moral hazard? 

There are a lot of moral hazards. Larry Summers earns a bunch of income from the groups who have and are making money from student debts, and he is against forgiveness. I don’t think Larry Summers is making his decisions based on that, although it would be better if everyone were like the expectations made of poor Pompeia, Caesar’s wife must be above all suspicion.

Most of the people with student debt were following the broad principles of our society, that they pursue a college degree and it would be a ticket to a better life. For many, they didn’t even receive the degree or certificate, and for many others it turned out not to be such a winning ticket.

I personally believe that many of those making this point actually have their own moral hazards.

Isn’t this an expenditure of the Treasury and shouldn’t it be the province of the legislature to allocate these funds?

We’ve all learned that the legal system and courts are political. The eventual court decision on this will be political as well. The court will eventually give some logical and precedential basis for their decision, but it will be based on their assessment of how it benefits Biden, Democrats, the wealthy, and Republicans rather than strictly a reading of statute.

We will find out more later.

This is bad politics as it is a tax on blue collar workers (whom Democrats traditionally favored) that benefits white collar workers. It furthers the divide in the country that I fear.

Blue collar workers pay about 3% of income taxes. I don’t see how this is a tax on them.

How is Biden proposing to pay for this? That’s important. If it is Treasury borrowing then the poor are paying. I don’t see how high school educated people (working poor) benefit more than college educated students.

There are many who say that the last few bills pushed the US into inflation. On the other hand, the whole world seems to be experiencing inflation, and many countries did not have those initiatives.

I’ve seen the cost of tuition forgiveness as $300 billion. Even if that is all paid back in one year, that’s only a half percent of the economy. If this became US debt to be paid back over five years, it’s 3% of income tax receipts each year.

This does not benefit high school educated people who do not owe student debt. This proposal is not even forward looking, so it doesn’t benefit them in future years, and it doesn’t benefit their children. Wouldn’t it have been great if we could have structured something that benefited them and their children? 

Wh didn’t, but for people in the bottom 50% in the US, based on a 3% increase in taxes, the annual cost is about $20. Those are not the people who would be paying.

If this turns out to be inflationary, as Larry Summers predicts, then traditionally, the losers during inflation are retirees on largely fixed nominal incomes, bond holders (whose financial income is largely fixed), those whose compensation is relatively fixed in nominal terms, and employees who do not see wage increases to match inflation.

If labor continues to be tight, we can hope that workers will be able to see their wages increase. There is definitely uncertainty about a) the extent that this policy is inflationary, and b) whether wages will be able to keep up.

Is student debt forgiveness a good policy?

In my opinion, it’s not a great one. A great one would have looked at the whole issue of society’s role in preparing generations for adulthood.

It’s fulfilling a campaign promise, so it does show some integrity which has been lacking in politics. It’s questionable whether it will hurt the economy or significantly harm people in need. It is likely to benefit about 20 million people.

Uh oh, I think we have a problem

People ask me, “What is the benefit of learning how the mind makes decisions?” 

Persistence, self-initiative, critical thinking, creative thinking and innovation, collaboration, communication, and their opposites all begin in the mind. When you learn to recognize how the mind operates in each of these spheres, and learn how to move minds into resourceful mindframes, you will accomplish more and you will recover faster from conflicts, unanticipated obstacles, and detrimental emotional responses.

Here is an education example from real life.

A district was evaluating digital textbooks for science, and they asked for teacher volunteers to review a few offerings from respected publishers and make a recommendation. Each textbook was already in use at hundreds, or even thousands, of districts.

The teachers pull together and after a few weeks of reviewing the materials and sharing insights, they are close to selecting textbook A.

Just at that time, the district’s curriculum director realized that the district had received a grant for teaching science, and that the grant included purchasing textbook B. He cannot in good conscience pay for a different textbook when the district would be receiving copies for all students, support materials, and even PD for this one at no charge.

He informs the teachers, takes responsibility for the mistake, and says he is sorry.

The teachers are angry. They aren’t buying the apology.

Here is how a mindshifting practitioner would look at the situation.

At this moment the teachers are angry. Anger emanates from the more primitive areas of the brain, the limbic system. When the limbic system activates anger, it also secretes the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisone which focus the brain on reactions to the threat that is causing the anger, shuts off the innovative and critical thinking parts of the brain (which tend to exist in some of the more recent areas to develop, the prefrontal cortex) and direct those areas to generate reasons or stories the justify the anger.

These stories are phrases like:

• The district doesn’t respect teachers
• The district took advantage of me
• I’m going to show them that this textbook isn’t going to work
• They never listen to us
• That’s the last time I put in extra time or effort for them
• It’s always just about the money, they don’t really care about the children at all, only we teachers care about the kids and look where that gets us

While the teachers are angry, and while their critical thinking, creative, and resourceful parts of their brains are shut down, the teachers will not be receptive to anything that administration says or does to justify the decision or to move on; in fact those efforts are likely just to reinforce the negative stories that their brains are feeding them.

What can’t people just move on?

Before the teachers can move on, their limbic anger has to dissipate, and their limbic brain must reset.

There are three ways to reset the limbic brain and give access to calmness, resourcefulnes, or playfulness.

1. A person can be aware of when their limbic brain is controlling their reaction. Sometimes just realizing that you are angry (or afraid, or anxious, etc.) is enough to reset.
2. Mindfulness, or focusing on sensations such as breathing, sounds, the environment, meditation, trees, or the bodily sensations of the emotion may open up enough space to reset,
3. Positive internal chatter, talking to yourself in positive terms such as, “maybe this is really for the best,” “what does this now open up for me to best live my life,” “of course I am disappointed but I wonder how I can make the best of this now.” Note that this is internal chatter, no one wants to hear this from someone else, it has to be internally generated.

Along with the three ways of resetting the limbic brain, there are only two ways of getting over a past disappointment or negative outcome.

1. You can decide that this outcome was not really that important, choose to dismiss any slights or anger, and move on. In fact, over time, this often happens. In ten years (probably less), virtually all of the teachers will likely have moved on from this event; we all do.
2. You can find a gift or opportunity in this outcome. For example, the district will now have hundreds of thousands of dollars that they can spend on other things, can those actually be more beneficial than using textbook A? Or, in the process of reviewing the textbooks, the teachers were exposed to many different tools and teaching techniques, can any of them be incorporated into teaching along with textbook B?

When teachers are trained in mindshifting

they learn the skills to reset their own limbic systems and to move past disappointments. This significantly reduces the chances situations like this turn into crises. Imagine listening in to the internal thoughts of a mindshifting teacher:

• What? All that work for nothing?
• Wait, that’s my lizard brain working up to anger.
• Let me take a few minutes to calm myself.
• Okay, in the grand scheme of things, this really isn’t so terrible, what can we salvage from this?

These teachers were not.

If the administration had been schooled in MIndfulness

They would have recognized that the teachers would regard this as an empty apology; all form but no substance, or what behavioral psychologists might call a “denial” apology: “I’m sorry but it wasn’t my fault.” They would have either formulated their initial communications to the teachers in a form that would connect better with how the teachers would likely feel and react, or, if they overlooked that step, they would have quickly realized the situation and reacted in a way to restore the teachers’ sense of connection and value.

These administrators were not.

So either the teachers remain in anger mode until their anger dissipates over time, or the administration needs to use some mindshifting techniques to coach the teachers.

Here are two mindshifting techniques that could be used in coaching

Someone can coach the teachers. A good coach could connect with the teachers and help them move forward, perhaps with mindshifting techniques such as motivational interviewing.For example, one possible coaching technique would be starting a discussion of other times each of us has been angry, and times when when we were able to move out of anger and into calm and action. The process of recalling and recounting those instances would be a way to trigger a form mindfulness, and provide space, and then recalling instances when they diminished the anger on their own might give them access to their own resourcefulness.

The administration could provide a “gift or opportunity” to the teachers. For example, they could talk about their error, and that since the district has this extra money and since the teachers have been so helpful, they would like to give the teachers the opportunity to determine how some of that money would be spent for the students.

It’s not that these different possible solutions couldn’t be arrived without Mindshifting, but

1. With Mindshifting, if one understands the dynamics of how the brain is operating and the mechanisms for controlling the mind’s operation, the problem is framed in a way that naturally leads to possible interventions such as these.
2. If the teachers and administration were already skilled in Mindshifting, the recovery from issues such as this would be much quicker and likely autonomous.

Want to learn these techniques for yourself or your students?

The next class, Mindshifting 1: Growth Mindset and Critical Thinking for Educators will start on October 18 and run for 8 sessions. More info and register here.

I screwed up

Yesterday (Thursday, July 7, 2022) I had scheduled a FB live conversation with Angela Maiers on Mattering, Mindshifting, and the power within every person to positively affect our own lives and the lives of others.

There are certain people we all look up to. For me, Angela is one of those people, and I was eagerly anticipating the opportunity to discuss how MIndshifting and Mattering blend into each other to transform anxiety and fear into joyful energy. We can all use a little more joyful energy in our lives. Right?

Preparing for success

I’d set up the FB Live event with Angela as the Cohost. I’d posted in social media. I’d sent out an email and a reminder mailing.

I started the event on time, and then …

I couldn’t get Angela on stage.

There were about 25 people watching, many more who were interested and would want to watch the archives. And nothing was working.

Yes, I look confused, dazzled, and anxious, right?

What are the normal human reactions? How would you react if you’d set this up and it was completely bombing?

• Self Blame? I should have tested everything out, we should have had a test run during the week. I’m such an idiot.
• Anger? What was Angela doing wrong? What was I doing wrong? Why didn’t FB make their instructions clearer? What was wrong with me that I couldn’t see how to bring her on stage?
• Panic? Fear? What would people think? Didn’t this confirm my incompetence? Wouldn’t everyone see what a sham I am? No one would ever want to listen to me again.

We all have had these reactions, right? This is the default mode for our limbic minds. I felt all of these, and more.

Mindshifting: Switching Mindset,

And that’s also the beauty of Mindshifting and Mattering.

If you are aware of how your mind works, you can modify your first emotional reactions, and the more you practice, the better at this you can become.

I calmed myself with the following, taken directly from Angela’s Mattering framework:

We are all perfectly imperfect beings. We are all deserving of love, peace, and joy. We all make a difference in others’ lives. Whatever we are going through, we can turn into gifts, lessons, and opportunities.

Shifting the mind to these frames calms our survival brains and activates our resourceful sage powers.

Not every obstacle can be avoided. Not every eventuality can be prepared for. This was one 15-minute interval with a different result than anticipated, but we can, and somehow always do, come back; and when we do we feel triumphantly exultant.

Which mindset is more enjoyable and helpful?

How helpful would it be if we, or our students, could learn to exit from a fear and blame mindset into one of possibilities, exploration, and innovation?

The goal of the Mindshifting Course is for all of us to learn to switch into resourceful collaborative playful mode. You can get an overview in this 15 minute interview. You can dive deep, and also learn how to teach these techniques to others, in the full course starting July 12.

What was the gift?

We learned that what FB calls a “cohost” is merely someone who can invite others, not someone who will also appear on stage. To do a FB Live event with multiple speakers, you need a web-platform such as Zoom or Streamyard.

And we both had the additional opportunity to exercise our abilities to Mindshift, draw on the calming effects of Mattering, and strengthen our love and respect for each other. Those were the gifts.

Angela and I both have punishing schedules over the next few weeks. We will have to postpone our FB live conversation to the end of July or possibly August. But when we do host it, we won't be making the same mistakes. We'll have to invent new ones.

Making Sense of Dreams, and Using Them for Good

I teach sensemaking and mindshifting. I know that dreams are one way that our minds help us interpret and make sense of the world.

I’m probably too close to these dreams to really evaluate them. I’m hoping that perhaps some of you can comment with your impressions.

Dream one

The first dream involved remembering some past events, and they really did take place. When I was about 7, one of my friends was Doug Pirrie (I have no idea if the spelling is correct). I vividly remember two of the times we were playing together, and they came back in the dream.

There was always a nice wind blowing along the side of his house. We would go there to blow bubbles and make what we called “bubble history”. We would blow bubbles and then measure how far the bubbles travelled before popping. We took his dad’s tape measure from the garage, and would try creating multiple bubbles, single bubbles, small bubbles, large bubbles, blowing bubbles pointing straight up, blowing them pointing to the side, blowing them pointed forwards. As 7-8 year olds, we were sure that one of us was making the longest distance ever traveled by a soap bubble, either in the world, or in Connecticut, or at least on Archer Avenue. I remember how excited we were when we talked to our parents about how we were going to be famous as bubble blowers.

Another memory that flashed back in the dream was us building marbles “golf courses” in his back yard. The back yard was sloped. A “hole” consisted of a starting place and below that a barrier to stop the marble. You would aim the marble at the barrier, and if you got the barrier to stop the marble, you could move to the next hole. If not, you had to try again until you succeeded. The lowest score for 9 holes won. We would build and play for hours.

These were such happy memories of kids being kids, and they were framed by the final memory. I remembered 25 years later seeing the headline and article that Doug Pirrie had been shot and killed as he was attempting an armed robbery of a convenient store. This is also unfortunately true.

I was seven. He was eight. We were just two kids being kids. How did our lives go in such different directions, why did those memories come back so vividly last night, and what can we all take out of this?

Dream two

In this dream, somehow my wife and I had a second grader living with us. She was not our child, our children were already grown, but she was ours for at least the school year.

In her class, the teacher assigned the students to put together a “book” on what they did during the summer. Our child created 40 or 50 drawings of her summer. Some of them she labeled with words. Sometimes she would put 2, 3, or 4 drawings on a page. On some pages, there were drawings on both sides of the page. Some of the drawings were made in pencil. Some were in crayon. Sometimes she would draw and then fill in the colors with crayons or colored pencils. She spent the entire weekend happily drawing, painting, telling us the stories of what she did or what she made up that she did, and showing us her work.

When I went to class and met her teacher, the teacher told me that she’d given our child a zero on the project. Here was the explanation:

The children were supposed to draw five pictures. Each picture had to be on a separate page. Below each picture they had to write a three word sentence about the picture: a subject, a verb, and an object.  They were to use one side of the paper, not two sides.

In the dream, I thanked the teacher, with our daughter there:

Thank you. Our daughter is going to learn very good structure from you. She has an incredible talent for storytelling, there are so many stories and pictures bursting inside her that they can’t wait to get out. One day she is going to be a famous storyteller, people from all around the world are going to be waiting anxiously for her stories, and you will have been an important molder of her talent, helping her learn the skills to bring these stories to life, and when people ask her what influenced her, she is going to be able to tell everyone that you helped her with the structures and craft of writing.

The teacher’s answer was

In this class we do things a certain way. Your child got a zero because she did not follow our way. If she does what I say in the future maybe she can start getting passing grades. If you can’t discipline her to follow my instructions, then she going to continue to fail this year. I don’t see any evidence of any talent, she just needs to learn to follow my directions. She will have many chances, the children are going to be making these 5 page books all year long and the instructions are always the same.

This seemed so real as I was dreaming, and while horrifying in one sense, the fact that as a parent I could still help my child blossom seems a large mitigator. But again, why now and what's the message for all of us?

Please let me know about your interpretations of these messages, and you can learn more about Mindshifting here.