There seems to be two opposing forces in each of us: the desire for growth and self-improvement and the tendency to sabotage that growth and improvement. In the War of Art, the author describes that inner voice that wants to pull us towards mediocrity. It is the voice that tells you will never make it, that it will not work, that you should skip your workout today or eat that cookie. Impulse is it’s other nefarious form that imitates compelling but sabotages your efforts. But, WHY?? That is the real question. It is well documented that we, given to our impulses and listening to that negative voice will allow ourselves to slide towards mediocrity. We will leave dreams unrealized and lives unfulfilled. But why would we all, regardless of when we were born and regardless of the circumstances of our environment, come into this humanity with BOTH of these forces inside us. To be human is to desire growth and to dream a purpose and to stop at nothing to prevent ourselves from achieving it.
If we did not desire to improve, and we did not dream of any life beyond the socially prescribed one we are handed, then we may not notice the impulse and we may not have a negative voice (because we would already be mediocre. But the negative voice is so strong that even just going to high school will trigger it (probably because education is self-improvement).
But what if we did not have impulses and self-talk that pulled us down and kept us from pursuing self-improvement and life-fulfilling dreams? We would not be afraid to try things or to do something different. We would have no trouble sticking to a workout routine or a food plan. I think we would all be a lot healthier, happier and more fulfilled.
But it is a spectrum… some people have a strong desire to improve themselves and their lives. They are able to dominate that negative voice and the impulses more easily than others. Others are dominated by their impulses and their negative voice and dare not dream. And yet others have an equally strong desire for growth and negative voice alike.
But why have BOTH?
Maybe we are just afraid and lazy. Afraid to stand out and too lazy to try. From an evolution perspective, we needed to conform to our tribe for survival. That can explain it right there. Desire to do anything out of the norm had to be squashed.
But the drive is a drive for purpose; not just status or mating options. That drive for purpose suggests that our desire for life fulfillment is more than just a drive for mating. Why are we, independent of others, driven by purpose and fulfillment? Fear of death and the desire to leave a legacy are certainly factors but there is more to it. You may not fear death, nor intend to leave a legacy but still desire to feel alive and useful (aka to have purpose). Why does it matter that what we do matters? Why is it not sufficient to just play on the beach and drink umbrella drinks? Believe me, those who can afford to do so tend to do just that for a while and then they have a sort of crisis wherein they seek purpose and meaning. Why? Because that’s what humans do.
As Russell Brand so eloquently put it.. “Well I’ve been famous and now that’s boring, and I’ve been rich and now that’s boring, and I’ve done all the drugs and now that’s boring and I’ve f**ked all the people and now that’s boring… so the only thing left is spiritual enlightenment.”
At some time, with good planning, you get to a point where you can do anything you want – blessed financial freedom. At first you run down your bucket list of vacation-style fun and then that’s boring. You might indulge in drink, drugs and sex, etc but eventually (if it doesn’t kill you) that will get old too. Most people turn to some kind of service work (volunteering) and find fulfillment in that, and/or intellectual pursuits and/or picking up new skills. Ultimately, we want to have a positive impact on others. We ALL do.
So WHY would we be built with a mechanism to stop this glorious process that ends in our positive impact on others? I haven’t the slightest clue. But I do know that with time and practice, the desire to grow will drown out the negative voice. Which ever you feed gets stronger – the desire to grow or the tendency towards self-sabotage. So feed your desire to grow and ignore your negative voice and impulses and they will die out slowly but surely.
