it's all in the experience

I have come to realize that the word 'experience' is one of those oft used, but poorly understood terms. Like 'love' and 'trust' and 'good', there are certain words that are very common but lack a common meaning. This can be a main contributor to the problem of communication.

The trend in business now is to focus on the consumer's and customer's EXPERIENCE. We are learning that its not the features of the product a consumer uses that matter, but the experience they receive from using the product.

Similarly, in epistemology (the philosophy of knowledge) there is the role of EXPERIENCE in determining WHAT REALLY IS. It's an important word in many schools of thought. So, take a minute and define EXPERIENCE as you understand its meaning.

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There are a variety of definitions if you look at different sources. The common theme seems to be "knowledge or awareness by participation." However, there is no distinction between the two types of knowledge. So, if we use our understanding of knowledge, we may get a better understanding of experience.

There is knowledge we gain through our physical senses. As we participate, such as drinking coffee or playing sports, we EXPERIENCE sensory stimulation. This is to some degree satisfying to our body or not. We then learn that certain activities result in favorable or unfavorable satisfaction of our physical senses. We can say that 'experience has taught us' blah, blah, blah.

We also have knowledge we gain through non-sensory stimulation. This is the awareness we gain about how participation has satisfied our soul's longings. We go to Starbucks. While we may have an opinion about their coffee, we actually judge our participation in this activity as to the degree we "scratched the itches of our soul." We ask ourselves, "did I satisfy my need for purpose, or freedom, or hope (certainty), or joy, or importance, or acceptance?"  We can say the same about a romantic dinner. Is it how pretty someone looks or how good the food tastes, or is it something we gain through means other than our physical senses that touches our soul?

Different people place different priority on which satisfaction is the most important to them, body or soul. Based on this, people come to different conclusions about participation, about the EXPERIENCES they desire, about truth itself.

This is the human condition. making sense of ourselves and the world around us is ALL IN THE EXPERIENCE.

Becoming a Christian totally blows up this model. It totally reverses the order. EXPERIENCE is no longer the source of understanding truth. Sensory sensations of the body no longer have priority on satisfaction. Through an intimate relationship with Jesus, God reveals through His Spirit non sensory based knowledge to our soul. This knowledge is the truth that tells us how to interpret our EXPERIENCE.

There is a scene in the movie "Paul: an apostle of Christ" where the Christians are being sent into the Roman Circus. Here they will be mauled by animals for the amusement of Nero. Luke reminds them that the physical EXPERIENCE will be momentary pain, BUT that they know they have an eternal place with God. Truth informs the EXPERIENCE for them, not vice versa.

We can no longer say, "it's all in the experience." This is one way we are different from the world. It may be one way we are NOT "ONLY human."

Certainly worth pondering .....

Just the facts! Really?

How often do you hear someone say, "just give me the facts." Maybe you say that sometime, too? This is such a delusion!

There is no such thing as "just the facts." All facts have context and the context determines the meaning of the facts. Facts by themselves have no meaning that anyone can trust.


For instance, recently I saw the media announcing the results of a poll.
47% wanted a democratic congress
41% a republican
12% undecided.

Obviously, the media's liberal bias would want to present FACTS in a way that people would believe that the democrats will take the House if the election was held now.

Is that what these FACTS say? Is the conclusion drawn from these FACTS true? Unless we think about this in greater context, we might be subject to believing that this FACT means this conclusion. If so, we are DELUSIONAL. One definition of delusional means, "based on faulty judgment."

By the way, the point of this blog is not political, but to show how people misuse facts to create faulty judgment in others, who do not pay enough attention to see the fault. The political scene just offers so many great examples.

Let's examine the context for these facts. This is a national poll, but representatives are elected in local districts, 435 of them. It so happens that Democratic districts are dense and homogeneous. Basically, they are the big cities. Republican districts are rural America, more sparse and diverse politically.

Therefore, the % of people who prefer a democrat in Congress is higher in districts that elect democrats than the % of people who prefer republicans are in districts that elect republicans. For sake of this discussion, let's assume on average that the Democrats elected to Congress receive 65% of the votes in their district and the Republicans elected to congress receive 55%.

If the national poll says 47% prefer democrats and 41% prefer republicans, then the Republicans would win the House 255 to 180. For the Democrats to win the house the national poll would need to show 48.5% to 39.5%.

Now I may be off a bit on my assumptions but the FACTS show that when a Democrat wins a seat, they have a higher % of the vote than when a Republican wins (on average). Without this context, a national poll is delusional.

But, then again, most of the American public just go along with the FACTS, as if they are the truth.

Humans are simply long on bias and short on PONDERING ....

I guess it is easier that way!!

     

Keeping things the way they are

Have you ever wondered why people are not willing to change even when it is obvious that the change will benefit them? I find this "mystery" especially frustrating for sales people. They believe they have a product or service that would really make things better for others, but even the best marketing message and presentation fails to close the sale. In many ways, selling something to someone involves some form of behavioral change. The buyer must act differently than they have before to acquire something they have not had before.

I am involved with several startup businesses and this is the most frustrating part of a new venture. People agree that the product is GREAT and worthwhile, but they do not buy. There is some gravitational pull of the status quo.

For someone to change, and buying a new product is just one form of change, they must be willing to abandon the status quo. BUT, the little voice in their head says, "just keep things the way they are."

Often we think that by dangling something of value in front of someone they will make the change. Research has shown conclusively that just knowing that the new is much better is not enough to cause someone to change.

This leaves many to assume that "people are naturally resistant to change." I am sure you have heard this often and probably said it yourself at times. This is a myth. There is nothing in people's nature that causes them to resist change itself. People can change without hesitation, under certain conditions.

Yes, there can be great value of the new, but no change occurs until the perceived risk of the status quo clears some hurdle. This hurdle can be high or low for different people depending on their situation. This is the "puzzle" you must figure out if you want to stimulate change in another's behavior.

Now, turn this around. What does it say to you about change you face? There are likely opportunities you face for change that you are shying away from. You may even know there is value to the change but you squat in status quo. You had rather KEEP THINGS THE WAY THEY ARE than try something new. Just notice, the force holding you back is your "wall of risk."

Your "wall of risk" is your need for safety and certainty. Any change, regardless of how good it seems, involves a future state different from the current. Even if we don't particularly like the status quo, there is a human nature assumption that THE WAY THINGS ARE is more legitimate and certain than a future that is different.

You must realize that your status quo is not certain. It just seems so. We mistakenly feel that hanging on to the status quo ensures that we escape an uncertain future. That too is a myth.

God calls us to walk in faith. Often this is His invitation to change. I am not saying we should change things just for the sake of change. Or that we should not be thoughtful about change. However, when opportunities come our way, considering it may be an invitation to change should not be easily put aside by clinging to the delusion the status quo is certain.

Paraphrasing Ecclesiastes 5:20,
"It's not the pain or pleasure we get as we go through life, but the joy we have as God guides our heart."     

The lack of willingness in others to change in ways we wish for them is quite frustrating for us. However, the same human tendencies we face in others runs rampant in ourselves. Clinging to myths our nature makes seem so right to us might just be keeping us from the blessings God desires for us. God invites us to move out in many ways, often challenging our status quo. 

It may be worthwhile to ponder this .....