The lyrics to “Stop Making Sense,” a song by the Talking Heads decades ago, make sense. Because it’s about how what we “do” isn’t always what we set out to do, or meant to do, or told others what we were going to do.
Our landscape, political, personal and professional, is littered with examples of people not following through or doing what they said they were going to do. It can be as simple as, “See you in front of the Target tomorrow morning at 9.” And then the person doesn’t show or shows up at 9:22.
Say one thing. Do another.
I’m fascinated by the things people say there are going to do, and then don’t. This filters into goals, expectations, and how we tend to live in our heads rather than reality. I believe most people when they say something like, “I’m going to start working out for an hour a day five days a week” come January 1, that they honestly believe they are going to follow through. It’s with full delusional belief that they make these types of internal deliberations.
But for any of you out there who work out regularly, when the new year’s comes around and you look at the workout room the first of February, how many of those well-meaning and well-intentioned individuals are still running on the treadmill, accelerating on the stationary bike or lifting some weights? Not very many.
It seems to me we all have our needs to divorce from reality. In fact, I believe we survive by allowing our brain to have these fantasies or dreams without holding ourselves accountable. To a certain extent, it allow our subconscious latitude to go wherever it wants, following the pleasure principle so that positive feelings result.
We choose to avoid bad things, driving them to the back of our brain. It would be interesting for people when they have those types of thoughts to verbalize them to someone else and see their reaction.
“Hey, Walt, I’m thinking about trying out for the senior pro golf tour next year?
“Are you serious? You shoot 94 and those guys consistently shoot in the 60’s. You’d have to take over 25 shots off your game.”
“Oh, I’ve had some good rounds. I just need to tune a few things up and concentrate on it.”
Not gonna happen. Though, of course, an extreme example, the golf point details how we head down the unrealistic paths.
Another issue is not fully communicating what we mean. We don’t really mean we think we can make the senior tour. We just mean we want to improve our game, so we say something outlandish. That is another classic miscommunication though as people take you at your word rather than realizing you just want to be a better golfer next year.
Why not just say that? Certainly, may of us do and our friends and loved ones know close to what we mean when we say something or make a claim.
But there sure seems to be a lot “not making sense” these days. Maybe we need to go back and listen to the Talking Heads. Make sense to others. Sounds like a goal.
Our landscape, political, personal and professional, is littered with examples of people not following through or doing what they said they were going to do. It can be as simple as, “See you in front of the Target tomorrow morning at 9.” And then the person doesn’t show or shows up at 9:22.
Say one thing. Do another.
I’m fascinated by the things people say there are going to do, and then don’t. This filters into goals, expectations, and how we tend to live in our heads rather than reality. I believe most people when they say something like, “I’m going to start working out for an hour a day five days a week” come January 1, that they honestly believe they are going to follow through. It’s with full delusional belief that they make these types of internal deliberations.
But for any of you out there who work out regularly, when the new year’s comes around and you look at the workout room the first of February, how many of those well-meaning and well-intentioned individuals are still running on the treadmill, accelerating on the stationary bike or lifting some weights? Not very many.
It seems to me we all have our needs to divorce from reality. In fact, I believe we survive by allowing our brain to have these fantasies or dreams without holding ourselves accountable. To a certain extent, it allow our subconscious latitude to go wherever it wants, following the pleasure principle so that positive feelings result.
We choose to avoid bad things, driving them to the back of our brain. It would be interesting for people when they have those types of thoughts to verbalize them to someone else and see their reaction.
“Hey, Walt, I’m thinking about trying out for the senior pro golf tour next year?
“Are you serious? You shoot 94 and those guys consistently shoot in the 60’s. You’d have to take over 25 shots off your game.”
“Oh, I’ve had some good rounds. I just need to tune a few things up and concentrate on it.”
Not gonna happen. Though, of course, an extreme example, the golf point details how we head down the unrealistic paths.
Another issue is not fully communicating what we mean. We don’t really mean we think we can make the senior tour. We just mean we want to improve our game, so we say something outlandish. That is another classic miscommunication though as people take you at your word rather than realizing you just want to be a better golfer next year.
Why not just say that? Certainly, may of us do and our friends and loved ones know close to what we mean when we say something or make a claim.
But there sure seems to be a lot “not making sense” these days. Maybe we need to go back and listen to the Talking Heads. Make sense to others. Sounds like a goal.
