Who Are You - Personality Reloaded

The process of mapping the factors of human intelligence to individual brain networks, locating the precise brain activity that creates specific experiences and behavioral responses, is currently engaging some of the finest neuroscientists in the world. For neurohackers, the discoveries are priceless, because they are giving us much greater understanding about the mind, intelligence, behavior, and consequently of the most fundamental of mysteries that we ever encounter –ourselves!

The behavior of networks in different conditions is now demonstrable. It is now possible to locate and observe the brain processes underlying joy, love, learning and interaction, as well track the development of obsession, violence, depression and misunderstanding. We can detect the physical and physiological signs in networks of even complex qualities of mind such as humor, spirituality, gregariousness, bonding, empathy and self-awareness. As we noted in the last tutorial, the brain has finally come out of the closet, and we think that’s absolutely marvelous.

These discoveries are also of immense cultural and practical importance because they pave the way for human beings to recreate and develop ourselves mentally through neurohacking in ways that have previously only been described in science fiction. As knowledge of the human genome is allowing human beings to manipulate the fundamental physical processes that give rise to genetic disorders, so brain scanning and mapping is proving to be the perfect navigational tool required to outline and manipulate brain and mind function in precise and radical ways.

Unlike genetic engineering though, manipulating networks does not depend on waiting for the development of expensive new technology. All it will take us is the use of currently existing methods and tools; for example input control, drugs, implants, mind machines, electrical or magnetic manipulation or psychological techniques.

As neurohackers, it will soon be possible to target intervention so finely that an intelligent individual’s state of mind [and thus behavior] will be almost entirely autonomous. We would like you to think about the implications of this, and consider a future where those who want it can have a lot more free will, autonomy, control and awareness with regard to their own mental health, their moods, and their mental abilities.

The notion of personality is another area where we have been forced to abandon old hypotheses for new. It used to be believed that personality was genetically determined and due to people having innate “traits”, such as honesty or dishonesty, extroversion or introversion, happiness or sadness. This gave credence to two contradictory ideas. One was the idea of 'deterministic blamelessness', where none of us is to blame for bad behavior, since it's “in our nature” to act out what our genes have determined we must be like (in other words there is no free will). Yet the other attributed blame for everything to individuals' “traits” rather than responses to different circumstances made from different experience (this is now called the 'fundamental attribution error'. Academics are in the habit of bestowing complex names on things; even upon their own mistakes).

The current model of personality is very different. Personality is now known to be dynamic, not fixed, Nurture and examples from others play a big part in its development, as can trauma, malnourishment or neglect. And because our response to input remains adaptive for our whole lives; it is never too late to change.

Major personality changes occur through learning, experience and interaction all the time, often through an accumulation of many small changes.

Biological psychology in general, and Carl Rogers (who designed the model of personality we use in these tutorials) in particular, see people as basically good and healthy, or at very least, when in a healthy state never bad or anxious. In other words, good mental health is seen as the ‘normal’, natural progression of life, and mental illness, non-defensive violence, and other human problems, as distortions of that natural tendency caused by dysfunction, however minor.

Rogers’ ‘personality theory’ is built on the natural striving of intelligence for entelechy (optimal development), that he calls the actualizing tendency. It could be defined as “the built-in motivation present in every life-form to develop its potential to the fullest extent possible and become as adaptable as possible”: the intent for entelechy. We’re not just evolved for bare survival, but for thriving, growing and improving as well.

Entelechy encompasses all the other motivations we have. It includes why we want all the things in the 'important' list above, why we need self-respect, love, and a sense of competence, why we seek to explore strange new worlds, discover new truths, invent new things, or create new works of art. We do all this because according to personality theory it is in our nature as healthy living things to do the very best we can. We are designed to shine; to be stars in biology’s crown, the blockbusters of her evolutionary career in creative play.

What's Important

Psychologist Carl Rogers, whose theory of personality is currently prevalent, believes that all healthy creatures naturally strive to make the very best of their existence. If they fail to do so, there is some dysfunction. Something has got in the way.

Optimal development emerges from a certain process rather than a static state. Rogers describes this as the good life where the organism continually pursues entelechy and aims to fulfill their full potential. The possibility for change in any individual is much greater than was previously believed. With this knowledge comes the responsibility to use it beneficially, which is what input control is all about. Directing your own development is by far the easiest way to make sure it's beneficial, and in any case, why would anyone want to let others determine the course of their lives?

This is where walking the path matters a lot more than knowing the path. When we begin a journey, we do not know the path, the whole point is it's new territory; but what we have here for you is maps, and from them you can build a strategy. You may be surprised at how much easier a journey can be, when you have a good strategy.

We said earlier in this tutorial that when you're starting out on a journey, it's good to know where you are starting from now and where you are going. It's also good to know what's really important, how to organize the journey (how to actually get from A to B) what you are likely to encounter on the way and why you are making the journey in the first place. We'll address all these issues during this tutorial, so you can form a mental map of the overall territory.

You should keep your functional analysis in your Captain's log, and if you're new to the mystical art of keeping records, it will give you a few surprises in times to come. The first thing that may surprise you is how much of it you won't remember. If you've ever kept records of your progress in anything before, it is likely that they're either academic or about some kind of competitive sport or game, and you'll tend to remember the highlights -the important bits- highest scores, comparison to others, results of tests or competitions. Here there is no competition, no grades and no 'scores' that matter apart from giving us the data to work things out.

This is why the tutorials emphasize the important bits to remember. We tend to forget things unless we register them as important. The trouble is, we are in the habit of paying attention to whatever we have been taught is important, and most of us are not taught by biology or intelligence. Knowing what's important both overall and in any given situation, if you're intelligent, is the same thing as knowing what you need. There are things that you need to happen, things that you need to do, and things that you need to know, in order to interact well. When you are certain about what's really important you can see your priorities clearly and it gets much easier to make good decisions. 

So this is another new habit you can begin -start noticing, understanding and prioritizing what's really important.

DO IT NOW - Importance Reloaded

Rank the following things in order of importance, most to least (this may not be a particularly easy thing to do, but have a go):

• enough to eat
• freedom
• intelligence
• your sanity
• safe drinking water
• interaction
• shelter and warmth
• being alive
• happiness and love
• getting enough sleep
• your physical health
• spiritual awareness
• protection from harm
• trustworthy allies (loved ones)
• self awareness

Now read this story:

A little boy and a little girl are in the bath. The little boy points to his penis and says “How come you don't have one of these?” The little girl replies, “Because I've got one of these, and that means I can get one of those any time I need one.”

With this idea in mind, “If I have this I can get that anytime”, look at the order you placed things in above. Does this idea allow you to change the order?

You will find that there are only a few things on the list necessary in order to get all the rest anytime you need to. If you are alive and intelligent you can engineer or accomplish all the rest.

Absolutely everything you need for a high quality life depends on these basics above. Some of the things on this list cannot ever be bought, made with technology or exchanged for goods or services. Nevertheless, they are the first things you need in life and they continue to be the most important things you will ever need throughout life.

This is important: If you achieve the most important two, life and intelligence, all the rest (and everything that depends on them) will be accessible automatically.

If you think, therefore, that you have multiple goals, you are mistaken. As long as you are alive the single goal is intelligence, because all your other aims, all the doors you wish to open and the places you wish to go and the things you wish to achieve, will become possible once you develop and use this master key. It is intelligence that aligns us with the path.