Sapere Aude

Humans are unique in that we have a capacity to think and express our thoughts in language. Other species may share communications and think, but humans do so differently. Chiefly among them is we can imagine beyond the present moment and are conscious that we must die. Maybe if elephants and whales could talk with us maybe they would tell us they do the same, but because no other species has altered its environment to its will. As far as we know, humans are different.

While all have this in common, yet rarely do we exercise our ability to think. We have the gift to learn from what other people think, which we exercise less than we can. Clearly we’re thinking all the time, but consider that most of us walk around in a fog. Unconscious. Unaware of the forces shaping our decisions as we unconsciously make one decision after another until we turn around and see our live different than we imagined.

This thing about thinking isn’t so much about how many facts we can rattle off, what we remember or how we can use the technology we’ve created, but there is an opportunity to decide what to think.  We get to consciously, quite literally, choose what to think about and what meaning we want to give to what’s happening all around us. This isn’t easy to do, but we can. None of us are under any obligation to be who we were 5 seconds ago. Being mad or whatever 5 seconds ago does not mean you have to be now. Sometimes this is incredibly difficult to do; however, if you practice you can begin to recognize these opportunities and develop a genuine superpower: your innate ability to think.

This is much harder now that ever. Rarely do we have uninterrupted moments. The devices we are tethered to beep and buzz constantly interrupting thoughts. Modern work has modern distractions like email, chats that pop up in addition to calls and people that interrupt. Then there is technology engineered with the help of behavioral experts to hijack our attention. X, Instagram, CNN, this, that and everything else. Our minds are constantly pulled in a million directions that we sometimes lose sight of what we are experiencing now. This can have a huge impact on us. Our emotions can be pulled into a tempest of life.

Consider this for a moment. Why? Any thought is just a thought. Whether it’s the shock, fear or rage about the asshole that nearly hit you on the highway or desire for something sexually alluring, they are both thoughts. We can choose to pay attention to them or decide that they are just like any other thought and just notice them. When we do the latter we have an opportunity to decide how we are going to react to all the things happening around us. This is how you stay as chill as a penguin when the world around you is chaos.

And this is just what we notice.  This is just what we pay attention to, even unconsciously. Some of this is that our environment has a lot more going on that our brains can take in at once. The human brain can process about 11 million bits of information every second.  That’s astounding considering that a bit of information is a logical binary of 2 choices. Despite this amazing ability, our minds can only consciously handle between 40 and 50 bits of information per second.  That million to 50 ratio of brain : mind is important. It reminds us that there is so much happening that we have to consciously decide what to pay attention to and what meaning to give it.  Consider this: you did not notice the feeling on the bottoms of your feet while reading this until you read this sentence. How many things in life affect us, or lead us to making unconscious decisions, unknowingly? There are things going on around us all the time we don't notice because we aren’t focused on it. We make unconscious decisions based on this. It’s not that any of this is right or wrong, good or bad. The point is we risk going through life unconscious. Unaware that our life is drifting a long, rudderless. A slave to our emotions and reactions we aren’t even aware of. If you can pause and think, you can have some control over this, or at least your attitude about whatever this is. This is real freedom in this life.

The poet Horace brilliantly stated “sapare aude,” quite possibly one of the best statements ever made. It’s been defined as having the courage to stand for your convictions or to think for oneself.  It’s been simplified to mean “dare to be wise.” It is daring. It takes a lot of courage to think for oneself, and the world isn’t going to encourage you to do it. Perhaps this is why courage is the most important virtue to cultivate.

The ugly truth is that we are much more productive and profitable to our handlers when we are unconscious. But if you can think for yourself, decide what you want to think and feel about something, you’ll be outside the matrix for the mind is infinite and free. This is incredibly liberating.  It cannot be caged. How do we do this? Well, it’s the hardest and easiest thing there is. Some days it’s impossible; other days we just don’t have the horsepower to make the effort. This isn’t easy, but it is worth it. You’ll be happier and able to set your soul to the matter at hand.