How Dense Are You?

How tightly packed are your ideas? Too tight for something new to get through?

 Grasshopper Notes are the writings from America's Best Known Hypnotherapist John Morgan. His podcasts contain his most responded to essays and blog posts from the past two decades. 

Find the written versions of these podcasts on John's podcasting site: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1628038

"The Grasshopper" is the part of you that whispers pearls of wisdom that  seem to pop into your mind from out of the blue. John's essays and blog posts are his interpretations of these "Nips of Nectar." Others have labeled his writings as timeless wisdom. 

Most of the John's writings revolve around self improvement and self help. They address topics like:

• Mindfulness
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• How to stay in the present moment
• Spirituality
• Behavior improvement

And stories that transform you to a wider sense of awareness that presents more options. And isn't that what we all want, more options? 

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Transcript

How Dense Are You?

At first glance, asking someone, "How dense are you?" sounds like an insult.

But from a scientific standpoint, it's simply asking a question: How tightly packed are you?

The dictionary defines dense as "tightly packed."

That got me wondering.

How tightly packed are my ideas? My opinions? My beliefs?

That's not an accusation. It's actually a pretty healthy question because it asks you to inspect yourself instead of defending yourself.

Think of a can of sardines. When everything is packed in tight, there's no room for one more fish.

Ideas work the same way.

When our beliefs become tightly packed, there's no room for a new thought to squeeze in. Our opinions harden like concrete, and before long we've become—to borrow Lucy's description from Peanuts—a "Blockhead."

You can usually hear it in someone's language.

"That's just how it is."

Statements like that often signal that the discussion has ended – even if an abundance of evidence suggests otherwise.

Once our thinking gets that dense, we stop using one of our greatest gifts: critical thinking.

There simply isn't any room between the sardines.

Now here's the interesting part.

If tightly packed thinking is the problem, what creates more space?

Surprisingly . . . it's usually not more facts.

That reminds me of something that happened years ago.

I had some workmen in my house who were listening to a conservative talk radio show while they worked. They discovered I'd spent part of my broadcasting career hosting a talk show, so naturally they started asking my opinion about various radio personalities.

Instead of critiquing individual hosts, I steered the conversation in a different direction.

I said, "The most successful talk shows have traditionally been conservative. The ratings bear that out."

Then I offered what I thought was the reason.

Progressive talk shows often rely on presenting facts and building a logical case, almost like a prosecutor laying out evidence step by step.

Successful conservative hosts often use a different approach. They focus attention on one emotionally compelling piece of the larger picture and build around it – much like a defense attorney emphasizing only the evidence that helps the client.

Neither approach guarantees truth.

They're simply two different ways of persuading people.

And after years in talk radio, I came away with this conclusion: Most people don't really want to wrestle with an issue.

They'd rather have someone hand them a conclusion.

Neatly packaged.

Densely packed.

With very little room left over for competing ideas.

So how do we create some space?

The first step is simply noticing where our thinking has become dense.

Then ask yourself one question:

"Is this belief helping me enjoy life . . . or is it getting in the way?"

Because one of the most painful forms of density is the need to be right.

Once we notice that, the next step isn't arguing with ourselves.

That's what we usually do.

Our minds become their own talk show, complete with hosts, guests, rebuttals, and commercial breaks.

Instead, become the audience. Watch the debate without joining it. Observe the arguments instead of participating in them.

Something remarkable happens when you do.

You begin to realize your ideas are not you.

You're the one observing the ideas.

That little bit of separation creates room.

And the more room you create, the less dense your thinking becomes.

The less dense your thinking becomes, the more open you become.

The more open you become, the more options you discover.

If you'd rather remain dense – and right – just keep arguing for your limitations.

You'll guarantee two things.

Your pain will stay exactly where it is.

And you'll never discover anything new about yourself.

But if you'll observe your own density instead of defending it . . . you'll increase your capacity for peace . . . and your appetite for pleasure.

All the best,

John