The type of person you turn out to be when you grow up is largely dependent on two factors which people have actually debated a lot over, as to which one has more influence.
The two factors are nature and nurture. The ‘nature’ factor involves all attributes that you receive from your parents. This involves your genetic composition and is the very building block that makes you, you!
The second factor ‘nurture’ involves all the environmental factors that shape our behaviour and personality over time. This might include social interactions, our experiences and what not. I think that both the factors influence us in ways that are so intricate that it would be difficult to put into words, at least for me.
As long as these influences are positive, which help us grow and become better human beings, there is no problem, if there are influences that hold us back or are detrimental to our lives, we should do everything in our power to overcome these. We might not be able to do too much about our genes, but we sure can about the external factors.
How Social Conditioning Can Be Limiting
Ever since we are born, we are continuously conditioned to be a certain way. This involves our habits, our tastes and preferences, our behaviour, what we accept as right or wrong, and many other things. Basically everything is in accordance with what the society approves of.
In many ways, this can be important so as to make sure we don’t create psychopaths, but in many other ways, this is limiting the individual potential, creativity, abilities and can lead to a sort of indoctrination by powerful elements in the society.
Anyways, my problem lies with the limited mentality that is on the rise today and the overall negative direction that we are heading due to this social conditioning.
By conditioning you to think a certain way (how to think and what to think), it limits what a human being can be. A powerhouse of creativity and intelligence which can be used to change the world. I guess, change is what the society is afraid of at the end of the day and hence the relentless conditioning.
How To Rise Above Conditioning
First of all, you need to accept that you have been conditioned all your life. There is an invisible bubble around you that is limiting so many aspects of you that could otherwise flourish beautifully.
The second thing to do is question yourself. Question your actions, your behaviour, your thinking and see if your ideas and thoughts are even your own are they influenced by the society or other factors and make recondition into new, healthier patterns.
One more powerful way is to not worry about what other people might think or say if you do or say something. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you go about doing illegal or immoral things. My point is that you shouldn’t let other people’s thinking limit you in any way possible.
I would like to end this post with something that Steve Jobs said, “Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.”