we are a function of our environment
Have you ever arrived in a new place completely caught off guard? It’s like nothing you’ve experienced before, and you’re not sure how to act or where you fit in.
For the first few hours, that is. You start to settle in to the new place, the new way of being.
I have two juxtaposing examples in recent memory: New York City and Hawaii.
The former is the fastest paced place I’ve ever been, the latter is the slowest. One thrives on a bustling work environment, the other full of businesses with ambiguous opening and closing times. NYC is full of a diverse range of cultures, while Hawaii has a strong cultural heritage baked into every part of it. They couldn’t be more different.
And I feel perfectly at home in both environments. How can this be?
People have an incredible ability to adapt to their environment. Because of this, we have a tendency to become whatever our environment shapes us into.
QUOTE
”It is not necessary to change a person in order to change their behavior. Just change their environment.” James Clear
In any environment I find myself, I notice a quick shift in my behavior. How I speak, how I interact with people, my overall disposition. Of course there is the core of who I am, my experiences and beliefs and personality, but I find myself surprisingly malleable.
We are a function of our environments.
Since we become what our environment shapes us into, it’s important to make sure that our environment is in alignment with our clearly defined values, so that we can be sure we are living our values.
Our immediate environment has a clear impact on us, as our senses are constantly bombarded with whatever is in our environment. We are a byproduct of our inputs.
Quote
”You are, in fact, a mashup of what you choose to let into your life. You are the sum of your influences.” Steal Like An Artist (book)
It’s important to be careful of what we let in. What we allow to be influential to us becomes a part of our identity. In a way, we need to be aspirational about our inputs. We need to practice conscious consumerism at the scale of what we surround ourselves with if we hope to live an intentional life.
QUOTE
”Our thought shapes the spaces we inhabit, and our spaces return the favor.” Where Good Ideas Come From (book)
We can use this to our advantage.
Depending on our desired state, or who we want to grow into as people, we can be intentional about our space and tailor it to guide us. We can use cognitive dissonance to push us into becoming who we want to be and acting in accordance with it.
To be more creative, we ought to make sure the things around us are pushing us in the right direction. The direction of inspired action.
To be more physically active, we should surround ourselves with people who do the same. You can brainwash yourself to accomplish your goals.