…….NOT A PEOPLE OF LOGIC.
Dale Carnegie said, “when dealing with people, let us remember we are not dealing with creatures of logic. We are dealing with creatures of emotions, creatures bristling with prejudices and motivated by pride and vanity”. Several studies have come to a conclusion that about 90 percent of the decisions we make are based on emotions. With this, fact remains that most times than not, emotions will win over logic.
I read a book one time, and the author said (not in her exact words though), that we humans are first emotional before logical. Before anything, we are first driven by emotions hence the reason why we find ourselves making silly and illogical decisions.
The ability to be rational is a skill that needs to be effectively honed, as humans we need to understand that it is imperative to apply logic and rationality into a lot of things we do and don’t even do. Here’s an example;
INSTANT GRATIFICATION
Think about the things that give you immediate pleasure like shopping, drugs, food, etc. yes they do bring satisfaction at that point, but for how long? You know the answer! We are a people fueled by emotions, and so it is only normal to want to do things that satisfy our emotional whims.
We are known for our need for instant gratification; for immediate pleasure and satisfaction, and this is one of the main reasons if not the main reason we struggle with indiscipline and lack of commitment. We are so results-oriented (which isn’t exactly bad, but considering that a lot of us would just rather see results than follow due process makes it quite unhealthy), we want to see immediate results for every action we take, and it just doesn’t work that way. Of course wanting instant gratification in certain areas is perfectly normal, but when it comes to areas that require your maximum patience to achieve a goal, then you ought to let go of that desire for immediate gratification. Like Steve Harvey says “enjoy the process and quit trippin’”
In a book I once read— “atomic habits”, the author explained that one of the reasons a lot of people do not succeed in whatever they want to do or it falls through is because they want to see results immediately; they desire instant gratification not delayed gratification. This is why you see people who want to lose weight give up after one week of exercising, that is why you see a man who has big dreams fail, that is why you see a writer who publishes her articles consistently but gets no engagement quit, it’s all for one reason; they’re focused on something shallow — the need to see results immediately.
I’m a firm believer of the saying “if you want to solve a problem, you have to tackle it from the root”. How do we fight nature in us?, how do we go against human nature of needing immediate pleasure? Studies show that delayed gratification is one of the most important traits of successful people. Over time, delaying gratification will enable you achieve long term goals faster. It all starts with understanding — that we are not a people of logic, but we can always be logical when we need to be, we need to get rid of the idea of wanting to satisfy all of our emotional wants, they don’t always pay, because in the end, they make us feel happy or good for a while and disappear.
We also need to understand that instant gratifications are just that; instant. They don’t last, they don’t bring the true happiness we all are desperately searching for, whilst this is a means of explaining that we shouldn’t be overly dependent on instant gratification, there’s also emphasis on the fact that this is in no way an avenue to condemn anybody for wanting it, because after all we are humans and part of our survival is dependent on it.
Discipline will come along the line eventually, when you begin to realize that to achieve long term goals, to be successful in whatever you do, to be truly happy, you have to begin to look beyond instant pleasures, and start appreciating the bliss that comes with delayed gratification.
“True happiness is about developing habits and surrounding yourself with people who grow your soul. This allows you to move towards your greatest potential. True happiness entails delaying pleasure, and putting in the time, discipline and patience required to achieve a goal instead of feeling good now” — Aristotle.
