Zero to Interaction

The world fights over which room is the best, but what if we are in the wrong building?! The only way to know is to get back to basics, to double check our foundations, to start from zero and look at everything honestly. What good is it to have a gold plated room in a crumbling house?

The figurative house to which I refer is our personal belief system. Our belief system is our mental model of how the world works. It is our mental map that we use to make decisions about what to do next, where to go next. Is our map accurate? Is our model true to reality?

Human nature has a nasty habit of rushing to judgment. We step in to control a situation before we thoroughly find out what is happening and what is needed. We can’t do that with the universe. It is too big, too complex, too unbending. Therefore, our prime task should not be to control, but to cooperate.

Before we can obey the laws of life, we must first discover them—plain, raw, without sugar coating or filtering.

Part of growing up is learning that the world is not made of unicorns and rainbows. It is not subject to our desires and fantasies. Our dreams come true within immovable boundaries. The universe operates according to its own unbendable scientific laws and it imposes unavoidable consequences.

Our only question is always, How does the universe really work?

After outgrowing the unicorn stage, many adults still view the world through rose colored glasses and try to shape it, themselves, and others according to their ideas. However, we have all experienced false beliefs, limiting beliefs, and popular beliefs that turned out to be wrong.

Before we play games with rules we don’t understand, before we reshape the world into our own image, don’t you think it would be wise to first understand reality?

When the test rockets keep blowing up soon after launch, the scientists throw away their calculations and assumptions and analyze the raw data all over again. When the company’s plan keeps losing money, they go back to the drawing board. When the sculpture does not turn out, the sculptor reduces it to a new lump of clay and starts all over again.

One definition of insanity is doing the same thing, or almost the same thing, over and over again expecting different results. Sometimes we have to start from scratch, again. Sometimes we have too much duct tape and bandages on our perspective and they make for a messy view. At those times we save time by tossing it all out and starting fresh.

Zero is a solid building spot

Once upon a time there were two contractors building homes next to each other. The first went through a lot of time and effort to dig a deep hole and get down to the bedrock where he started to pour his foundation. The other contractor laughed at him. He then proceeded to dump his favorite items and some dark secrets on the ground, roll them flat, then begin construction. After a time both builders moved into their homes. Then the storms and earthquakes started. For a while, both survived nicely, but the second contractor was always busy repairing, then preparing for the next disaster. Finally, there was one too many storms, one too many earthquakes. The landfill home collapsed.

A belief system is like a house. It is our world within the world, which means it must be grounded in reality because reality always wins in the end. We can cling to our favorite ideas, theories, assumptions, and agendas, but the universe will shake them loose and all that is built on top of them will collapse. Who in their right mind would put marbles between their house and foundation?

Zero is removing the sunglasses

Imagine a dimly lit room with shelves full of items. Too look cool, you are wearing sunglasses, so you can’t see everything clearly and some things you cannot see at all. You can choose three items. Which are best for you? Unless you take off your sunglasses, you can’t see and decide wisely. What should you do?

Figuratively speaking, we protect ourselves by wearing tinted glasses. We project an image. We filter out ideas, memories, opinions, and events that bother us, that confront our positions and attitudes. We want to be comfortable and confident and safe. The problem is that we filter out a lot of good with the bad, helpful with the harmful. We have a partial, distorted view of reality.

Reality can often be harsh, but it is better to see it as it is and be prepared to deal with it successfully, rather than be overwhelmed and surprised by failure.

At zero, we leave our baggage behind. We drop our weapons. Literate and illiterate, rich and poor, young and old, we all become equal little children ready to learn.

Because there are no mountains to climb, and no money to pay, and no degrees to earn, we all have common, friendly ground at zero.

Zero releases us from incompleteness

To see the big picture, the whole picture, we must step back from our little piece and let go of our incomplete view. Stepping all the way back to zero opens up the total view to us.

Zero releases us from contradiction

“Nothing is certain!”

My dad bellowed in rage as he literally backed me into a corner. My sister made a snide remark to break the tension, and I made my escape.

Why was he yelling at me? Because I had moved away from his religion and his control.

When I was in the shadowy region of doubt, skepticism, and atheism, he had no problem with my position. He barely acknowledged it and moved on. However, when experiences and discoveries turned me in another direction, when I dared to propose that his God be replaced with an Infinite Good Person, when light was shined on his dark inconsistencies, then all the inflated righteousness of hell was unleashed on me as if I was the cause of all his problems.

His argument was that everything—every idea, every claim, every religion—was relative. Therefore, there was no way I could know that I was right and that he was wrong. Of course, 24 hours too late, I realized that his own argument cut both ways. According to him, there was no way that he could know if he was right.

The claim that all truth is relative, or even non-existent, is an absolute truth claim, and therefore contradictory and meaningless.

Starting at zero means we say, MAYBE nothing is certain. MAYBE some things are certain and others are not. MAYBE everything will become certain. Starting at zero is a place where there are no contradictions because there are no claims, no agendas, no opinions needing to be defended.

Starting at zero makes no claims and releases itself from expectations. It is now free to discover, to explore, and to soar. The wide-eyed child within you is free to learn, happy to grow, and eager to become real.

Starting at zero sheds us of all useless weight and baggage. It cuts all ties to the anchors of personal prejudice. We are enabled to float into the upper atmosphere of unending limitlessness. Starting at nothing is actually a place of certainty based on humility. It opens us to the possibility of infinity and everything in between.

And infinity is bigger than any corner a raging monster can back us into.

Zero prepares us for creativity

When Thomas Edison let go of all of his assumptions about how a light bulb should use oxygen, he was released from all of his self-imposed restrictions. He was now prepared to blaze new trails rather than merely walk the old ones.

The 20th century psychologist, Erich Fromm, said, “Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.” Obviously, we do not let go of the certainty of reality, but we let go of the certainty of our assumptions about the future.

Brene Brown said, “There is no innovation and creativity without failure. Period.” Going back to zero will feel like failure and retreating, but it is the necessary preparation for explosive creativity and insight.

Zero helps us discern false teachers

Jane toured two colleges to decide which one she would attend to become a teacher. The first one was the very popular University of Experts. They showed Jane how she would sit at the feet of the world’s leading authorities and read their textbooks and listen to their lectures. They would teach her to write papers that quoted and studied other papers from renowned experts. Jane would graduate to become an elite member of the most degreed people in the world. The second was the much smaller College of Think. That school would teach her how to do experiments and bleeding edge research. Jane would collect and investigate raw data, form her own conclusions, then defend and refine them. A job was not guaranteed after graduation.

Which school would you attend?

Courage to discern

The courage to restart at zero is the same courage that keeps you from forcing pieces that don’t belong. When you have a consistent, creative belief system put together like a complete puzzle, untrue pieces simply cannot fit.

Remember, zero is not zero data or zero reality. It is zero filters on reality. What we are looking for is something that happens everywhere in the universe. If we observe it without denying or filtering it, then we are starting at zero.

If we can observe something that is obvious, universal, and significant, then use that as our starting point, that shows we are starting at zero. When everybody in the world can make the same observation and verify that everybody else is making that same observation, then we have universal truth without distortion, filters, or bias. All of us are seeing reality. We are collecting raw data.

Our question now is, Is there an obvious, universal, significant observation we can make?

What do you see?

Look around you. Anywhere. Everywhere.

People talk to each other. Kids play with toys. Birds fly in the air. Fish swim in the water. Wind blows the leaves. Rain falls to the ground. Not everything moves, but everything is affected by earth’s gravity and other forces.

Notice that you are seeing things because light reflects into your eyes. Photons interact with the objects which then interact with your eyes which then interact with your brain.

Notice that you are seated on a chair which is supported by the floor which rests on a foundation which rests on the ground. There is no motion, but there is continual interaction between all the parts.

Let’s take a journey in a science fiction star ship. Let’s go above the atmosphere, out of the solar system, and above all the galaxies. Now look out on the vast universe and watch suns and stars and systems circle each other in harmonious interaction.

Now dive with me down to the microscopic realm of molecules, atoms, and quantum particles. Again we see continual swirling interactions of immense quantity, variety, and power.

The whole world is a system of interactions. In fact, we could say the whole universe IS an interaction, made of sub-interactions.

What are interactions?

Inter— between, among, reciprocal, together

Action— do, perform, move

Interaction is movement and/or influence between and among things that may then reciprocate back and forth. Object A affects object B and B affects A. Interaction requires at least two items and some kind of force or influence between them. That influence can be physical or it can be personal/spiritual.

Interact is act and react. It is things bumping into things. It is objects pushing and pulling other objects. Interaction is positive, such as people shaking hands and talking to each other, or it is negative, like fighting, warring, destroying. It is ideas connecting and modifying and relating to each other. From the microscopic to the galactic, in the physical, emotional, social, intellectual, and spiritual realms, there is nothing, absolutely nothing, that does not influence, or get influenced by, other things. Everything interacts. Nothing is a self-existing island unto itself.

From this simple observation we will unpack how the universe works, and then why sometimes it doesn’t work for us. We will find a framework to understand eternity past, present, and future. Like a rainbow exploded from a raindrop, interactions will unfurl themselves into a fractal-like pattern that repeats at all sizes from the quantum to the universal, from the personal to the global, from the natural to the supernatural.

The basic concept of interactions will lead us to the motivations of the human heart and the personal patterns upon which they are built. That will then lead us to the really big issues of life, but first let’s make sure we understand what physical interactions are and how they work.

Can you find an exception?

The wonderful magic of the universe is interaction. Scientific research turns this magic into formulas for us so that we can make better predictions and plans. There is no escaping physical interactions. It is not incorrect to view the whole universe as one giant, complex interaction.

If you still are not convinced, then try to find one thing, living or dead, animate or inanimate, that exists without being affected by something else. Nuclear and quantum forces hold things together at the smallest levels. Electromagnetic waves and cosmic radiation broadcast from one end of the universe to the other. Gravity emanates to and from every particle. Try to find something that exists without affecting or being affected. You will discover that all things push and pull, ebb and flow, and dance together in the great pageant of the interacting universe.

As you might have already guessed, force and power cause interaction. To grasp a penny, electromagnetic forces between my skin and the copper molecules enable me to feel. Chemical reactions empower my muscles to lift it. When I release it, the penny is attracted to the earth by gravity. When the coin hits the ground, kinetic energy is transformed into acoustical and thermal energy. Forces are like the springs connecting all objects and power is the energy that stretches those springs to start chain reactions of energy transformation.

Like an enormous game of pinball, energy is transmitted and transformed from object to object from one side of the universe to the other. The game never stops. Sometimes a person’s choice starts a series of unexpected interactions, but after that the laws of physics take over and transformation after transformation cascade outward to the farthest reaches of the universe. Even after the tossed stone has sunk to the bottom and its ripples are no longer visible, the original energy is still spreading through water, air, and rock.

Physical interactions and their causes have their counterparts in the spiritual realm. We will look at those next.

Physical vs spiritual

Just as physical interactions are universal, so spiritual interactions are also universal. Similar to the physical being moved by force and power, spiritual interactions are motivated by choice.

They are not be confused with religious choices. Spiritual interactions reveal the heart and happen at the personal level. People love to interact with people, with the inner nature of people, with the origin and potential of people. We are by nature spiritual beings born to contemplate and connect with ourselves, others, life, and deity.

I use “spiritual” in a broad, inclusive sense. Not only does it contain the supernatural and metaphysical, but also includes those distinctly human aspects of emotion, social bonds, and connected thought. It is this higher, inner dimension of personhood that separates us from animals and gives us a sense of identity, self-worth, deeper meaning, and noble aspirations. When these qualities work as they should, we feel good and purposeful. When they fail for too long, we descend to the level of addicted animals.

We can endure almost anything if we are with friends and supporters, but we can tolerate almost nothing when abandoned to ourselves. Our interactions with others give us courage, place, stability, meaning, and happiness. One on one or in groups we like to play games, talk, eat, work, party, rest, and just be.

Imagine yourself alone in a universe of rocks and plants, but no people. You would soon have a deep and unexplainable loneliness and depression. Without anyone telling you or teaching you, you would wonder what was the point of living. You would search for someone like yourself. Animals could partly fill that void, but you would still start a spiritual quest for meaning and relationship simply because you are a person with a nature that seeks and thrives on interaction with others.

We are interactive beings. Unending life without interaction, physical or spiritual, is not a happy, fulfilled life.

An eternity with physical interactions, but no personal interactions, is nice for a rock, but not for me. I can kiss a rock, but it cannot bond with me on personal levels. I can talk to a rock, but it cannot listen to me and communicate shared experiences. I can physically interact with the rock by throwing it far away, but I cannot spiritually interact with it.

Spiritual interactions are personal interactions on a level far higher than physical interactions.

What drives spiritual interactions?

Obviously, spiritual interactions involve, but are not caused by physical forces and powers. Our bodies operate on physical power which make our brains function. The mind is centered in the brain. However, the mind is more than the brain. The soul/spirit is more than the body.

Someone described human beings as embodied souls and ensouled bodies. Unlike animals, we make choices based on more than biology and chemicals. Every choice involves faith, hope, and love. And we choose what to believe, trust, expect, anticipate, love, desire, value, etc...

My body can be forced to do something, but my inner spirit always chooses how it will respond.

The next chapters will break down each part in detail. For now, let’s introduce the interaction cycle with the following graphic.

Can you find an exception?

Every act from talking to hugging to yelling to working has a motive. Our actions come from thoughts and feelings which spring from our beliefs, desires, and values—faith, hope, and love.

Let’s start with an obvious example. Two people get married because they trust and love each other and hope to spend a long, happy life together.

A mundane example would be brushing one’s teeth. I value (love) my teeth and do not want to lose them to cavities. Because of what I have been taught, I believe brushing helps me toward that goal, and I obviously hope to achieve it.

We take vacations because we believe we need a break. We hope to gain rest and energy. We love feeling good and strong.

We go to work because we believe we will get paid and we trust our employers to pay us. We hope this will give us a better life and provide for us and others because we love them. Some love their work (positive). Some hate it (negative).

We trust and love our friends and hope to maintain close relationships with them.

Faith, hope, and love work on the negative side also. A mother does not love changing diapers, in fact, she detests it. However, she hopes and believes in the cleanliness and health of her baby. Therefore, she changes the diapers because she loves her baby.

A dark example would be the serial killer so in love with himself and the feeling of power that he believes, and hopes, he can get away with killing. Also, the cheater believes true love is found behind the back of the faithful lover and hopes to live the double life without consequence. In the case of the mother, the negative is in the external environmental conditions. Her motives toward her child are pure and unselfish. However, the killer and the adulterer are harming other people by their selfish choices.

The power of choice can be destroyed, by drugs or alcohol, for example. Yet, the choice to use drugs is itself a choice based on what the person believed, hoped to experience, and valued in life.

Just as with physical interactions, we are challenged to find an exception on the spiritual level.

As we are well aware of, personal interactions can be either positive or negative. We can talk or we can fight. We can cooperate or we can compete. We can share or we can steal. We can give life or take life.

I am only making a basic point here that will be further dissected in the next chapters. We should be aware that micro-interactions collect into larger, ongoing, and group interactions. So depending on what level you are viewing, there can be a complex mix.

For example, professional sports is a cooperative between owners, managers, and players who compete with each other to promote their sport and earn money. The competition can sometimes be fierce to the point of fighting.

Falling in love, staying in love, and falling out of love can often be a complex mix of emotions and motivations.

The point here is that spiritual interactions can be positive or negative, creative or destructive, selfish or unselfish, etc...

Zero

Never too old, never too bad, never too late, never too sick to start from scratch once again. — Bikram Choudhury

Human beings are poor examiners, subject to superstition, bias, prejudice, and a PROFOUND tendency to see what they want to see rather than what is really there. — M. Scott Peck

Science is the search for truth, that is the effort to understand the world: it involves the rejection of bias, of dogma, of revelation, but not the rejection of morality. — Linus Pauling

I think unconscious bias is one of the hardest things to get at. — Ruth Bader Ginsburg

We journalists are a bit like vultures, feasting on war, scandal and disaster. Turn on the news, and you see Syrian refugees, Volkswagen corruption, dysfunctional government. Yet that reflects a selection bias in how we report the news: We cover planes that crash, not planes that take off. — Nicholas Kristof

Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become your actions, Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny. — Mahatma Gandhi

We can not solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them. — Albert Einstein

A sum can be put right: but only by going back until you find the error and working it afresh from that point, never by simply going on. — C. S. Lewis

The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool. — Richard Feynman

Do not indoctrinate your children. Teach them how to think for themselves, how to evaluate evidence, and how to disagree with you. — Richard Dawkins

You say there is no absolute, universal truth? You’re looking at it. You’re experiencing and interacting with it every moment. — Ed Lyons

Interactions

I feel very lucky to have grown up having interaction with adults who were making change but who were far from perfect beings. That feeling of not being paralyzed by your incredible inadequacy as a human being, which I feel every day, is a part of the legacy that I’ve gotten from so many of the adult elders. – Marian Wright Edelman

Real answers need to be found in dialogue and interaction and, yes, our shared human condition. This means being open to one another instead of simply fighting to maintain a prescribed position. – Malcolm Boyd

Human beings are social creatures. We are social not just in the trivial sense that we like company, and not just in the obvious sense that we each depend on others. We are social in a more elemental way: simply to exist as a normal human being requires interaction with other people. – Atul Gawande

Social media is an amazing tool, but it’s really the face-to-face interaction that makes a long-term impact. – Felicia Day

For good ideas and true innovation, you need human interaction, conflict, argument, debate. – Margaret Heffernan

Know that you get second chances so that you may change the art of your interaction, not so that others might finally treat you with the loving respect you deserve (and you do deserve loving respect). – Alexandra Katehakis

Given that all of the issues that face us demand an understanding of complexity, interrelationship, and nuance, the ability to seek and understand context is nothing less than a collective survival skill. – Jenny Odell

We mustn’t withdraw from human interaction because it can be difficult. It keeps us grounded and helps us to grow through real and challenging situations. We do not need to decide which community to belong to. We just live life to the best of our ability and follow our interests and we will find ourselves within a community of people perfect for our growth. – Donna Goddard

There is nothing, save the selfish heart of man, that lives unto itself. No bird that cleaves the air, no animal that moves upon the ground, but ministers to some other life. There is no leaf of the forest, or lowly blade of grass, but has its ministry. Every tree and shrub and leaf pours forth that element of life without which neither man nor animal could live; and man and animal, in turn, minister to the life of tree and shrub and leaf. The flowers breathe fragrance and unfold their beauty in blessing to the world. The sun sheds its light to gladden a thousand worlds. The ocean, itself the source of all our springs and fountains, receives the streams from every land, but takes to give. The mists ascending from its bosom fall in showers to water the earth, that it may bring forth and bud. — Ellen White

 

List 3 things and describe how they interact with other things.

Describe a positive physical interaction, then a negative one.

Describe a positive spiritual interaction, then a negative one.

What does universal interaction tell us about the purpose of the universe?

Why is choice important for spiritual interactions?

Super duper extra bonus points: Find something that does not interact.