The Art of Self-Empowerment

The Genesis of Human Potential

Jake Kot

• Publisher: John Kot
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9780578707372
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Crescita personale
• Subtopic: Miglioramento personale

In an age of subliminal messaging bombarding us through mass media and our use of technology where coercion of thought exists as a daily staple, it is of the upmost necessity that we have someone calling us to discover our true self and attain true independence. In these times where it is important to develop our consciousness soul, this work is a positive contribution toward that end. -- Dr. Robert Cwiertniak - Psychologist PhD Jake Kot is one of the great philosophers for these times whose work will jar you out of your illusions, insecurities, and, most importantly, your discontent. The Art of Self-Empowerment is the handbook for living through your power, and seeing the world from a different lens - one where you can create, thrive, and enjoy the journey. - Sherry Prindle, Founder of the Professional Coach AcademyJake Kot takes you on an other-than-linear journey where you delve into the bounds of purpose, potentiality and possibility to empower you to define yourself, and unleash your potential to make the kind of decisions that render not only utility in your day-to-day, but the kind of joy that makes you think, 'I get to do this' instead of 'I have to make the doughnuts'. - Rev. D. Christian AndersonMr. Kot's book makes the reader think hard about the deeper questions we're facing, and in doing so brings clarity to the things we need to personally and professionally address. His work is profound, based on exhaustive research, and extremely relevant for the times - highly recommended for anyone who wants to take a fresh and critical look at gaining control over their life choices. - Mark von Bergen - Princeton Alumnus - Attorney at Law

1

The Power of Self-Reliance

To find yourself, think for yourself.

–Socrates

Thinking for yourself is a conscious act of self-reliance—potentially one of the greatest challenges we face. Take a moment and see if any of the following scenarios are hitting a little too close to home. If society puts a particular value on something, and it’s not in line with your own thinking, your tendency is to back down as you’re convinced it’s going to be difficult to gain acceptance following your own agenda. You tend to retreat when sociologically or intellectually challenged, choosing to remain consistent with established rhetoric or past beliefs rather than having a willingness to venture into the unknown. You fail to be able to commit to your decisions without some type of outside approval. Rather than taking a potentially controversial position, you tend to hide behind that which you’ve learned from your tribe or environment, or significant individuals within that environment. As Socrates referred to, finding yourself in the midst of perspectives such as these should be the quest.

The nature of our thinking has long been a topic of inquiry. Philosopher John Locke had his views on this. He proposed that there are three dynamics which interplay with our thinking process: 1) our dependence on others—influences we feel from family, friends, and peers; 2) our attachment to self-interest which sways us to suit our own needs; and 3) our lack of desire to consider others opinions, holding fast to our own and like-minded people sporting a similar mindset, which Locke called “circumscribed experience.”

If we fast-forward a couple of centuries, we have what I envision as a modern version of Locke’s premises. Jeffrey M. Schwartz M.D. and author of You Are Not Your Brain, speaks to what he calls “deceptive brain messages.” These messages are distracting impulses or urges that lead us away from our true intentions. They are driven more by mental presets, self-concerns and secondary beliefs (read, deceptive) than by intuitive moments

or any kind of creative ideation—a lack of self-reliance in the making. Enter, two of history’s most notable proponents of fostering the abandonment of that mindset.

From Waldo to Walden

One of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s most noteworthy contributions was his 1841 essay entitled Self-Reliance. Emerson proposed, quite dramatically, that self-sufficiency gives you the freedom to discover your true self , and attain true independence. He’s quite explicit in terms of disclosing the importance of this undertaking, and I find the interconnectedness of this venture and the art of empowering yourself extremely noteworthy.

Emerson asserted that acquiescing to outside or “public opinion” wastes a person’s life, that it saps the energy needed in the vital act of creation, which he felt was the most important activity in our lives. Said another way, it distracts an individual from making any kind of unique contribution, in whatever manner. Would it not be fair to say that an effort to follow one’s own voice culturally, socially or politically, rather than an intermediary’s would be an act of maturity, fostering the evolution of the individual? Emerson spoke right to this point, saying: “Insist on yourself. Never imitate. Your own gift you can present every moment with the cumulative force of a whole life’s cultivation.”

I read this as putting a focus on the internal conditions we experience that in essence lay the groundwork for individual progress. It’s the difference between grasping at an illusion (or what’s being sold to us), and immersing ourselves in the reality of what our own experiences have shown us. Continually acquiescing to outlying assumptions and public opinion does seem to be a waste of a life in the sense that those around us will never get to know our true personality. It’s “death to the individual,” as Emerson put it. This all underlines his staunch objection to conformity, a concept I personally envision as being the antithesis of self-empowerment.

Following in Emerson’s footsteps (in terms of self-reliance) was one of his students, renowned essayist and philosopher Henry David Thoreau. Although Thoreau is probably best known for his reflections on life at Walden Pond, he also was a strong advocate for individualism. He was an active part of the Transcendentalist Movement, for those looking to move beyond traditional empirical thinking (thinking based on past habits and conformity) and promote a philosophy of self-reliance and personal independence. Here are some of Thoreau’s observations I found to be not only interesting, but also relevant to today in terms of our social and economic challenges.

He specifically pushed for learning to be yourself, “not your idea of what you think someone else’s idea of yourself should be.” Here’s what immediately came to mind after pondering his point. If we fast forward to 2017, we have the best-selling book Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bonnie Ware. After interviewing countless individuals at death’s door to see what they regretted most, the number one regret was, “I’m sorry I lived the life that was expected of me rather than the life I wanted to.” Sound familiar?

Here’s another observation from Thoreau I found to be rather thought-provoking, and which seems to breach time. He said, “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away.” The phrase “all who wander are not lost” comes to mind. The step Thoreau proposes could be envisioned, present day, in a number of ways, such as choosing to react to the inadequacy of our educational system, questioning the simplicity of the follow your passion mantra, a willingness to venture into the world of entrepreneurialism, or daring a life in the arts (OMG). Nonconformity, the different drummer, is absolutely in play these days, and it’s important to make that connection between the decision to own following your own path, and the willingness to remain self-reliant within that process. It is the “highest manifestation in life,” according to Philosopher Thomas Aquinas.

Thoreau makes yet another point I find to be especially relevant to our modern day society. He stated that the price of anything should be seen “in the amount of life you exchange.” This is a rather astute observation that I don’t feel is commonplace to the masses. He pointed out it’s not just the monetary aspect of our endeavors , but the amount of life we’re willing to sacrifice that should be considered in creating a path to personal fulfillment. How might you feel about that if you’ve spent the better part of your days settling for being the worker bee, part of the herd, the “working class hero” of whom John Lennon spoke quite directly to?

The consequences of a decision to just fall in line is not only addressed in Bonnie Ware’s findings on regret, it also speaks to the incredibly high percentage of individuals who are waning in terms of job satisfaction in the 21st century, with the latest poll showing that almost 70 percent of working people would not only like to quit their present job, but to work for themselves in some fashion. All of these thoughts, these potentialities tend to focus around the assessment of one’s actual desire for individualism, the value of owning a self-reliant persona.

Acquisition, Assurance and Appreciation

In the quest for self-empowerment, obtaining any kind of new and purposeful state of mind is always a multi-stepped, procedural journey. This goes without question. The so-many-steps-to-whatever programs have long been part of society’s sociological and psychological curriculum. But my feelings are that in our I-want-it-yesterday culture, the quick step, or maybe better said quick fix programs to health, wealth and happiness (which I tend to seriously vacillate on in terms of their effectiveness) have become the norm. Proceed carefully! Investigate vigorously! Choose wisely! That being said, allow me to offer this rather unstep-like progression, which came to mind when I entertained the notion of building some type of road to becoming more self-reliant.

Phase 1: Acquisition

The opening, and far from being what I envision as criteria for a step is the simple acknowledgement that any progression of self-growth (in this case, self-reliance) will call upon the process of educating yourself in this domain, the longstanding practice of acquiring new knowledge, or modifying existing knowledge. Acquisition!

Curiosity should be at the helm in this educational pursuit, and I believe “breadth” is the key word. A wide and diverse investigation of the architecture of the change you’re pursuing is an excellent approach. Scale back to explore the historical masters of yesterday, and then scale up to the modern progressive thinkers of present day. Curiously (the key word) compare, contrast and combine that which you’re taking in. This type of approach has been well researched. Renowned educator and author Ken Robinson called curiosity “the engine of achievement.” A study published in Perspectives in Psychological Science journal indicated that personality traits such as curiosity are as important as intelligence in terms of constructive education. Question everything!

Curiosity is certainly an excellent tool for productive learning, but let’s take this concept of productive learning a step further. I propose that making an effort to “boost your learning curve” is an extremely discerning move, which can be accomplished by entertaining the concept of meta-learning. This is a branch of cognition that involves learning about one’s own learning, an investigation into the how and why we choose to learn—learning to learn. For example, in terms of the traditional educational format, know that its effectiveness is being highly questioned by some top intellectuals present day such as Noam Chomsky, Howard Gardner, Sir Ken Robinson and cognitive psychologist Steven Pinker. The value of self-education (Chapter 6) enters the fold, and phase one of the credibility of a more self-reliant-based approach trickles in.

Another vantage point to consider comes from world-renowned Artificial Intelligence (AI) expert Vivienne Ming. She talks about the fact that the middle class is about to get blindsided because they were promised that if they attended a university and learned complex cognitive skills, they would have a job. Ming explains that from her professional point of view, the only thing she needs from people is their ability to explore the unknown because AI cannot do that. She states: “What AI can do is replace your jobs—yesterday.” The depth of exploring the unknown would obviously fit comfortably into the meta-learning approach.

Continuing this inquiry into learning about your learning process, I ask you to consider this quote from theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking. He said, “The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.” The concept of an “illusion of knowledge” opens up interesting territory. When might we confuse what we believe to automatically be some kind of empirical truth? And where does one draw the line on an assumption of that nature? It’s also an investigation into the preset idea “it’s true because I believe it,” or “it’s true because it’s in my vested interest to believe it,”—deep subconscious and potentially illusion-driven mindsets that certainly deserve your attention. In the extreme case, we’re talking about the danger of a pseudointellectual, one who claims a level of proficiency in scholastic or artistic areas while lacking any type of in-depth knowledge or credible understanding. With the explosion of information on the web, this is something to watch out for to the best of your ability. The less oppressive end of that game would simply be “try not to speak out of your hat.” People, in general, tend to recognize all of these particular character traits, which I believe is the essence of Hawking’s message.

Whatever your intellectual pursuits may entail, make an effort to dig in, in true self-reliant mode. Don’t limit yourself to just articles and blogs. Read books. Don’t just take a course. Take a number of diverse courses. Don’t just learn from those in your tribe. Cross the social fence to gain alternative insights. Don’t vow to be mainstream. Vow to be streamless. Don’t be educationally cautious. Be educationally curious, the essence of meta-learning. New knowledge gained with this type of perseverance is how true change happens within, and internal change is how external change comes into fruition.

Phase 2: Assurance

If you stay relentless in your educational pursuits and learn from a wide spectrum of sources, a state of confidence will begin to emerge. You’ll see a firm trust within yourself from the content of what you’ve learned—the air of a confident persona. Assurance!

Like many other states of mind, confidence carries a bit of an enigmatic presence. Philosopher Bertrand Russell believed there were several grades of confidence that we hold in our belief system. The highest level, he stated, is in our immediate experience, a self-conscious recognition - hard to argue with that. The second level comes from reports of experience from others who are like us, a tribe-based recognition. And finally, what I would see as the most ambitious take on confidence is the sociologically and scientifically-based studies we conduct to make sense of our experience.

If there’s a thrust to be seen in Russell’s observations, it is that confidence, in a sense, is something that is earned. It doesn’t just suddenly appear, nor does it show up in some universal law scenario as the affect . It’s an internal set of values and self-worth that you’ve accrued and developed within yourself over time. It’s an acceptance of your own decisions and value judgments. Discernment is not a refutation of that which you’ve taken in from outside sources; it’s the art of consciously examining and navigating the facts and information you’ve been exposed to. The self-reliant-based learning approach you enacted enriches your self-confidence, and there’s where you’ll find the strength to continue on with your quest. You’re not pressured to move forward, you’re motivated to move forward, and that kind of personal or professional ambiance rarely goes unnoticed. Anything less puts you at the mercy of outside influences and external opinionating, the approval or disapproval of others. And where would any type of authentic self-confidence fit into that equation?

Phase 3: Appreciation

So you’ve been successful in your progress, and you’re making an impact. You’ve worked hard on all that you feel you encompass, self-assured you’ve set your own path. You feel confident, elated…happy. But as much as what I just stated feels like a conclusion of sorts, a final result, the reality that we all face is that these accomplishments are transitory, a revolving continuum of elation and emotional instability. That understanding inspired what I envision as a plausible final step. Appreciation!

There’s no question we’re all wired in some manner to achieve life’s top two rungs, the golden chalice of success and happiness. But we have to begin by acknowledging there’s actually no set definition for either of those experiences. Due to the fact that they’re relative, quantifiable only in terms of individual perception, placing them in any kind of final phase or end goal in terms of your journey seems to miss the point. This premise has been rigorously addressed f...

Table of contents

• The Art Of Self-Empowerment
• Text Insert
• Contents
• Text Insert
• Text Insert
• Text Insert
• Full-Title
• Introduction
• 1 - The Power Of Self-Reliance
• 2 - The Power Of Adaptability
• 3 - The Power Of Attention
• 4 - The Power Of Self-Efficacy
• 5 - The Power Of Empathy
• 6 - The Power Of Self-Education
• 7 - The Power Of Self-Composure
• 8 - The Power Of Independence
• References
• Notes
• Half-Title