The human brain has two operating modes:
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The Scientist: Looks at the evidence and forms a conclusion.
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The Lawyer: Has a client (The Ego), gets a conclusion (“I am right”), and then looks for evidence to defend it.
Most people think they are Scientists. In reality, they are Lawyers. When you fail to ship a product, the Lawyer wakes up: “The market wasn’t ready,” “The team was slow,” “I was too busy.” These sound like reasons. They are actually Rationalizations.
The Direction of Truth
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Reasoning: Evidence Decision.
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Rationalization: Decision Evidence.
Rationalization is dangerous because it is “The Armor of Mediocrity.” It protects you from the pain of failure, but it also protects you from the lesson of failure. If you convince yourself the failure wasn’t your fault, you guarantee you will repeat it.
The Protocol: Fire the Lawyer
To ascend, you must ruthlessly audit your own excuses. When you make a mistake, your brain will offer you a “Comforting Lie.” Reject it.
The “5 Whys” of Pain
Instead of accepting the excuse, ask “Why” until it hurts.
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Excuse: “I didn’t have time to work out.”
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Why? “I was busy with work.”
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Why? “I said yes to a low-value meeting.”
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Why? “I crave validation from being ‘busy’.”
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Truth: “I value validation more than my health.”
Once you hit the Truth, you can fix it. As long as you stay in the Rationalization, you are trapped.
#DhandheKaFunda: The worst lies are not the ones we tell others. They are the ones we tell ourselves to sleep at night.