On Meditation and the Sunk Cost Fallacy
I used to kill time by reading Wikipedia. One evening I started reading about the British Empire and ended with an article about the Beatles' trip to India, where they learned transcendental meditation(TM). Later, I read in Ray Dalio's book that the Beatles' trip inspired him to learn TM, and meditation had greatly improved his effectiveness. It seemed to be worth a shot, so in early 2020, I took an 8 hour TM course.
Forming a Meditation Habit
A TM course is expensive, but that was part of my plan. In economics, there is a concept called the Sunk-cost fallacy to describe when people continue an activity because of previously invested resources such as time, money, or effort (Akres & Blumer, 1985). Essentially, the sunk cost fallacy is our desire to "get our money's worth," however it is faulty reasoning because we cannot change the past and should not let it detract from our present or future happiness. Although I am aware of sunk costs, I know I am not immune to them, so I used the high price as a commitment-forming tool. It worked.
I have now been meditating every day for over a year. So was that 500 dollar course worth it? Absolutely, although I no longer follow the TM instructions when I meditate. In fact, when I meditate nowadays, I don't do anything other than sit in silence for 20 minutes after waking up, but forming the habit and exploring it for myself, which I had failed to do before the course, was worth thousands of dollars to me.
Key Takeaways of one year+ of Daily Meditation
Disclaimer: I consider myself a beginner in meditation. These observations do not reflect the TM teaching or anything else. They are personal observations, and I am sharing them to reflect and because they may be helpful for you.
1. My thoughts ≠ me
There is a disconnect between our thinking selves and our conscious selves. If that sounds unlikely to you(it did to me), try this thought experiment:
Sit down and turn off your thoughts.
How quickly did thoughts come back to you? What was your first thought, and can you say where it came from? Did you choose to think that thought?
Besides, in your daily life, do you choose to have thoughts of anxiety or impulsively judge the person sitting across from you?
And, if addiction is something we compulsively do despite self-harm and without the ability to stop, does it follow that we are all addicted to thinking?
Taking an objective view of the thoughts running through our head allows us to start taking back control of our thoughts and understanding ourselves.
2. What we are looking for is internal.
Most people want to change the outside world. However, the most profound changes come internally, and our internal state is the one thing we have the greatest ability to control and improve.
"Be the change you want to see in the world" -Gandhi.
3. Creativity comes from not doing.
Most of my ideas for this blog hit me when I am chopping vegetables, washing the dishes, or brushing my teeth, all times when I am not actively thinking. When I am writing, if I find myself stuck on an idea, I stand up and take three steps, and usually, something new pops into my brain.
Downtime is essential for creativity.
4. Pattern Recognition
There are patterns, which repeat themselves over and over in our lives and world. A micro-pattern is, I smell coffee, and I want to drink coffee. A macro-pattern is when a rising power(China) begins to challenge an aging power(USA) conflict is likely to arise in what is dubbed the "Thucydides Trap." Recognizing patterns helps us fix behavior and anticipate events.
Pattern recognition is an essential skill.
5. Shutting off your thoughts is Challenging (but worth it)
Most people try meditation and then think, damn, I can't shut off my thoughts; I am failing. That's the wrong mindset. Uncontrollable thinking is the default for nearly all of us, and we need to invest lots of time to begin to win back control over our thinking minds.
6. Organization = stress reduction
When I started to meditate, flash panics about appointments or birthdays, which I nearly forgot, would often hit me. Observing that my disorganization was causing me stress, I began to improve it.
7. Distractions
Most things in life are distractions: emails, meetings, Instagram. The distractions are usually the first things we are reminded of when we sit down to be alone.
Pushing beyond distractions is where the magic is.
8. Reflection is essential to improvement
Another Dalio framework, "Pain+reflection=progress," has been hugely helpful. When we take time to reflect on negative things in our lives, we can recognize our role in creating them and fix the pattern.
9. Breathing is a powerful tool
As an introduction: try out the physiological sigh from Dr. Andrew Huberman of Stanford's Huberman Lab
10. Intermittent fasting for my brain
I practice intermittent fasting with eating (I usually don't eat until midday). I am not a doctor, so I can't comment on the health benefits, but this reset feels good and helps me focus. My highest productivity consistently happens between 4:00 am to 12:00 pm before I have ingested a meal. Starting my day with meditation instead of my cell phone has a similar effect.
11. We are all connected
This one sounds a little spooky, but the most powerful experiences of my life have happened while meditating with other people.
You Have Everything You Need
You do not need to spend 500 dollars to start meditating. You have everything you need to meditate with you at all times. Why don't you sit in silence for 5 minutes after you finish this post? Can you do it? Odds are you will find it challenging, as I once did. You may start fidgeting, and your mind will remind you of the birthdays you forgot, the meetings you have to go to, etc. Ignore it all. You ignored it when you were busy with your "important" tasks; you can ignore it a few minutes longer. Also, my simple recommendation is just to watch your thoughts as if you were a third-party onlooker, not to judge or steer them in any direction for the duration of the meditation. That has worked best for me.
Do you have any experience with meditation? Is there anything you disagree with in this post?
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