As the class presented their vision boards, I got to thinking about the ways in which people motivate themselves. There are practical methods, like setting goals, making checklists, and having a desire to meet the expectations of your boss or your peers. There are also more esoteric and philosophical methods like our dear vision board exercise. I’m not a believer in any kind of supernatural positive “energy” espoused by the gurus and Oprahs of the world, but I do believe it can be useful to trick yourself into becoming a better person. For instance, studies have shown that externalizing positive and negative emotions, such as writing them down on paper, can help a person deal with those emotions more effectively. I think a similar thing is happening when a person creates a vision board, although vision boards have their own set of problems, problems outlined in the article we were linked last week.
Another thing that stuck out to me this week was Beth’s elegant explanation of the feeling of wonder that can be had in the world around us. Using a rainbow as an example: she says it’s possible to simultaneously understand the physics behind a rainbow and still appreciate it having a sort of magical quality to it that is specific to her experience. Her example resonated with me as a rationalist. I’ve spoken with people who are incredulous about my disbelief in the supernatural, and those who claim that knowing how things work (refraction in rainbows, for example) destroys the magical quality that those things have. I don’t believe I’ve lost any of the wonder, in fact I would argue that my sense of wonder is increased by understanding how it works and being in awe that such a thing is possible.
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