The Active Avoidance of Sisu

Sisu, a Finnish word that has no direct translation. In English, sisu may be described as the energy that lies past grit and perseverance to overcome adversity. Today I won’t look at sisu directly rather, voice a few thoughts and questions about the other side of the equation: Adversity.

If Sisu is the energy used to overcome adversity, it is important then to understand what is to be conquered. Adversity by definition is: adverse or unfavorable fortune or fate; a condition marked by misfortune, calamity, or distress. For me, I don’t think this really describes adversity well because, as you can probably gather, this all seems to be very subjective. What is calamity, distress or unfavourable fortune? These terms would be very heavily dependent upon the one experiencing them.

In Finland, I have heard numerous times how an ice hockey team or player used sisu energy to succeed in difficult conditions. It has been mentioned in regards to business success as well as political and industrial maneuvering. When I first arrived in Finland some 13 odd years ago, clients would often give me mini Finnish history lessons to bring me up to speed. Many broached the subject of past wars and battles where inevitably, the term ‘Finnish Sisu’ would be called upon to describe how Finland managed to survive. How does the survival of a war compare to a tough hockey game on the adversity index?

If sisu begins where determination, perseverance and grit end, wouldn’t the point of beginning be dependent upon how much grit and determination one already possesses? This would mean that the starting point of sisu for any particular individual could vary wildly from that of another, as would the adverse events required to call upon the sisu reserve. This makes the adversity level of events required to induce sisu highly personal and incomparable to the experiences of another, even if the events themselves are comparable.

“Through high school I lived a life of adversity. You see, I had an iphone 4 when all of my friends had a 5 and some even a 6. It was a tough time but my sisu got me through.”

Is this what we could hear as stories that demonstrate sisu? Does this provoke us to ignore the odds and inspire us to jump into the fray? Which situations bring out our own strengths and hidden reserves? Is mild adversity enough or does it require gut wrenching, muscle ripping, physical and mental struggle where failure or success is balanced on a razor’s edge? Perhaps an extremely adverse event to one may seem relatively mild through the eyes of another. Can an observer judge?

When it comes to judgement, sisu seems to be something that can be guessed at through third-party observations but not actually measured. Like a 1-10 pain scale, it is only relevant to the individual experiencing it and the threshold for one may be much, much higher or lower than that of another. The judgement would also depend on what types of events the observer believes worthy or unworthy of even attempting and their personal experiences and attitudes. I also suspect that when it comes to observing sisu by the actual individual experiencing it, there would be no available energy to pay observational attention, as all would be allocated to the adverse sisu-evoking task at hand. It is perhaps possible to see in reflection but, when looking back, does one realise that the grit/sisu threshold was crossed, or does survival itself prove that there was actually more energy within?

Then, if we are interested in experiencing sisu and growing resilience we would have to think if our lives offer the type of adversity that inspires sisu to get involved? We live in a society where we protest the loss of a few holidays and demonstrate because we believe we don’t have enough to help people that have fled war zones. We will argue against measures that place financial discomfort upon us and shy away from making personal and policy changes although the current and future environment demands them. We ask others to look after us in many different ways, blame them if they fail to reach our expectations and get offended and target them if they say or do something with which we disagree. We continually judge everyone else based on their actions and circumstances yet fight for our right not to be judged ourselves. There is already a life filled with conflict, and much of it seems self-inflicted, but is it sisu inducing?

To experience sisu we have to face adversities that challenge us beyond our own expectations and beliefs of what we think we can do. Which would mean, doing what we think is for us, impossible. But, most people will instinctively not test personal limits that defy the odds because of the likelihood of failure and certainly not willingly attempt the impossible. Alternatively, we could experience sisu if the adversity we experience is not chosen, but thrust upon us by external factors, however, our common practice is to fight against anything that we expect will put us in discomfort, let alone awaken the sleeping sisu giant inside. We seem to want to believe sisu is within us, but will actively avoid the adverse situations that would prove it.

A poor diagram attempting to show the move:

Regardless of whether sisu usage is realised or not, dipping into the reserve would  promote an expanded ‘believed ability’ capacity for future use since it has been proven in practice and repeatedly doing so would continuously move the boundary and create a highly resilient individual. If one adverse event expands the grit capacity, does this translate into the ability to handle a highly diverse adverse event?

Personally, when I look back at my life, I have pushed through some very difficult times, but in reflection, were they that difficult? I now think I had much more reserve than the struggle suggested and perhaps didn’t come as close to using ‘sisu’ as I thought I did at the time. Maybe I underestimated myself then because I didn’t understand a wide range of adversity, perhaps I now overestimate my abilities because I think I have already faced the most difficult. It is highly likely that with my personal growth, the troubles of the past now appear insignificant. In hindsight, I feel I was much more than a little naive, and looking forward, I think I will look back at now and think the same again. We can believe in something without it being true, but truth itself doesn’t require a belief. Should I find out where my true limits are or, should I trust where I believe them to be?

In my opinion, adversity does not need to come through a struggle against the negative, it can come through a journey for the positive. It doesn’t have to be brought on by misfortune, distress or calamity. At least not in the way we generally define it. Sisu and its benefits could come through deliberate choices to push ourselves into adversity by tackling what we believe to be impossible for us, but worthy of our energy investments. The breaking of familiar structures and concepts and venturing into new fields, yet to be formed technologies and methods that are still only dreams. To learn about and collaborate with people, cultures and nations that are unfamiliar, uncomfortable to build stronger relationships and better solutions. To invest in the unknown, investigate the unexplored and attempt to do what has never been done. The undiscovered always lives in adversity until found and the path to a better world is impeded by those unwilling to look. Of course, negative events will still appear along these paths also but, rather than trying to avoid them, we can aim for something far greater and they will help us achieve it.

Sisu may begin at the end of our known abilities, but not the end of our ability because if there is reserve, there is fuel to learn more, understand deeper and move further. Sometimes the steps seem too big and our legs too short and we question ourselves and our power to continue, yet here we are, continuing. And, if we know that sisu is there, why are we afraid to go further than what we believe are the limits? Why not test our impossibles? When we look back, the moments we revere, the ones that have shaped us, the ones that have become a part of our story, many of these are born from difficulty and pulled from adversity. The great leap forwards in things such as technology and education, social welfare, human rights and medicine have also been pushed through uncertainty and adverse conditions. Adversity becomes the catalyst for fulfilling our potential, avoiding it creates our ceilings.

“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.” – Muhammad Ali

Like normal, these are just some thoughts that may inspire more thoughts and questions. Feedback and opinions are welcome.

Taraz

 

Where’d you get that box?

As the world gets more technical and market volatility increases, creative, out of the box thinking is in demand. The ability to think differently is seen as a desirable problem solving skill that is necessary for intelligent development of all systems and products. The call to get out of comfort zones, gain perspective and disrupt the status quo has pervaded every institution and industry globally. Escaping from this box frees us to evaluate, solve, create and innovate effectively but, what is this box that contains us?

Why the box?

Before going into the construction of the box, perhaps we should investigate why there is a box. The box is security. A zone where we can feel safe and comfortable. It is the known. What lies outside of the box is the unfamiliar, uncertainty, the unknown. The unknown is something we have come to fear. In the past, fear protected us from and helped avoid physical danger but as these threats diminished, fear was applied more and more to threats to mental concepts and as a result, we built imaginary walls to avoid the uncomfortable psychological unknowns.

Where did the bricks come from?

The walls of the box are made up of our learning, our culture, traditions and habits. Our beliefs. They have been passed to us from parents, peers, teachers, governments and media and keep us in line, consistent and on the right side of wrong. Some of these beliefs have developed through experience, but even these events have been passed through the filters of already established beliefs and therefore the judgement process of experience is likely to be biased.

Why is it hard to escape?

Getting out of the box is a challenge. This is due in part to the fact that much of the beliefs are inherited from culture and tradition, endorsed by authority figures and instilled and practiced from a very young age. This early adoption makes it feel as if these systems are a fundamental part of us and further, group pressure creates a microcosm steeped in habit with a ‘safety in numbers’ mentality built to protect it. We are also taught that discomfort and mental stress are negatives and should avoid people, situations and ideas that stress our mind or question personal beliefs with which we are already comfortable. Another factor that comes into play is that the brain tends to avoid areas where it has to critically think. Thinking is surprisingly energy intensive as is growing new pathways, so the brain seems to prefer using habit profiles to deal with events, even if these models perform poorly or inefficiently. These processes and others result in our beliefs becoming habituated, our thinking automatic and actions robotic. And, since we continue to avoid discomfort rather than investigate variation and potential error, we choose to feel right without actually knowing if this is the reality.

Fight or question?

Another concept  that hinders our escape is a ‘fight for what you believe in’ mentality. From this ‘right’ position we judge the positions of others as wrong and will attack or insulate ourselves from them. If belief systems are largely built in the past, blind and untested, ‘fighting for what one believes in’ seems like a dangerous stance, don’t you think? As the saying goes, ignorance is bliss; another comfort zone. The more investment spent on maintaining the walls, rather than questioning their construction, the stronger and higher the walls become and the less likely the other side can ever truly be seen.

Is there a door?

Understanding is always the path and to develop this, discomfort is required. Mental discomfort. Rather than stand in mental safety, think in turmoil. Investigate the origins of a few beliefs and discover how little influence you have actually had in their development and how thin the evidence may be in supporting them. This will hint at sources, validity and the relevancy of other held concepts. Rather than avoiding and discounting differing views to stay comfortable, embrace them as an indicator of your unknown and a direction for continued self-discovery. It is comfortable to hold the position of ‘this is the way I am’ as it takes a position that these systems are out of personal control but, without thorough investigation, how does one know whether this is the case? Understanding this at an intellectual level is relatively easy, the understanding at an experiential level is another matter completely.

The wide uncertainty.

Dissolve the box, and freedom is found. This is where situational sensitivity and creativity can flourish, ideas compound and continual disruption takes place. Out here, groupthink is abolished, diversity investigated and effective communication and cooperation thrives as conditions improve through questions, trial, error, discovery and critical thinking. Without the box, curiosity gets investigated with true scientific process to increase understanding. And, since the origins and process of belief creation are known, the cycle can be broken, the box disappears, and it can never be used to cage another mind.

Taraz

[a Steemit original]

cool. calm. collected.

With the release of the new Bond film, Spectre, I thought a quick look at an idea for personal development that takes its cue from James himself would be in order. Although a highly trained, intelligent lone-wolf in the field, Bond is a free thinking, socially adept character that can transition from an explosive environment into a tuxedo at a cocktail party smoothly. Intense when the situation demands, witty when an opportunity presents itself, Bond is aware of the operating environment and acts accordingly. To achieve this, there must be a balanced mix of technical, intellectual, social and emotional development as well as deep situational awareness in order to recognise and play the appropriate move at the right time.

In the work arena, most investment is placed on the technical and intellectual requirements. Development of the social and emotional core can round-out skill sets and play a pivotal role in creating, maintaining, shifting and strengthening professional positions, relationships and results. Is there a benefit of being a little Bond-like in the office? Can you become: Cool, calm, collected?

Be Cool:

This is about design. For this case in particular, the design of movements both physical and mental. The world may not be enough, but wastage is too much. Great design takes complexity and simplifies it for application. When applied to personal processes, this path creates a combination of efficiency and effectiveness to move seamlessly from situation to situation. It isn’t laziness, quite the opposite. It takes hard work and deep skill to make something easy. When resources are tight and investment requirements high, savings in redundant movement can be allocated to more pressing needs. Being cool means that with minimal, purposeful action, objectives are achieved and the next challenge is free to approach. To do this, one needs to be more than a professional, they need to be an expert. Someone who continually develops skill sets to match ever-changing environmental needs.

Bond, the epitome of cool. Watch him move. Fluid, precise action, decisive thinking, energy expenditure as necessary.

Personal Skills to address:
Process Improvement, Innovation, Body Language, Problem Solving, Performance Management, Self Leadership, Troubleshooting

Stay Calm:

The sky may be falling, but the heartbeat is unfaltering. Stoic behaviour is often mistaken for insensitivity but this is far from the reality. This is a prioritisation of resources to deal with tasks at hand efficiently. A panicked mind cannot focus clearly, evaluates poorly and acts erratically; thereby creating the home of habit and fear, the true state of insensitivity. Remaining calm allows for conditions to be accurately read, tools utilised and skills applied to effectively deal with the given circumstances. To remain calm, personal understanding needs to be developed which is done through self-awareness. Know yourself, know the rival.

Bond, calm in the eye of chaos yet always present, always ready to act.

Personal Skills to address:
Emotional Management, Stress Management, Self Confidence, Resilience, Dispute Resolution,Taking Criticism, Situational Awareness, Self Awareness

Get Collected:

Skill sets trained, tested and catalogued. Thoughts processed, investigated and prioritised. To be collected, the inventory needs to be known, and the unknown has to to be factored. This means the toolbox is maintained and each piece is understood from both the theoretical and physical perspectives. The cards held by another player may be hidden and the unexpected is likely to happen, but with the ace of adaptability, on the fly modifications can handle the situation.

Bond, acts with trained instinct when possible, tailors sharply and immediately when required.

Personal Skills to address:
Adaptability, Organisation, Planning, Conflict Resolution, Strategic Planning, Self Assessment, Critical Thinking,

Enjoy the Journey

Cool, calm and collected is not isolated to the fictitious world of Hollywood espionage. It can be a continual process of awareness of the self, the operating environment and influencers within. Sensitivity to the large and small picture simultaneously can be developed as well as the prioritisation of requirements and the expansion of skills. It is purposeful action led by an ever-moving mind being driven by a meaning-filled core.

There is always risk, uncertainty, surprise and failure. Clear vision, effective evaluation and timely decisions are the key to survival. Understanding and making moves towards these is the key to enjoyment.