Dogs and Bells

     One good thing about the internet is that everyone feels compelled to post whatever is rattling around in their brains, which makes social media people watching on an immense level.  It is nice to know that I am not the only person that has certain thoughts.

    One thing that been an irritant, is when one gender unloads a generalized barrage of insults pointed towards the opposite gender.  We are all guilty of this.  We use the other gender as a scapegoat to absolve us of the bad decisions that we make. If we are consistently running into the same type of  people that hurt us, maybe the problem does not lie with the gender but rather that characteristics that we are drawn to. 

     I am guilty of the same thing.  I could blame bad relationships on female psychology or I can acknowledge that when I was presented with a romantic opportunity with someone that would have been genuinely good for me, I immediately lost interest.  I have no one to blame but myself and what I am attracted to.

    But what I really wanted to talk about is conditioning.  Everyone knows about Ivan Pavlov and his dogs.  He was able to train them to expect a treat whenever he rang a bell.  After a time, the treat was not even necessarily to cause the dog to salivate, just the bell.   I find that the same is true with people.

     Before we start complaining the world is full of horrible people, we have to acknowledge that is due to being trained by society.  It all comes down to cause and effect.  If a nice guy/girl notices that their kindness is doing them more harm than good and they possess some intelligence, they will begin to seek out what will actually work to get them what they desire.  It is a harsh but real lesson that the world teaches us and it can be proven time and time again simply by watching how people interact with each other at a club.   Soon, even the nicest people are willing to make sacrifices after countless attempts at trial and error.  After all, only a fool tries the same thing over and over again while expecting different results.  

     And so, we can thank society for the state of modern culture.  Now, I am not someone that subscribes to fatalism.  If I don't like something, I understand that it fully within my power to change it.  As someone that is driven success, it is imperative to adapt, to learn what works and what doesn't. The hard choice is deciding how much to sacrifice to get what I want.  I could be unfaltering and self-righteous and condemn the world for wronging me while being miserable...or I can change and adapt and hope that I do not become the mask that I wear to be able to thrive in this world.