You Need To Start Ignoring Yourself

Summary

This insightful video explores the concept of self-ignorance as a powerful tool for overcoming addiction and impulsive behavior. Drawing from the wisdom of yogis and stoics, the speaker, an addiction psychiatrist, explains how to resist emotional impulses using the story of Arjun and Krishna. Techniques such as meditation, trataka, and mindful ordering in restaurants are suggested to strengthen impulse control, leading to a more controlled and happier life. The video emphasizes the importance of ignoring oneself to break cycles of negative behavior and the increasing challenges posed by technology and food additives in triggering desires.

Takeaways

• 🧘 Ignoring oneself is a skill that can lead to better control over one's life and happiness, as taught by yogis and stoics.
• 🌪 The concept of homeostasis suggests that emotions and impulses will return to a baseline state if not acted upon.
• 💡 Krishna's teachings to Arjuna emphasize the importance of understanding the nature of happiness and suffering and the impact of acting on impulses.
• 🛡 Resisting negative emotions and impulses is key to avoiding suffering and making progress in life.
• 🏰 The story of Arjuna illustrates the struggle between following one's emotions and taking the right action.
• 🚫 The speaker suggests that giving in to impulses, like arguing on the internet, often leads to negative consequences and wasted time.
• 🤔 The importance of recognizing and resisting the desire to react to impulses is highlighted as a crucial cognitive task.
• 🧠 Neuroscience research indicates that resisting impulses is a fundamental skill for overcoming addiction.
• 👀 Techniques such as meditation, trataka (fixed-point gazing), and mindful practices can strengthen the brain's impulse control.
• 🍽️ Practicing impulse control in everyday situations, like choosing not to order your favorite dish at a restaurant, can help build self-regulation skills.
• 📱 The influence of technology and food additives in inducing cravings and impulses makes learning to ignore oneself increasingly important in modern society.

Q & A

What skill does the speaker suggest is often overlooked but important to learn?

The speaker suggests that learning how to ignore oneself is a skill often overlooked but important to learn.

What is the profession of the speaker?

The speaker is an addiction psychiatrist.

How does the speaker describe the process of conquering addiction?

The speaker describes the process of conquering addiction as teaching patients to ignore their impulses and desires, which leads to better outcomes.

What concept does Krishna teach Arjuna in the story mentioned in the script?

Krishna teaches Arjuna the concept of homeostasis, which is the idea that emotions and impulses will return to a baseline state if not acted upon.

What is the significance of the story of Arjuna and Krishna in the context of the script?

The story of Arjuna and Krishna illustrates the principle of ignoring one's impulses and emotions to achieve a state of happiness and control over one's life.

What does the speaker mean by 'playing the tape through to the end'?

The phrase 'playing the tape through to the end' refers to the practice of following the timeline of one's desires to understand the long-term consequences of giving in to them.

What is the speaker's view on the relationship between emotions and suffering?

The speaker believes that following emotions leads to suffering, and that not reacting to emotions is key to reducing suffering in life.

What are the two cognitive tasks involved in making a choice according to the speaker?

The two cognitive tasks involved in making a choice are resisting the impulse for the wrong option and forcing oneself to choose the right option.

What is the scientific perspective the speaker mentions regarding making the right choices?

The scientific perspective mentioned is that making the right choices involves resisting impulses and engaging the learning circuitry of the brain, particularly the hippocampus.

What techniques does the speaker suggest to help resist impulses?

The speaker suggests techniques such as meditation, trataka (fixed point gazing), and practicing impulse control in everyday situations like choosing not to order the most desired dish at a restaurant.

How does the speaker relate the practice of ignoring oneself to the teachings of stoicism and yoga?

The speaker relates the practice of ignoring oneself to the teachings of stoicism and yoga by stating that both philosophies emphasize the importance of not letting emotions and desires determine one's actions for achieving control and happiness in life.

What is the role of technology in triggering desires and impulses according to the speaker?

According to the speaker, technology plays a role in triggering desires and impulses through personalized notifications and algorithms that cater to individual preferences, making it harder to resist these impulses.