In this blog post, we’ll examine several concepts about effective human function through a few real-world devices that seem to have no relation to each other or to the human concepts. Let’s go.
Tom Scott has a cool video about the Thames Barrier. That system is designed so well that it will still provide sufficient protection even if one of the barrier’s huge gates becomes inoperable. Should that happen, then, as Tom put it, “The margin for error would be gone, but that’s why the margin’s there.” Redundancy, strength, and flexibility are essential for this system, and they are all also crucial for the systems that I use in my own life. As I’ve learned how to function more effectively, I’ve gotten better at making do with a lot less. That said, I still prefer to have multiple ways for something to succeed than just one; if I only have one method and it fails, I’m sunk. The greater the efficiency, the smaller the margin of error. This is a problem for anyone looking to push the limits, see how much they can do with as little as possible, follow extreme schedules, and work too hard for too long on too little rest.
One of the first electronic computers ever made was used to decrypt German high command messages during WWII. Called Colossus, the computer utilized vacuum tubes, also called thermionic valves, which were known to break. Tommy Flowers, the English engineer who designed and built Colossus, said “Valves are fine so long as you never switch them off.” When not in use, the power could be turned down low but was still kept on; doing so preserved most of the valves, as did increasing or decreasing the power slowly rather than quickly. This is an effective approach for humans as well: ramping up and down slowly to minimize stress instead of jumping straight into a high level of function and staying there too long. Whenever I change gears effectively and back off as needed, it prevents me from getting overwhelmed or burned out, even when I have a lot on my plate.
Those are a few examples of the importance of having a sufficient margin of error, doing things at the proper pace, and resting as needed. With so many humans getting poor nutrition, not enough water, insufficient physical activity, little to no effective stress management, and insufficient amounts of quality sleep, it’s no wonder there are so many problems in the world that go unsolved and get worse. Lots of small stresses add up to big stresses, and even small amounts of stress prevent even small problems from being solved. The problem is multiplied when stress makes people fight with each other rather than work together.
I believe that everyone is always doing the best they are capable of in any given moment. However, for reasons discussed above, most are not anywhere near their peak potential. Those who consistently get enough quality sleep, good nutrition, solid exercise, effective stress management, and sufficient recovery are able to operate near their full potential. Those who consistently neglect one or more of these are stuck at a much lower level. I notice this in myself whenever I feel tired (especially when I’ve had several days of insufficient sleep), hungry, thirsty, and so on. In that state, I can’t think, speak, solve problems, behave properly, or do much of anything well. Only after I give myself whatever I need to feel better can I act effectively. Sometimes it only takes a few minutes to return to effective action and other times it can take more than a week.
It’s hard to tell if things in general are moving in a positive direction with regards to all of the above. When it seems to be happening, there is lots of talk about healing and love alongside positive action toward those ends. Other times, that couldn’t be further from reality. When that happens, there is tons of negativity, hostility, and hatred, and any action taken only makes things worse. These two scenarios often alternate in a seemingly endless cycle.
I used to stress almost endlessly about the state of things. I’d feel overjoyed when it was going well and devastated when it took a turn. Now I do my best to ignore the noise and focus on what I can heal in myself (which almost always involves some pain related to losing my dog Sawyer) and how I can help those close to me. That makes me feel a lot calmer and allows me to act much more effectively by preventing me from getting caught up in negativity. For the things that are worth doing, I’d rather stay focused on giving them my all instead of getting constantly distracted by negative irrelevancies. I plan to continue this as much as possible, whether or not anyone else follows suit.