This metaphor comes from the Star Trek Next Generation (STNG) episode, “Deja Q.” In this episode Q arrives freshly kicked out of the “Q Continuum” stripped of his omnipotent powers. He’s now merely human.
He’s reluctantly trying to help the Enterprise crew solve a problem. An asteroid is veering dangerously close to a planet and will cause devastating earthquakes and tsunami if they can’t divert its course. Q suggest petulantly that they simply change the “gravitational constant of the universe.” Of course, he could have done that if he still had his power, but the idea is heuristic and helps the crew to find a solution.
Watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKANJJleIxU&feature=related
There are situations in our lives, often at work, where we are confronted with the challenge of having to examine our fundamental assumptions about the situation at hand. The solution requires us to undergoe a paradigm shift, to examine our fundamental assumptions, values, beliefs about the situation and to see if they are necessary, true, and useful. Perhaps they are just conditioned by habit. Perhaps they served a useful function in the past but are now limiting, biasing, or even distorting our currrent perceptions.
These challenges provide an opportunity for us to examine how we related to ideas about ourselves, others, and the world. If we grip these ideas tightly we expend a lot of energy and may generate anguish for ourselves and others. If we can hold these ideas with a firm but not crushing hand, we may be in a better position.
An inflexible relationship to ideas is the antithesis of mindfulness.
Take TED for example. TED (Technology-Entertainment-Design) is an annual conference in Montery. Tickets cost $6000 and sell out rapidly. The TED.com website presents talks from the conference free and actually encourages their distribution. In fact, their tag line is “ideas worth spreading.
It would seem counterintuitive to do this. Who would want to buy the cow if you can get the milk for free, right? Wrong. Since offering this content online TED has raised the admission price to the conference by 50% and it sells out just as fast.
TED has changed the gravitional constant of the universe through this paradigm shift of giving away content. Had they clung to the old paradigm idea of selling content we’d all be worse off
Enjoy TED talks relevant to mindfulness every Tuesday here at Mindfulness Matters.
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