The first month of the new year is all but over and most have already forgotten their well-meaning resolutions. Anyone not counting down till next January, only to fail to do anything yet again would do well to consider the example of Ptolemy and Copernicus. For within this historical conflict lies the secret to making huge changes.
We all desire change, and the new year offers the best chance for the fresh start since amnesia. Yet we have a poor understanding of the mechanics of change. We apply narratives which in hindsight appear to explain any change that happens. Yet we can’t take the next step and translate these narratives into a tangible future benefit. For this reason, most spend more time fantasising about their ideal lifestyle than living it. To help I will offer an example and a chance for objectivity. From here we may be able to reason backwards and understand how to apply these ideas to our own lives. Enter Ptolemy and Copernicus.
Ptolemy is famous for his theory that the sun revolved around the earth. Now mocked as unbelievable, it was the dominant view in human society for close to 1000 years. Science has long since discredited his experimental techniques and his character. He was even accused of falsifying the limited evidence he did provide. But the blame for this impressive oversight should not all fall onto his head alone. Around the 13th Century cracks appeared in his model but the scientific community continued to ignore them. Or rather they never asked questions beyond the paradigm of their time. As more and more contradictory data poured in, they tried to make it work within the existing model. All this only created more complexity within the current model and delayed finding the truth.
This is an easy situation to get yourself into. We have all told a trivial lie to get out of a social event. Remember Gerald from works leaving do. While you didn’t mind Gerald, you did not want to spend your Friday evening with him. But he was so polite when he asked. And let’s face it half the office kept asking you even when you gave that noncommittal shrug. To save face you made an excuse up about your car being in the garage and having no way to get home. Then the devilish fiends countered by offering you a lift. So, you needed to expound on this original lie. Before you knew it, you have lost track of your story and broke under interrogation. So you spent your precious Friday evening in Gerald’s company. Well, this is how it feels defending a model that no longer works but nobody lets you to tell them the truth.
We can forgive an incorrect theory; how many of our own will appear foolish to future generations. But let that sink in, it went unchallenged for 1000 years. All their effort went into preserving the status quo. This is a default human setting and one that is hard to reprogramme. Our loss aversion means we will do anything to avoid having to start from scratch. Even when it takes more effort to prop up the flawed model than to start again. We do this every time we decide on the outcome we want and then manipulate the data, to justify our decisions.
Then along came Copernicus. From very early on it was clear he had different ideas. He set about debunking the Ptolemiac model of the universe. He discovered the truth and realised that the earth in fact, revolves around the sun. Given how trivial an observation this seems to the modern reader it required an astronomical effort. Along with the technical and scientific challenges he also had to contend with making a lot of people uncomfortable. This is cognitive dissonance in action. It provoked so much anger because they would not accept any challenge to their worldview.
Before we see how to apply this to our own lives lets back up. First the scale of a Copernican revolution is not something you can or would want to enact on a regular basis. Second I am not dismissing the value of small incremental changes. Afterall change is a process not an event. But before you start making changes think about the system that you currently exist in. Often changing the system produces more leverage than optimising within your existing one. Most of us are lazy and focus on the latter because it’s easier.
For example, people will decide they want to be healthier and set a goal of drinking more water. It’s not wrong but any return on this behaviour diminishes, fast. Sure, if you currently drink no water and slam energy drinks all day then switching will have a big impact. But try drinking seven glasses a day when you used to drink six and see if you feel any different. Likewise, someone without a job can earn a lot more by getting one. Compare that new baseline with a 10% pay rise each year and your life wont alter much. Working harder or doing a bit more works until it doesn’t. Yet a lot of people fixate on getting 1% better.
And this works as the British cycling team proved. Prior to the 2012 Olympics they hired a new coach to make every aspect of their training 1% more effective. Fast forward to the games and they won a record number of gold medals. But before they optimised, they knew cycling was the right game for them. Most people aren’t in the right game. Within the structure of their life, they never invoke a Copernican revolution. They make tiny incremental changes and then wonder why things never improve. A raise gets you a slightly nicer car. Or slightly nicer clothes. But the 9-5 lifestyle is much the same irrespective of earnings. Sure, more money makes it more bearable, but you are still stuck in a grey cubicle staring at a screen for 50 hours a week. Any improvements made in this framework are Ptolemaic not Copernican.
A dreary and depressing existence alone is often not enough to inspire change. Unless things get beyond bad, we find it hard not to take the easy option. This is what a life of quiet desperation entails. You never quite cross that critical threshold that forces a change so you accept a situation that continues to get worse. A lot of people would be better off in the long run if things went completely to shit. If the situation remains bearable, they mask their pain with something else. Games, alcohol, whatever.
However, as Lacan taught us, when we are confronted with an apparently clear choice, sometimes the correct thing to do is choose the worst option.
SOOI Zizek
So, start by thinking about your model of the world. Imagine you are the office worker who devises a way to earn while you sleep. Or secures a remote job and gets to work from a beach resort. Find a way to change the basic framework of your life. Its not about getting slightly more of the same its finding the system that works for you. Then start iterating until you get the lifestyle you want. Or heck if that sounds too hard keep taking those cold showers before your morning commute instead and pray for a miracle.