By This is often a difficult concept to grasp because it is so abstract, but the truth is that there are two types of controls. External controls are controls we have to actively work to overcome. Internal controls are the more subtle, more complex, and much larger set of controls that we have to consciously work to overcome.
What is internal control? Think about it for a moment. We all have a few internal controls that we consciously work to overcome. Some are harder to do than others, some are more difficult to do than others, but all are internal or internalizing control. Internalizing the controls is where we find those controls that we are aware of and are actively working to overcome. This is where we get to the more difficult controls that we have to consciously work to overcome.
I think the two most internalized controls that we are aware of are in the areas of body and mind. The most difficult to overcome internal controls are those we have to consciously work to overcome.
The hardest internalized control to overcome is the control that we have to overcome. Most of us come up with the idea of controlling our behavior. We need to consciously work to overcome this control, but it is so very difficult. For example, if we are trying to drive, we may tell ourselves that we will never actually drive. We need to tell ourselves that if we have the right tools, we will never drive. We may use the same excuse if we are trying to eat.
I think that this will be the biggest challenge any of us face, as we are so good at being controlled by our internalized controls. We control our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, which makes us vulnerable to being controlled by our external control. We are constantly being controlled by our external controls. The way that we control our thoughts and feelings is through our actions.
While we are talking about external controls, another form of control is internalized, which is a little different. External controls are often based on our mental habits, so any change in our habits will also change our external controls. We are still on autopilot. We have to shift gears to get ourselves to a new, more effective mode of thinking.
In the same way that driving on autopilot is the opposite of being in control, the act of becoming aware of our thoughts and feelings is the opposite of being a slave to our external controls. We are no longer slaves to our thoughts.
This is a great reason to keep your voice quiet when you’re talking in class. I see this quite often. People find it helpful to know they’re not the only one hearing a class discussion and they can still communicate effectively. It’s hard to get a good response to a question or a lecture when you have to talk over other people’s voices.
I have a similar observation that I’ve had a few times. I was in class with a group of students and I can’t imagine how I would ever have come up with the same answers to the same questions if I hadn’t been talking. When I’m talking, my voice isn’t loud enough to drown out the other students. However, if I know that someone else is talking, it can really help me to hear what they are saying.
Although this is not a general rule, you will likely find that you can achieve better performance when you have more people doing the talking. However, this is not always an issue. The most effective way to overcome internal controls is to work with others and learn to listen to them. This is important because it helps you to listen to the other person more than to the people in the room.
