What We’re All Getting Wrong About Distraction
Why We Get Stuck in a Tragedy of Our Own Creation
Epicurus, the ancient Greek philosopher, said it best: “By Pleasure, we mean the absence of pain in the body and of trouble in the soul.”
Simply put, the drive to relieve discomfort is the root cause of all our behavior. Everything else is what’s called a proximate cause. Those causes factor into the equation, but they’re not at the core.
Consider the game of pool.
What makes the colored balls go into the pockets? Is it the white cue ball, the stick, or the player’s actions? We understand that while the white cue ball and stick are necessary, the root cause is the player using the tools of the game. The white cue ball and stick aren’t the root causes; they’re only proximate causes.
In the game of life, it’s often far harder to see the root cause of things. For example, when we’re passed over for a promotion, we might blame that cunning coworker for taking our job instead of reflecting on our own lack of qualifications and initiative. Or how about when we get into a fight with our spouse over a lifted toilet seat? We might blame the conflict on one tiny incident, instead of acknowledging years of unresolved issues. And when we scapegoat our political and ideological opponents for the…
