We are built to thrive on defaults
What are defaults, and why are so accustomed to them? Defaults are just defaults, more commonly known as “autopilot”. The big reason why we are running most of the time on the autopilot is efficiency, our brains are masters at optimizing energy consumption and defaults are a huge help with reducing the amount of thinking we need to do. But this comes at a huge cost, we usually don’t think about our actions and choices, and we can spend decades living on autopilot.
Social defaults
The biggest default is the social default, it is very hard for us to go against what the people around us are doing, we are wired to be part of a tribe and we find comfort and safety when we follow the latest trends. But I would argue, that to live a fulfilling life, we can’t just follow whatever is the current trend, we must begin with the end in mind and work our way back to the present to figure out what we want.
Ego default
The second most powerful default is following whatever our ego says we should do. Getting angry at pointless stuff, arguing over trivialities, trying to change the external and not the internal systems. Ego is a healthy thing if it is in a healthy middle, where on one extreme there is no ego, and we are just a pushover, everyone is taking advantage of us. On the other extreme is the narcissistic person, where the ego dictates everything they do in life. Being able to handle criticism is probably the easiest way to check if we have a healthy ego
Inertia default
Inertia is a powerful force, for good and bad things. When we feel productive, nothing can stop us, but when we are in a rut, it can be hard to get motivation to move. Being aware of how inertia is affecting us can help us take advantage of it or break its power if it’s negatively affecting us.
Big props to Shane Parrish and his book Clear Thinking (this link is my affiliate link) for introducing me to this concept