We need to update the mental model we use to create our own self-image
I was listening to an episode of Complexity podcast from the Santa Fe Institute featuring economist W. Brian Arthur, and he made a really interesting observation: when you take a model of human behaviour and transport it to any other field of enquiry, it completely breaks down (which, he suggests, invalidates it as a model with any true explanatory or predictive capacity).
The example he gives is of the "rational actor" model, a theory of eeconomics which posits that humans are rational beings that will act in accordance with their own self-interest. When you transport that model into therapeutic psychology, it utterly and completely falls apart, because people regularly (almost constantly, one might argue) engage in self sabotage, self harm, and act in ways which could never be explained by rationality.
The models we use to explain and predict human behaviour never apply across different fields, which means they're incomplete or incorrect.
The model which nearly everyone subscribes to, which I think is most wrong, is the idea that we are each "an individual" (which etymologically suggests that we can not be divided). The idea that you are a single 'thing' is, in my opinion, substantially wrong, and wrong in ways that actively make your life worse. It's a misguided belief that causes our internal dialogue (if you're a single thing, by the way, why have an internal dialogue? Who are you talking to?) to be incredibly mean spirited. It's a misguided belief that forces us to think that every time we fail to do what we had aspired to do, it must be because we are a bad person.
I think that the human mind is a cloud of consciousness interacting with itself, and that teaching the various components (perhaps they would be better described as 'regions') to act with empathy towards each other would produce a material improvement in the quality of our lives across basically every dimension worth measuring.
There are plenty of models for thinking about what a human truly is that extend far beyond the rational actor model. There are times when these other models do a far better job of explaining your behaviour, and if you can recognise that, you can learn to be a lot less judgemental and critical of yourself (which I think is a dramatically useful improvement).
I asked ChatGPT to list a few alternative mental models, here's what she said:
Col:
If "agent with free will" is one mental model to describe what a person is, can you give 5-10 examples of other mental models that explain some or all of what it means to be human?
ChatGPT:
Certainly! Here are some mental models that can be used to describe what it means to be human, apart from the "agent with free will" model:
Social animal: This model emphasizes the social nature of human beings, as well as our need for belonging, connection, and relationships.
Rational actor: This model views humans as primarily rational and self-interested beings, who make decisions based on a cost-benefit analysis of their options.
Emotional being: This model highlights the importance of emotions in shaping our thoughts, behaviors, and relationships with others.
Cultural product: This model emphasizes the role of culture in shaping our beliefs, values, and behaviors, and how these cultural factors vary across different societies and historical periods.
Biological organism: This model focuses on the biological foundations of human behavior, including genetics, evolution, and neuroscience.
Adaptive system: This model views humans as complex adaptive systems that respond to their environment and constantly evolve over time.
Narrative self: This model emphasizes the role of storytelling and narrative in shaping our sense of identity, meaning, and purpose.
Moral agent: This model highlights our capacity for moral reasoning, decision-making, and action, as well as our sense of responsibility for our actions.
Ecological being: This model emphasizes the interconnectedness of humans with the natural environment and the importance of sustainability and ecological balance.
Historical being: This model views humans as shaped by historical and cultural forces, and emphasizes the importance of understanding our past in order to understand our present and future.