If thinking is categorized practically, it can be broadly split into ‘volitional thinking’ and ‘instrumental thinking.’ Volitional thinking involves the belief that to succeed, a person must have a strong will to overcome hardships and obstacles. Self-improvement falls under this category. However, to actually overcome hardships and obstacles, it is instrumental thinking that drives us to consider that we need ‘tools’ to get past them. In other words, it’s like how carpenters build houses: they construct the structure, but tools are what make it possible. There is no carpenter without tools. Both are essential for success, but if I had to emphasize one, focusing on instrumental thinking is more advantageous. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
Fear and doubt are brothers from the same root. They are born together from the root of trust and gnaw away at peace and audacity . Fear is the outward emotional expression of doubt, and it is the fuel that energizes doubts to grow. Doubt feeds on your fear and helps keep it from being set aside. In other words, between doubt and fear, the counterweight of ego serves as the center of gravity. If pride weighs down doubts, it blames others; if it weighs down fears, it finds justifiable reasons and surrenders will. A state in which pride is precisely balanced between doubt and fear is called conflict. So, although conflict intentionally seems to be polite to others, emotionally, it constantly forces them to engage in self-defense against regret in advance. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”