Aren’t you amazed to see the aquarium shows of dolphins, whales and other animals? Apparently animal brains could be trained with a motivation of reward system. What happens in the brain as the information from being rewarded settles in? What is the glue that keeps this in the brain for long term memory?
Taming other animals has been a significant part of human life. Back in 13,000 BC wolves and humans had symbiotic relationships that evolved into having breeds of dogs utilized in farming, industry and eventually family life. Now dogs are family members in the house hold and contribute significantly to mental and physical health. Yesterday, I saw a dog wearing a rain coat, walking along with its owner on the sidewalk.
In Arabic, “Rab” is one name for God which means “trainer, teacher, tamer”. I remembered about the famous “Tortoise Trainer” painting by Osman Hamdi from 1906.
How could one possibly train tortoises? By definition, the term "tamer" refers to a person who trains or domesticates wild animals. I can consider myself a wild animal as well. My uncontrollable wills, wanting more and more with no foreseeable end. In this case, we can question: "how can I tame my own soul"? Should I use rewards or punishment? Which one is more efficient? I found myself imagining words: mind shaper, negotiator, persuader, conflict resolver.
One way, “nefs (oneself)” persuasion is dealt with in sufism is by punishment; which can take multiple shapes, but the most effective one is “hunger”. Hunger calms the wild soul down. As in the opposite case — one who eats whatever they want is a “spoiled soul”. In the case of religious fasting, there is a holy clock — let’s say— from sun rise to sun set, you are not allowed to eat. Outside this fasting, I cannot persuade myself to follow this schedule though. The regular clock does not feel persuasive enough. I need to be persuaded by a bigger source of power.
We were easily persuaded at school. The teacher warned us with by giving a “minus”. When I was in middle school, seeing the mini grading book on the table was enough for everyone to start behaving. Now, I can punish my 4 year old son, for turning the food plate upside down, by giving him a “time-out” for reflection time. In Turkish there is a saying: “A tree can only be bent, when it is still young.” What would happen when he becomes a teenager? Instead of forceful power, I would need the power of “persuasion” to win.
Persuasion exists in my work life, too. I choose to spotlight the benefits of following a rule, rather than "here is the rule, obey it". I consider myself in the shoes of others to see what could persuade them. Similarly, the secret to funded grants is the essence of persuasive writing. This is actually a two-way street — now that I notice. The scientists try to persuade money givers, but money givers ultimately have the bigger power to influence how they want grants to be written. They said DEI is out, and now DEI is out.
On a more constructive note, what are some implications of Valentine’s day on you? I thought of my relationship with my husband. We could improve it by prioritizing each other, paying attention, connecting, trusting and sharing more. Not necessarily today but in increments every day. I could use this day to remember why I am making certain sacrifices in my diet. Persuade my brain that this would be good for me at the end. Maybe even motivate myself by saying I am doing this because I love myself, I want my future self to be healthy and happy.
Either a seemingly untroubled tortoise or a mom with duties and goals. We can train our animal brains to the point we even make “glue proteins”. It is time to show ourselves that we can actually do this!
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