The State-of-the-Art in Conditioning
Most people still have a primitive notion that the value of exercise is the ideal program for optimizing their lives in a more barbaric time -- of struggle against every other, and everything, in a hopelessly hostile world -- rather than the reality of modern times of everything being “too convenient” and helpful, and so they have to impose their own resistance and barriers, as the proper conditioning tactic, rather than learning to assess the helpful -- as the primary strategy. Unfortunately frequently, those conditioning lessons in fact, teach one to sabotage and undermine oneself in everything one does -- so that the net effect is to put out great effort, while getting nowhere, accomplishing nothing, and even destroying what good health one does have -- in thinking that the blessings of life, are infinite and their entitlement.
The world doesn’t work that way. So in addition to the abuse many put their digestive systems through in overeating at every chance they get, they think the proper solution to that problem, is to wear out their feet, knees and hips -- working it off, rather than in exercising a modicum of restraint not to expose themselves to these problems in the first place.
Unfortunately, many schools still reward the efforts rather than the results -- and so, “looking busy” is even more highly valued than seeing the situation in a way that is not a problem -- requiring a “solution.” If one does not address the original problem correctly, which is the overconsumption, more expenditure to correct that “problem,” is not the answer, but done in that manner, creates even more problems -- in the destruction and abuse of the rest of the body. In fact, it is quite predictable, that those most overweight, will select the most damaging manner of correcting those imbalances -- over the most intelligent approach to doing so, which in the former case, is running, walking, and other strenuous weight-bearing, high-impact activities.
In those cases, it is even more imperative that they exercise more intelligently rather than in the conventional “more,” in damaging the rest of their body unnecessarily -- which they have been convinced, is absolutely necessary. It is not that such people lack control over all their body, as much as they lack control over the few areas that is most important to exercise that control -- at the head, hands, and feet -- which when successfully done, activates the entire muscular system in support. That is the infallible design of the muscular structures -- that mastering fine movements at the extremities, require the involvement and activation of the larger muscles designed for support as their primary function rather than movement.
Because this is not properly understood, most exercises and apparatus are designed to maximize movement at the larger muscles as the “best” way to burn calories, but in which they are not designed to do as their primary, optimal use. That is most notable in the design of the next great invention to maximize the burning of calories -- as the thing no intelligent life would do -- but that many misguided people do because they think “being busy,” is being productive and useful -- because they cannot distinguish the difference between the two -- as the most important conditioning (education) lesson of all.
One conditions oneself to succeed at what one needs to meet a challenge -- any challenge, and not just reinforce their dysfunctional capacities -- thinking one has done anything intelligent and beneficial at all.
posted by Mike Hu @ 12:06 PM
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2 Comments:
Another word for "conditioning," is "education," and obviously, the reason so many people are poorly conditioned (educated) is because the educators have no idea what they are doing, or what is the truth of any matter, because all that they "know" to be true, is what somebody else has told them is the truth, and they don't know how to find out the truth of anything for themselves.
Much of knowledge and "tradition," which is another word for knowledge, is of this unquestioning acceptance of what self-appointed authorities demand that others believe as the truth -- and are greatly offended whenever anybody questions their authority.
The "exceptions" are the authentic teachers -- who welcome the challenge of their authority because they do know how they've arrived at the truth -- and it is not just the arbitrary for which they have to conjure an explanation or rationalization why they believe and act as they do, and hope that will satisfy or discourage the questioner.
It is a great privilege and honor to learn from such authentic "masters," and when one does, he will know throughout life, when he meets another -- and those only pretending to be so. Most modern day "teachers" are of the latter type, having learned virtually nothing on their own but only what some authority figure has told them is the truth -- and so when they come upon the new or the ambiguous, they put them in the old and familiar categories, because they lack this ability to determine the authentic from the image of it.
Most "professional" schools are of this type -- inculcating the proper hierarchy and status quo of its practitioners, rather than teaching one to discover the truth on their own. That's how truth is discovered -- and is not just a remembered thing (or rote learning) to be regurgitated on cue.
They only teach what most people in that profession believe to be true -- as their common culture. Only a few question those foundations -- but those that do, become remarkable human beings, and create everything worthwhile that has ever been created by the human mind and civilization.
So that is what is important and worthwhile to know -- the best thinking, and not the most common knowledge. That is the fallacy of the mass media and mass communications -- that what they think is so important is what most people know.
The value of wisdom, is knowing what few do -- and most dare not think to do.
A lot of people who "blame" themselves for not putting enough time and energy into their conditioning program, should consider first whether their conditioning program makes sense -- in the first place, because if it did, they'd be doing it, as the most intelligent manifestation of their lives.
However, when one is confused about one's objectives and purposes, all those reservations undermine their efforts -- as they KNOW, that what they are doing, is entirely useless if not counterproductive -- yet they RATIONALIZE that everybody feels that way about the things they are doing in their lives -- rather than honestly admitting that they have no idea what they are doing, and have been sold a bill of goods that they do not really believe in.
People who are clear in what they are doing (cause-effect), cannot help but do those things as the most intelligent things to do. But if they are told to do stupid things as something that is "good for them," they know they are being deceived and manipulated -- and think there is nothing else they can do but be exploited and conned by all those happy and willing to do so.
People have to take responsiblity for their own lives in finding out the different possibilities of how their lives can be -- instead of letting their lives be determined by somebody else, usually the most ruthless and unscrupulous people promoting themselves -- helped by all those media people trying to pass themselves off as the "experts," because they think they have a duty to "weigh in" and express their opinions no matter how little they know about anything.
That is what popular culture and the mass media is all about -- these people with an insatiable need for attention (and money), crowding out those people just interested in the truth.
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