Backwards Law

Lead-in

  • Read the text and answer the following:
    • What do you do when you need to get rid of intrusive thoughts? 
    • How can you describe the word “willpower”?
    • Why is willpower important for one’s life?
    • What do you think about the sentence in bold? 

“What if we’d try not to think of a pink elephant? This probably won’t work. Because as soon as the pink elephant appears in our minds, it’s impossible to get rid of it by consciously not thinking about it. And the more we try to get rid of it, the more it persists. The elephant simile is commonly used to show how difficult it is to get rid of intrusive thoughts by force. But we could also use this simile as a metaphor for how we approach dissatisfaction with life. The pink elephant, in this case, represents our general dissatisfaction, which may manifest as negative emotions like sadness, stress, anger, or boredom.

Ironically, the more we try to be less dissatisfied, the more dissatisfied we become. So could it be that this inclination to be so invested in becoming free from dissatisfaction, trying to be happy, trying to be content, is exactly the reason we aren’t? Here we see the paradox of willpower, which is the basis of ‘the law of reversed effort’ also referred to as ‘the backwards law’ by philosopher Alan Watts.”

Source

Presentation 1

Pre?

  • How important is it to write your goals down and tick them off as you achieve them?
  • Think about a goal that you achieved for yourself and talk a bit about it.
  • Think of a successful person from your own county.
    • What do they do? How do you think they did it?

Top Down

  • When was the video recorded? Watch it and find out.
  • On the day before Thanksgiving.
  • On Thanksgiving day.
  • On the day after Thanksgiving.
  • On the day before Thanksgiving.
  • On Thanksgiving day.
  • On the day after Thanksgiving.

Bottom Up

  • True or False

Example: The fact that humans are never satisfied can be a good thing. > True

  1. According to the video, it’s generally easy to remember how nice our life is.
  2. When humankind makes some big discovery, we get used to it in 10 years or so. 
  3. According to the video, unless you’re older than 6 months old, you were born at a time when no vaccines existed.
  4. His mother was born in an America where black people had different schools and toilets.
  5. At the end of the video he shows appreciation for the people who helped make Earth a better place.
  1. According to the video, it’s generally easy to remember how nice our life is. False
  2. When humankind makes some big discovery, we get used to it in 10 years or so.  False
  3. According to the video, unless you’re older than 6 months old, you were born at a time when no vaccines existed. False
  4. His mother was born in an America where black people had different schools and toilets. True
  5. At the end of the video he shows appreciation for the people who helped make Earth a better place. True

Post

  • What do you think is the most important achievement mentioned in the video? Why?
  • What other achievement would you mention if you recorded the video? Why?
  • What is a goal you have for each category below?

Goals

Presentation 2

Pre

  • Is having a goal in life effective in becoming successful?
  • If you can’t make your goal, how do you feel?

Top Down

  • What is the main piece of advice the video gives us? Watch it and find out.
  • Stop caring about stuff.
  • Focus on the bigger goals.
  • People should care about everything in their lives.
  • Stop caring about stuff.
  • Focus on the bigger goals.
  • People should care about everything in their lives.

Bottom Up

  • Fill in the gaps as you watch the video again.

Example: I think it kind of makes it more ____. > I think it kind of makes it more interactive.

  1. One thing that I _______ about myself: I said I’m not smart.
  2. If I believe that I’m not smart, that _______ up the door for me to _______ more.
  3. For _______, when you start _______ “Man, forget that _______, I ain’t got no time for that.” It actually relaxes you.
  4. So, the 8 o’clock class, we don’t _______ the 8 o’clock class but we want the _______, right?!
  5. Let the little stuff go so that you can go and _______ the big stuff. The little stuff is _______, but the bigger stuff is so much better.
  1. One thing that I accepted about myself: I said I’m not smart.
  2. If I believe that I’m not smart, that opens up the door for me to learn more.
  3. For instance, when you start saying “Man, forget that mess, I ain’t got no time for that.” It actually relaxes you.
  4. So, the 8 o’clock class, we don’t like the 8 o’clock class but we want the degree, right?!
  5. Let the little stuff go so that you can go and get the big stuff. The little stuff is alright, but the bigger stuff is so much better.

Post

  • Do you agree with the video? Why or why not?
  • What age group has more goals? Why do you think that is?
  • In general, what challenges prevent people from achieving their goals?