In this short article I'd like to discuss a certain kind of belief that holds many people - people who are quite capable and talented - back from reaching goals, realizing dreams, and becoming all that they can become. The concept of the "Absolute Presupposition" is central to this discussion. (The term was originally coined by the British philosopher R.G. Collingwood, in a somewhat different context.)
What is an absolute presupposition? For our purposes here we may define it as a statement that is necessarily, unquestionably, inarguably true. You cannot imagine circumstances under which it can be false. "Two plus two equals four" is a statement of this kind. So is "If you throw a ball up in the air, it will fall back to Earth." Absolute presuppositions are statements we must accept as true if our world is to make any sense to us at all.
However, as we shall see in a moment, sometimes we mistakenly believe a statement to be an absolute presupposition...and it turns out that it really isn't. I'm going to suggest that if you are encountering an unusally tough problem in life - whether it be in business, the arts, sports, your personal life, whatever - it is because you are believing something to be an absolute presupposition which really isn't one. You believe something to be necessarily true and it isn't even true at all, never mind necessarily so. Let's look at some instances.
In the Middle Ages people believed that if you sailed a ship out to the line of the horizon, where the sea and sky met, then you would fall off the edge of the planet. Why? Because they believed the Earth was flat. They could not possibly imgine that it could be otherwise because they had no knowledge of the laws of gravity and physics - a round Earth was simply inconceiveable. "The Earth is flat," was an absolute presupposition, and every single person who was alive on the face of the earth beleived it to be true. Yet it isn't true.
Similarly, at one time in history it was thought to be impossible for a human being to be able to run a mile in less than four minutes. People believed this to be true for untold centuries - millions, even billions, of people at one time took "It is impossible for a human being to run a mile in under four minutes" to be an absolute presupposition. Yet it was shown to be untrue when Roger Bannister did it. After Bannister, runners everywhere started beating the time.
So then: beliefs exist in your own life that are similar to "The Earth is flat" and "It is impossible for a human being to run a mile in under four minutes." These beliefs are what hold us back from our greatest potential. We set up obstacles and impediments by taking for granted, and by not questioning, beliefs that we mistakenly hold as sacrosanct. By identifying these beliefs, and by examining how we might break free of the constraints they impose upon us, we begin to make incredible progress in all we want to do.
Peter Quinones is the author of Ametheyst Secrets, pblished by I Universe. His websites are http://www.peterq.net and http://www.cultureboutique.com
4. Start somewhere (put to use what you already have)"Action... Read More
People who want to achieve success in their lives and... Read More
The fear of speaking in public ranks right up there... Read More
Top Ten methods to never achieve your goals:1. Be really... Read More
Have you seen those ads that promise to make thousands... Read More
Many people ask me how they can be more successful.The... Read More
Everything comes to those who hustle while they wait -Thomas... Read More
Have you ever considered why some things succeed and others... Read More
(excerpted from the Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan)Jim Rohn's Second... Read More
Are you feeling motivated to set some strong goals for... Read More
Does the sub-title to this edition of Footprints and Monuments... Read More
"If you keep on doing what you have always done,... Read More
Are you having trouble achieving your goals, or getting through... Read More
At this point in time you have an opportunity to... Read More
Did you know that fewer than 10% of people who... Read More
So here we are in July. Where did the first... Read More
One of the greatest challenges in life is understanding just... Read More
Are you ready to learn how to finally turn your... Read More
It is natural to be satisfied with the way things... Read More
No matter how ambitious your goal, you CAN achieve it.... Read More
Watching the Olympics last week really amazed me. The feats... Read More
Six keys to keys to build vision - point three3.... Read More
What do u wanna be when you grow up?" "... Read More
Achieving goals requires persistence. Here's the proof: In 1915 Ty... Read More
If you, just by coincidence, read my short article about... Read More
You know that old saying -- if you don't know... Read More
We hear a lot about the steps we should take... Read More
1. Duke (Edward Kennedy) Ellington (1899-1974) American Composer Bandleader and... Read More
Do you have a dream, but keep postponing it because... Read More
You can forget about making New Year's Resolutions if you're... Read More
Many people go through their daily lives feeling overwhelmed. There... Read More
"One stroke at a time." In an interview, Tiger Woods... Read More
"The key to realizing a dream is to focus not... Read More
Over the years much has been written on the subject... Read More
People who want to achieve success in their lives and... Read More
To achieve success you must narrow your vision on your... Read More
There is an old way of goal setting and a... Read More
What is intrapersonal communication? It is communicating with yourself.Most people... Read More
I love the internet. I mean, anything at all you... Read More
Goal setting is an important technique used by athletes, successful... Read More
Examine your own personal goals and find methods to achieve... Read More
It is from intentions that all things manifest. To intend... Read More
Have you ever heard the old saying If you want... Read More
You know that old saying -- if you don't know... Read More
I believe innately we all do our best. We work... Read More
All too often, we may be envisioning a level of... Read More
Some may think that the change from paucity or 'the... Read More
"In the factory we make lipstick; in the drugstore we... Read More
In one sense there are three parts of our lives.... Read More
1. Your first ultimate start must include written goals and... Read More
One of the biggest reasons that many people have trouble... Read More
I wonder if anyone really reads long stuff from Ezines... Read More
Perhaps you have never taken a stock of the most... Read More
If you have always been procrastinating on how to get... Read More
1. Write down one goal that you want to achieve.... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
A Big Audacious Goal (BAG) is a clear and compelling... Read More
Years ago, people came to America in pursuit of their... Read More
"Life is not easy for any of us. We must... Read More
I remember Air Force Basic Training. My Training Instructor not... Read More
Sometimes setting goals alone is not the only problem that... Read More
Are your goals SMART? ? Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Rewarding, Time-DeadlinedJust... Read More
I recently had the pleasure of motorcycle riding instruction from... Read More
According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary "apathy is defined as the following:... Read More
Bringing life to your ideas is what helps them to... Read More
We all come to a point in our lives, like... Read More
Goal Setting |