The hierarchy of control "systems"
There are two schools, or rather two levels of Control "systems" where we can learn.
To graduate from them, you need to master their basic subjects.
The first is the Biological Control "system", the school of nature. Its director is "Homeostasis" and its function is to guarantee survival and energy balance by means of powerful automatic balance loops. Its language is "feeling". Its tools are an unwavering commitment to life and the determination to act in the face of threats.
The second is the Conscious Regulatory "system", the school of humans, which enables us to do what is not "natural". Its director is 'Focus', which is able to use 'Imagination' to create 'motivation' capable of balancing resistance to action. This makes it possible to use tools such as commitment, determination and discipline to implement the actions needed to turn the impossible into the easy. With this "system", we can achieve more with less, in other words, gain time and energy to live the life that is worth living.
Imagine that inside you there are two entities: a wild and powerful Horse and an intelligent Rider.
The Horse (The Biological "system")
This is your body, your instincts, your emotions. It's incredibly strong, fast and operates on the basis of immediate feelings - fear, pleasure, hunger, tiredness.
His only goal, dictated by his "director" Homeostasis, is to survive and save energy. He doesn't think about the future; he only feels the present. You'll never beat him in a test of brute strength.
The Rider (The Conscious Regulator "system")
This is his focus, his conscience. The Rider is physically much weaker than the Horse, but has tools that the Horse doesn't have. Focus to see a destination beyond the nearest meadow, and Imagination to visualise the reward at that destination, creating the "motivation" (the carrot) to guide the Horse.
Its function is to do what is not "natural" for the Horse, but which is desirable for the whole.
How does this work? Let's use the scenario of adopting a healthy diet and refusing fast food.
- The Horse's Nature: The Horse walks past a fast food shop. He smells it (a sign of easy calories), remembers the immediate pleasure (survival programming) and tries to turn the reins in that direction. For him, it's the most logical decision in the world.
- The Inexperienced Rider: The Rider tries to pull on the reins with brute force. "NO! It takes willpower!". A struggle begins. The Horse, being much stronger, will probably win, or else the Rider is so exhausted from the fight that he gives up the next day.
The Intelligent Rider (The Conscious Regulator)
Focus and Imagination: The Knight knows he can't win by force. Instead, he uses his Focus to remind himself of destiny ("to have more energy and health"). He uses his Imagination to create a motivational "carrot": he visualises himself feeling light, with energy to play with his children, feeling proud of his discipline. This image generates a positive emotion that competes with the appeal of fast food.
Discipline and Commitment: The Knight doesn't attempt radical change. He uses Discipline to guide the Horse, firmly but gently, past the first shop. He may even have prepared a real "carrot", a healthy and tasty snack in his rucksack, to reward the Horse straight afterwards.
Training: By repeating this process, the Rider is training the Horse. The path "past the fast food shop" begins to be associated not with a fight, but with a new long-term reward. The Rider uses his commitment to turn the "impossible" (resisting instinct) into easy (a new habit).
Questions for reflection
- Think of a goal you're struggling with. What are your Horse's "feelings" and impulses? And what destination can your Rider focus on and vividly imagine to create the motivation needed to lead, rather than fight?
- The text says that the language of the Biological "system" is "feeling". How can you become a better "listener" to these feelings, not to blindly obey them, but to understand what your inner Horse needs or fears, allowing you to be a more compassionate and effective Rider?
- This model presents a hierarchy where the Conscious "system" can regulate the Biological. How does this idea challenge or complement the modern advice to "follow your intuition"? When should the rider trust the horse's instinct, and when should he assertively take the reins?
The feedback "system": "feel" as a real-time indicator
"Feeling" is the indicator used by any living being, because without feedback there would be no life. It is the mechanism that allows a "system" to realise its own condition. It works like a thermometer whose scale goes from a lot of pain to a lot of pleasure, but what it measures is the deviation between its current state and its equilibrium goal.
- "Feeling" as a signal of deviation: if you lack water, the "system" detects a deviation from your hydration target and generates the signal of "thirst" (pain). The intensity of the feeling is proportional to the size of the deviation, which defines the urgency of the action. That's why our brain is configured to run away from pain and get pleasure as quickly as possible. This is the most efficient way for a balance loop to close a deviation and restore stability.
- "Feeling" as a mental lever: In humans, imagination has the power to generate this feedback signal internally. By thinking about a moment of pain or pleasure, you can relive that feeling. What we imagine may not be real, but feeling it makes it real for our "system". This is our greatest lever: we can use our imagination to find "pleasure" in achieving a difficult goal, creating the motivation (the feedback signal) needed to pursue it.
The Ship Analogy
Think of your biological "system" as an ultra-sophisticated ship with an autopilot. This pilot's main mission (your homeostasis) is to keep the ship safe and in balance, following a pre-programmed course.
The "Feel" is the ship's main control panel. It works like a compass linked to an alarm. The "north" of this compass is your balance target (e.g. hydration, energy, safety). When the ship deviates from its course, the compass needle moves away from North and an alarm sounds. A small deviation (mild hunger) is a soft "click". A large deviation (severe pain) is a deafening siren. The autopilot's only objective is to manoeuvre the ship so that the needle returns to north and the alarm is silenced as quickly as possible.
Our unique human capacity is that we are not just passengers. We are the captain and we have access to a miraculous tool: a Route Simulator (our Imagination). With it, we can project a new destination onto the screen and experience a simulation of the journey. More importantly, we can "pre-feel" the response time, the satisfaction of arrival, even before we drop anchor.
How does it work? Let's apply the analogy to a concrete scenario: facing the daunting task of organising your finances.
The Autopilot and the Alarm: Your goal of balance is to avoid the pain of confronting your debts and the mental effort. At the thought of opening the spreadsheets, your "system" detects a huge diversions towards pain. The siren of "fear and anxiety" sounds at maximum volume, and the autopilot desperately manoeuvres the ship into the "safe bay" of procrastination (watching a series on TV, for example).
The No-Leverage Approach: Trying to force yourself to open the 'spreadsheet' while the anxiety siren is sounding. It's a torturous and unsustainable experience.
The Leveraged Approach (Using the Route Simulator)
- Activating the Imagination: Before you start, you sit down calmly and switch on your "simulator". You ignore the image of the painful task. Instead, you project the final destination.
- Generate the Feeling: You vividly imagine the moment, six months from now, when you look at your account and see that you have emergency savings. Feel the relief. Feel the peace of mind. Feel the pride of being in control. Visualise the feeling of freedom, of being able to plan a holiday without guilt. Stay in this simulation until the feeling of peace and pride becomes real in your body.
- The New Signal: This feeling is a signal of real pleasure on your dashboard. Now, your "system" has two signals competing: the loud siren of "task pain" and the soft but attractive signal of "financial peace".
- Guided Action: This signal of future pleasure acts like a compass. It doesn't eliminate the siren of anxiety, but it gives it a counterpoint. Your "system" is no longer just running away from a pain; it's also navigating towards a pleasure you've already "tasted". The thoughts you've chosen (the simulation) have painted a new magnetic north, making the task of navigating the storm of finances not just bearable, but purposeful.
Questions for Reflection
- Think of a goal you're putting off. What "pain alarm" (boredom, fear, discomfort) is your "system" generating about it? And what vivid and detailed "pleasure alarm" could you create in your "route simulator" to compete with that signal?
- The text states that "the feeling is what makes it real for our 'system'". How does this idea explain the power of both traumatic memories (which generate real pain in the present) and practices such as visualisation in top athletes (which generate real confidence before the event)?
- If "the thoughts we choose to think are the paints with which we paint the signs that guide our lives", what kind of "artist" have you been lately? What colours (thoughts of fear, criticism, hope, gratitude) have you been using most often to paint your internal signs?