Uma Lesson 3

UNBEATABLE MIND
MARK DIVINE, SEALFIT

LESSON THREE

Unbeatable Mind Academy. Copyright Mark Divine 2011-2012 ww.unbeatablemind.com
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THE FIVE MOUNTAINS & SELF MASTERY
All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is
everything. What we think, we become. --Buddha
As we work on the first discipline of gaining control over our minds, it is
important to begin to look at the rest of the picture. Lets start by
expanding our limited concept of intelligence from that of IQ to looking
at all major capacity we humans hold as intelligences. In this view, we
have a physical intelligence, an emotional intelligence, a spiritual
intelligence, and many others. Some of these intelligences are strong
and brilliant, others may be downright pathological (that term is used in
the clinical sense, not to say that you are pathetic and pathological in
any areas, rather that the development of any one area may be so weak
as to present a pathological interruption to your development as a whole
person). We can all easily suffer from a pathological problem mine is
in musical intelligence. Listen to me sing and you will agree after you
run from the room. The salient point is that by shoring up intelligences
that are underdeveloped, and further developing our strong ones, we will
grow in a more balanced and accelerated manner. This growth will
allow us to access a broader range of experience, thought, emotions
and happiness in life.
Cognitive intelligence (IQ) is the primary intelligence that we grew up
believing was the most critical - developed through our traditional
educational system. As mentioned above, IQ, though important, is only
one of many intelligences we possess.
Intelligences that have been identified by researchers from the fields of
psychology, sociology and anthropology include kinesthetic
development, moral development, interpersonal intelligence, emotional
intelligence, and spiritual / awareness intelligence, among others.
In Unbeatable Mind we acknowledge that individuals come to the table
with different strengths, develop in different ways and develop along
their own time-lines. My experience is that if we actively seek to
develop in a whole person manner focusing on just 5 key intelligences
--
The discipline of
Self Mastery
dominates a
warriors life
--
Self Mastery is a
whole-person
integral and
life-long journey
--
SEALFITs Five
Mountain training
is a self mastery
development
philosophy and
training regimen

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we can make sense of this complex subject and simply focus our efforts on these five. You may
recognize SEALFIT / Unbeatable Mind domains of development as our 5 Mountain Training. The Five
Mountains are:
1. Physical Readiness includes development of athletic and warrior physical skills such as
strength, stamina, work capacity, endurance and durability. This mountain is supported by and
develops the kinesthetic line of intelligence.
2. Mental Toughness and Clarity includes development of cognitive skills, mental control, as well
as cultivating access to your creative subconscious mind. Your cognitive and moral lines of
intelligence support and are developed in this mountain.
3. Emotional Depth and Control includes deepening emotional awareness, control and sensitivity
to others, developing authentic communication and releasing negative stored energy. Your
emotional and interpersonal lines of development support and are developed in this mountain.
4. Awareness and Intuition includes turning within and deepening our sixth sense and learning to
listen with our belly and all our sensory organs. The higher levels of development may include
pre-cognition and other intuitive powers. Your self-identity, emotional and spiritual lines of
development support and are developed by this mountain.
5. Kokoro is a Japanese word translating as heart into English. We use it to connote the heart of
a warrior. This mountain includes development of an unbeatable, non-quitting, spirit and a
heart-centered approach to humanity, and crosses all lines of development but most relevant is
the spiritual line.
In the November 2011 conference call with Michael Ostrolenk we discussed Integral Theory. This call
provides a very high level overview of Integral Theorys All Quadrant, All Level, All Lines model.
Michael and I spent most of the call discussing the 4 Quadrants of I, We, It, and Its as
perspectives on reality that we all have simultaneous experiences in (most of the time). This theory is
so powerful that I have included it as one of our primary mental models in the UM Academy to help us
orient ourselves to the world and make better decisions about how to navigate uncertainty and develop
ourselves as a whole person. UM lesson 4 will focus on a more in-depth look at Integral Theory as we
seek to apply it to our personal lives.
It is probably clear to you now that Unbeatable Mind is an Integral Development program with the 5
mountains representing lines of intelligence in the I quadrant in Integral Theory parlance. The
ultimate goal of the 5 Mountain philosophy is development of your whole Self to your highest
expression possible. Certainly this is an iterative process that requires many thousands of hours of

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practice, contemplation, training and spiraling holistic insights (meaning each insight transcends but
includes its former sister insight). Therefore 5 Mountain training requires a long view toward training
in the case of the warrior, the long view is a lifetime.
To stay the course over a lifetime, you need discipline.
Lets discuss two essential disciplines to develop on this path. These are warrior disciplines that are
examples of both the power and benefit of long term training in the internal skills of the warrior. They
are Self-mastery and service. First, it is important to view discipline itself as a personal skill and value,
as well as a practice in and of itself. Simply saying, and believing, that daily improvement is not
enough. We must develop a disciplined practice that has proven methods to move us in the direction
and with some milestones, toward Self-mastery. Developing an Unbeatable Mind 5 Mountain Training
Plan is our Self-mastery practice. Doing the work daily is the discipline.
From the book Unbeatable Mind, you may recall that the path toward Self-mastery will lead us to
develop four core competencies that can dramatically enhance our training and help us remain focused
along the way. These competencies are behaviors that must be practiced or habituated so that we
can live them day in and day out. In a way they can also be fruits of our inner work that flower over
time. Awareness of these competencies will help us bring focus to them and accelerate our
development.
The four competencies are: simplicity, dedication, introspection and authenticity.
Simplicity: K.I.S.S.

A great fortune is a great slavery -- Seneca
In the SEALs we have a saying keep it simple, stupid. KISS is a mandate to steer away from over-
complicating things and instead seek the simple, easy to execute solution. Simplicity is a powerful
principle that allows us to channel our energy like a laser beam and avoid getting stuck in the rut of rigid
thinking and acting.
A simple plan with a flexible blueprint will survive real world contact far better than a complex
and rule-bound plan.
A simple one line email will be read and understood better than a one page tome.
A simple product that is easy to use and understand (think Apple Ipod) will outperform a
complex product, even if it is a breakthrough technology (think Apple's Newton).
A relationship built on the simple element of trust will likely outlast any built on fancy words,
offers of wonder and profit.

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A physical training plan based on a simple set of tools and concepts, performed consistently,
will outperform a workout routine based on complicated machines or protocols.
Wouldnt it be nice if simple was easy? Unfortunately, it is not. It is easier to create complexity than
elegant simplicity. Simplicity is not valued in a society which trips over simple on the way to the next
shiny new thing.

As warriors we must work hard to find simple. Consider the Japanese Haiku, or Tea Ceremony. These
are warrior arts that require the discipline of simplicity. Sitting in a quiet room without clutter, noise and
distraction requires the discipline of simplicity. Simplicity applies to every domain and begins with
developing awareness of what is really necessary and important - whether in a mission plan, a
business product or in your life. As we learn to ask the right questions we can start to let go of
attachments that complicate things.
"is this really adding value?"
"Why am I really doing this?"
"Can I say no?"
"Am I married to my idea?"
"What would my kids think about this?
The late Steve Jobs, quoted in a recent WIRED Magazine interview, states beautifully:

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. When you start looking at a problem, it seems really simplebecause
you dont understand its complexity. And your solutions are way too oversimplified, and they dont work. Then you
get into the problem and you see its really complicated. And you come up with all these convoluted solutions.
Thats where most people stop, and the solutions tend to work for a while. But the really great person will keep
going and find the key underlying principle of the problem and sort of come full circle with a beautiful, elegant
solution that works. And thats what we wanted to do with Mac. (Wired Magazine, November 2011)

I am reminded of the anecdotal story of the King who sends his wise men around the world to capture
all the knowledge in the world. They return a year later with 17 volumes. The Kings muted response
worries the wise men. It is all here they say. Well I dont have time to read 17 volumes says the
King, reduce it to one! After much hand wringing and burned brain cells the wise men return a few
months later with one volume. The King is happier, and wants to share the knowledge with his court,
so he tasks the wise men with reducing it further to a single chapter. The men are aghast the entirety
of the worlds knowledge in a single chapter! No way. Given no choice, after more hand wringing and
burned brain cells they return with the chapter. The King is pleased. So pleased, in fact that he

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decides to share the knowledge with the professional class in his kingdom. But their average reading
level was pretty low, so he tasked the wise men with reducing the knowledge to a single paragraph. Of
course, you know the result, and after returning the paragraph the King decides to share it will his
subjects, who have no literacy at all. So he tasks the wise men with reducing the entire worlds
knowledge to a single sentence!

This story is great because it was so much easier to write a complicated 17 volume tome of the worlds
knowledge than to write a book, chapter, paragraph or sentence that captures the essence of what you
want to say.
Simplicity applies to your thought (have you noticed how great thinkers can penetrate a subject
and hit the sweet spot very simply and elegantly?).
Simplicity applies to speech (have you noticed how the best in business use very short and
direct email communications?).
Simplicity applies to planning as in the SEAL KISS example.
Simplicity applies to your commitments (have you paid attention to how hard it is to focus and
find clarity when you are over-committed?).
Simplicity applies broadly to your need for material things. A powerful practice is that of non-
attachment to material things such as your car, toys, house, etc. The statement less is
more is a reminder that often the more stuff we have the more cluttered our lives and hence our
minds become, making it difficult to quiet the mind and find our internal compass.
Simplicity also applies to our desires. Witnessing our cravings and desires can help us to
detach from them.
It does not do you much good to obsess about what you dont have, or wish you did have. Nor does it
help to beat yourself up for not being where you want to be physically, financially or spiritually. Develop
contentment for what you do have, coupled with a plan for getting to where you want to be.
Being content with a moderate amount of possessions is crucial to a warrior. Travel light and leave no
trace. Moderation in needs leads to contentment with what you have and where you are. This
moderation extends to your purchases, speech and desires.
What can you let go of now?
The bottom line is that as you progress on your path of self-mastery you will gain more of what you
want, and less of what you dont, in ALL areas of your life. Practice KISS and be rewarded not with
fame, fortune and shiny new car, but with contentment.

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I bet you are still wondering what the one sentence was from the story above. Here it is: Theres no
such thing as a free lunch!
Seriousness & Dedication to practice

Balancing seriousness toward training and development with a positive attitude and sense of humor is
what this discipline is about. You must take your development as a whole person and fulfilling your
highest potential deadly serious while not taking yourself too seriously. This is a challenge. Warriors
who practice self-mastery demonstrate a great sense of humor and lightness of being. They are also
the most serious and intense people you will meet. This is an ironic but perfectly normal duality. The
practice is to hone your 5 Mountain training by making the daily practices a habit. This dedication
demonstrates your seriousness to your growth. As you habituate daily training, work also on letting
go of the need to mark your milestones and achievements. Internal development is not easily tracked
and benchmarked like a daily WOD (workout of the day).
Introspection or Contemplation
My hope is that by now you are learning to look forward to your time sitting in silence. We go within to
learn about the deeper nature of things. In contemplation you think deeply about your life, human
nature and the nature of things in general. It is here that you begin to discern truth more clearly and
cultivate the ability to act with more wisdom.
If this is the first opportunity you have had to spend time just sitting and watching your thoughts, then
you have already experienced a transformation. The aha moments will keep coming. When we are
first able to differentiate between our ego driven monkey mind and our witnessing mind we undergo
a significant transformation of our sense of self and our place in the world.
I want you to understand how significant this moment is. Research has shown that most people will
only grow their consciousness in a very minor increment in their entire lives. To begin a practice that
opens you up to your witness and begins the subtle cultivation of your spirit is truly a remarkable step
in your evolutionary growth. You are well on your path to self-mastery. Silence is where we go to
rejuvenate, quiet our minds and get in touch with our hearts intelligence. Recently the Dali Lama,
when asked what he hoped to see in education in the future, stated that he hoped to see our education
train our youth to get in touch with their heart intelligence along with their brains intelligence. He is
speaking about integral learning similar to our 5 mountain training! The discipline of introspection and
contemplation can only be developed by spending time in silence. Seated concentration and
meditation are important contemplation practices for our journey.
Authenticity

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Authenticity is both a fruit of your practice and a practice in and of itself. Authenticity is a by-product of
integrity in thought, word and deed. When all three, thoughts, words and deeds, are aligned and pure,
we can show up as authentic people. Our relationships are largely defined by this authenticity. If we
are authentic, we a deemed trustworthy, and others trust us. If others trust us, they convey the right to
lead and transact. Things get done at a higher level of effectiveness and without fear of failure or lack
of follow-through. If we lack authenticity, then it is reflected in our relationships as diminished trust. I
believe that leadership is really about authenticity, rather than a host of tactics to get the team
motivated and bought into a leaders vision. If you are not authentic, no matter how talented and
motivating you are, you will not gain the trust of your team.
It is easy to see how authenticity cultivated through a focus on developing the self in the first quadrant
of individual interior I, translates to trust, effective communications, teamwork and leadership in
the second quadrant of collective-interior - We.
Service
Whereas the first meta-discipline to develop is self-mastery, the second is service. Service follows
self-mastery because if you seek to serve without seeking self-mastery, then you are serving for a
transactional need, expecting something in return. True service is selfless. Expecting a return on
investment is a weak position to serve from. A true service attitude requires the cultivation of three
other attitudes. These are:
Abundance Mentality & Generosity
Is your glass half full or half empty? You can peel the onion on this by examining how you act versus
how you think about abundance. My personal experience is that it is not enough to know that it is
good to have an abundance mentality and to be generous. You must also actively practice it and pay
very close attention to the subconscious signals that often sabotage our best intentions.
An abundance mentality fuels generosity. Generosity in this context is generosity of your spirit. If you
truly believe that there is enough for everyone and that the world is not a zero sum game, then you
can open up to being generous with your time, support and love. Hoarding material possessions, your
time and energy will fall by the wayside, as you realize deeply how much this traps positive energy and
makes you a slave to your hoarded possessions or energy. You will allow this abundance energy to
flow out of you like a river that is constantly replenished by the wellspring of universal energy.
Your relationship with money is an outer symbol of where you stand on the abundance scarcity scale.
Simple acts such as tipping 20% with a feeling of gratitude toward the service given and respect for the
livelihood of the server, is a sign of abundance. Questioning a tip or short-changing a server, and

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displaying a lack of respect for their position in life, is a sign of scarcity. Taking the extra time when you
are late to help someone cross the street is a sign of abundance. Hurrying past because you cant be
late for your meeting is scarcity. Closely observing our own behavior can be very enlightening and
often painful.
Golden rule
Certainly the golden rule attitude is a close sister to the abundance attitude. The golden rule is likely
the most referenced principle of all spiritual traditions. The key with the golden rule is to give in
selflessness, without expectation of the promised return. If you give in selflessness, the principle is that
you will receive much more than was given. Energetically the do unto others must be selfless. Giving
to get a tax deduction is not the same as giving an anonymous gift in an act of service.
The timing, and form, of the return are not linked directly to the giving though. It may come back to you
in a totally different manner than you expect. Further, if you give but also take, then the principle will
cancel itself out. Think of it like a spiritual bank account, similar to Steven Coveys concept of the
emotional bank account. You make deposits, but you can also make withdrawals. As long as your
balance is positive, you can expect a return someday. However, if you develop the attitude of giving
without taking or expecting, and you make deposits daily, stand by and expect the world to take notice.
This rule goes well beyond having financial abundance to your health, well-being and the friends you
have in this world.
Compassion
A warrior who lacks compassion is not a warrior. Shadow Walker, the Apache Scout states in his
forgiveness prayer:
Direct my mind, direct my heart
So that there is no hatred, rage or revenge.
I use the power given unto me
from the place of love for my enemies.
And if it is your will, I will lay down my life
for my enemy, my brother.
I now willingly shoulder the burden of the warrior.
Guide my hands, Guide my heart

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Loving your enemy is the highest form of compassion, and represents an integral level of development
as a human. There is no question that we all struggle with this, especially men. Lets be clear that love
for your enemy does not mean that you dont engage them as a soldier, or defense yourself in a
conflict. You must certainly fulfill your moral obligation of service and preserving your own life. We will
work on developing our loving kindness as this program progresses. This is an imperative for those
on a spiritual path, and is a foundational practice.
It is difficult to serve and lead without an authentic compassion for your fellow man. This requires self-
respect and love of self as a starting point. Service to others is impossible if you dont love, respect
and have compassion for yourself first.
Compassion extends beyond family and team. It includes strangers, and even our enemies. The true
warrior is last to pick up the lance.
Summary of Lesson 3
A man is as miserable as he thinks he is Seneca
This lesson covers a lot of ground. It is about developing an unbeatable stand for us to further
develop ourselves in the warrior tradition. Understanding that personal development, which is what we
are working on here, must be done as a whole person, we must have a proven method. That method
is the 5 Mountain Training which approaches development from an integrally informed position. We
must develop ourselves physically, mentally and spiritually in our I, WE and IT quadrants, or in Self.
Culture and Society.
It goes deeper than this though. Sticking to an integral development program such as the 5 Mountains
for SEALFIT Unbeatable Mind requires the development of the disciplines of Self Mastery and Service.
Certainly these disciplines are also a fruit of our practice and our development, but we must strive to
build our foundation with these principles stated and actively pursued. Without simplicity, authenticity,
introspection and seriousness toward your practice, you will not see the results you hope for.
Without and attitude of abundance, compassion and living the golden rule, we will be serving ourselves
versus humanity. The warrior always lives for a higher purpose than self-serving needs that are so
common in our western society. We seek to be uncommon, and that is selfless service toward our
families, friends, peers and strangers alike.
In lesson 3, I present a number of practices related to the content in this document, chapter 2 of the
book Unbeatable Mind. Good luck with the practices and bring your questions to the Facebook Group
for your class. Be unbeatable! --Mark Divine

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Lesson 3 Plan

1. READ LESSON 3 PDF

2. REVIEW CHAPTER 2 IN UNBEATABLE MIND

3. READ 5 MOUNTAINS PDF

4. LISTEN TO LESSON 3 INSIGHT AUDIO

5. VIEW LESSON 3 VIDEO

6. READ AND LISTEN TO LESSON 3 PRACTICE AUDIO BREATH AWARENESS
MEDITATION

7. ADD BREATH AWARENESS MEDITATION TO YOUR DAILY PRACTICE

8. VIEW WARRIOR YOGA PRACTICE 3 VIDEO

9. ADD WARRIOR YOGA 3 TO YOUR WEEKLY PRACTICE (ALTERNATE BETWEEN
WARRIOR YOGA 1, 2 AND 3)

10. PARTICIPATE IN CONFERENCE CALL (DETAILS SENT VIA EMAIL)

11. VIEW SUPPORT VIDEOS:
A. INTRO TO PULL-UP VARIATIONS VIDEO
B. LIVE ACADEMY STAYING IN THE FIGHT VIDEO
C. LIVE ACADEMY 5 MOUNTAINS VIDEO

12. DO EXERCISES, PRACTICES AND JOURNAL YOUR PROGRESS

13. BOOK REPORT FOR LESSON 3: THE INTEGRAL VISION OR THE THEORY OF
EVERYTHING, BY KEN WILBER (INTEGRAL VISION IS A SHORT PRIMER ON INTEGRAL
THEORY, WHEREAS THEORY OF EVERYTHING GOES INTO MUCH MORE DETAIL).

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Lesson 3 Exercises and Practices
1. Read Wiki report on Blink and Confirmation Bias - contemplate and compare to your notes.

2. Breath Awareness Meditation. Follow the guided audio meditation and read the instructions
included in the resources section.

3. Authentic Communication Practice: Use this method developed by the Quakers to practice
authentic communication: Open your mouth to speak only if:
What you have to say is truthful
What you have to say adds value to the conversation
What you have to say is positive and not negative
4. KISS practice: Choose something in your life to de-clutter. Garage, closet, truck bed or car
trunk, desk. Consider how this makes you feel before, during and after and journal about it.

5. Mindful News Practice: Read Rolf Dobellis Avoid the News: Toward a Healthy News Diet
part 1 (provided as PDF see practice notes and summary of the article at the end of this
document). Do a cold turkey news practice this month. If you must, get your news by simply
scanning Google news headlines once a day.

6. 5 Mountain Self-Mastery Plan: Begin development of your personal 5 Mountain plan:
1. State your lifes purpose in a few sentences. If you have not thought about this before, then
start with visualizing what you would do if you could start over and create the ideal position
around what you are both passionate about and skilled at.

2. Outline in a simple format your 5 mountain development plan how will you train yourself
physically, mentally, emotionally, intuitionally and spiritually. I provide you an example from
my own 5 mountain training plan:

3. Physical: training 3 x SEALFIT (strength, stamina & work capacity training), 3 x CrossFit,
Daily morning yoga, 1 x Hot Hatha Yoga, 2 x Warrior Yoga. I-2 x Self Defense training

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sessions, Running (2 x sprints, 2 x medium distance). Pro-dev clinic or certification 2x a
year (goal CF KB, gymnastics and mobility certs, Target Focus Training)

4. Mental: at least one SEALFIT full Operator WOD as week. One mental toughness physical
challenge a month. Read at least one book a month. Research UM topics, review goals
weekly, quarterly seminar.

5. Emotional: Introspection and contemplation daily. Authentic listening with Sandy and
Devon. Getting out of my comfort zone with my business.

6. Awareness & intuition: - daily yoga and box breathing exercises, daily meditation, semi-
annual retreat.

7. Kokoro Heart or Warrior Spirit: Work the disciplines of self-mastery and service. Daily
polishing the mirror of my spirit.

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JOURNAL
Was I disciplined with my practice this month?

What thoughts arise routinely while I practice? Am I able to connect with my witness and observe
myself thinking?

Was there a change in how much time elapsed between when you started thinking a thought and when
you witnessed itfrom the beginning of the month to the end? If yes, then good!

How do I feel after each practice session?

Do I feel more calm and centered this month than last month?

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How is Unbeatable Mind practice changing my outlook on life? My view of myself?

Do I feel more in control? More powerful?

What can I do better next month? Commit to becoming more disciplined!

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COLD TURKEY PRACTICE

News is to the mind what sugar is to the bodywe are so well informed and yet we know so little. Why?

We are in this sad condition because 200 years ago we invented a toxic form of knowledge called news. The
time has come to recognize the detrimental effects that news has on individuals and societies, and to take the
necessary steps to shield yourself from its dangers.

In the past few decades, the fortunate among us have recognized the hazards of living with an overabundance
of food (obesity, diabetes) and have started to shift our diets. But most of us do not yet understand that news
is to the mind what sugar is to the body.

Today, we have reached the same point in relation to information overload that we faced 20 years ago in
regard to food intake. We are beginning to recognize how toxic news can be and we are learning to take the
first steps toward an information diet.

News misleads us systematically. News organizations systematically exploit the fact that our brains are
wired to pay attention to visible, large, scandalous, sensational, shocking, people- related, story-formatted,
fast changing, loud, graphic onslaughts of stimuli, and limited attention to spend on more subtle pieces of
intelligence that are small, abstract, ambivalent, complex, slow to develop and quiet, much less silent.

News is irrelevant. Out of the approximately 10,000 news stories you have read in the last 12 months,
name one that because you consumed it allowed you to make a better decision about a serious matter
affecting your life, your career, your business compared to what you would have known if you hadnt
swallowed that morsel of news.

News limits understanding. News has no explanatory power. News items are little bubbles popping on the
surface of a deeper world.

News is toxic to your body. News stories spur the release of cascades of cortisol which deregulates your
immune system and stimulate a state of chronic stress. Other potential side effects of news include fear,
aggression, tunnel-vision and desensitization.

News increases cognitive errors. News feeds the mother of all cognitive errors: confirmation bias. In the
words of Warren Buffett: What the human being is best at doing is interpreting all new information so that
their prior conclusions remain intact.

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News inhibits thinking. Thinking requires concentration. Concentration requires uninterrupted time. News
pieces are specifically engineered to interrupt you. This is about the inability to think clearly because you have
opened yourself up to the disruptive factoid stream.

News changes the structure of your brain. News is addictive. This has to do with a process called long-
term potentiation (LTP) and the reward circuits in your brain. When you consume news, your brain
structurally changes. This means that the way you think changes. And you lose the capacity for concentration
and contemplation.

News is costly. News wastes time, exorbitantly. It taxes productivity three ways. First, theres the time you
actually waste reading, listening to or watching the news. Second, theres the time you waste trying to get
back to what you were doing before the news interrupted you. Third, news distracts you hours after youve
digested it when stories and images may pop into your mind, interrupting your train of thought. Why would
you want to do that to yourself?

News is produced by journalists. Like any profession, journalism has some incompetent, practitioners who
dont have the time or the capacity for deep analysis. My estimate: fewer than 10% of news stories are
original. Less than 1% are truly investigative. Widespread copying and recopying multiply the flaws in the
stories and their irrelevance.

News is manipulative. Stories are selected or slanted to please advertisers (advertising bias) or the owners
of the media (corporate bias), and each media outlet has a tendency to report what everyone else is
reporting, and to avoid stories that will offend anyone (mainstream bias). The public relations (PR) industry is
as large as the news reporting industry the best proof that journalists and news organizations can
be influenced or swayed.

News makes us passive. News stories are overwhelmingly about things you cannot influence. Compare this
with our ancestral past, where you could act upon practically every bit of news. The daily repetition of news
about things we cant act upon saps our energy and grinds us down until we adopt a worldview that is
pessimistic, desensitized, sarcastic and fatalistic.

What to do
Go without news. Cut it out completely. Go cold turkey. Sell your TV. Cancel your newspaper subscriptions.
Delete all news sites from your browsers favorites list.

If you want to keep the illusion of not missing anything important, I suggest you glance through the
summary page of the Economist once a week. Dont spend more than five minutes on it.

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Read magazines and books that explain the world Science, Nature, The New Yorker, The Atlantic
Monthly. Try reading a book a week. Better two or three. History is good. Biology. Psychology. That way youll
learn to understand the underlying mechanisms of the world.

The first week will be the hardest. Deciding not to check the news while you are thinking, writing or reading
takes discipline. Every day you will be tempted to check your favorite news Web site. Dont do it. Stick to the
cold-turkey plan. Go 30 days without news. After 30 days, you will have a more relaxed attitude toward the
news. You will find that you have more time, more concentration and a better understanding of the world.
After a while, you will realize that despite your personal news blackout, you have not missed and youre not
going to miss any important facts.

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MISCELLANEOUS AFTERTHOUGHT
I love Seth Godwins insights this is a fun post from his Blog:
1. No stranger or unknown company will ever contact you by mail or by phone with an actual method for
making money easily or in your spare time. And if the person or company contacting you asserts that
they are someone you know, double check before taking action.
2. Don't have back surgery. See a physiatrist first, then exhaust all other options before wondering if you
should have back surgery.
3. Borrow money to buy things that go up in value, but never to get something that decays over time.
4. Placebos are underrated by almost everyone.
5. It's almost never necessary to use a semicolon.
6. Seek out habits that help you overcome fear or inertia. Destroy those that do the opposite.
7. Cognitive behavioral therapy is generally considered both the quickest and most effective form of
addressing many common psychological problems.
8. Backup your hard drive.
9. Get a magnetic key hider, put a copy of your house key in it and hide it really well, unlabeled, two
blocks from your house.
10. A rice cooker will save you time and money and improve your diet, particularly if you come to like
brown rice.
11. Consider not eating wheat for an entire week. The results might surprise you.
12. Taking your dog for a walk is usually better than whatever alternative use of your time you were
considering.

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UNBEATABLE MIND

MARK DIVINE, SEALFIT

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