Lojong 18) Of the 2 witnesses, follow the one

Of the 2 witnesses, follow the one.  (Be true to yourself.)

5. Yardsticks (17-20)

There are always two witnesses to our actions.  The two observers are: 1) everyone else (outside observers) and 2) myself.  The meaning of this saying is to worry less about what everyone else thinks and primarily concern yourself with how your actions conform to your own values.

First, we must assume that we all have values.  Discovering what our true values are, is a difficult task.  It requires some self-analysis.  If there is a discrepancy between what we say are our values and the things we spend most of our time doing, there is (a lot of) room for further growth. 

I recommend a periodic exercise of writing down what we think are our values.  A good time for this is around the first of the year, when we are working on our personal value statement, mission statement, goals, and objectives.  To the extent our resolutions and goals are consistent with our values, we will have more success in achieving these things.  (If we do not know our values and our goals, we will only continue in the same rut.)

In Behavior Analysis, there is a concept called Establishing Operations.  These are conditions that make one behavioral outcome, more likely than another behavioral outcome.  For example, B.F Skinner studied behavior using the key pecks of pigeons.  An Establishing Operation was to make sure the pigeons were hungry, so they would be “motivated” to engage in key pecks for the various conditions Skinner studied.  Establishing Operations are a way to operationally define or create “motivation”.  I am motivated to the extent there has been an Establishing Operation that makes the behavior in question more likely (or less likely).  This is important because often Establishing Operations can be more easily manipulated than attempting to increase “motivation” directly.  Establishing Operations can work many ways, one way they can work is by setting the occasion for a behavior to be more likely to occur. 

Examples of this include things like:

1)    I am more likely to feel spiritual while in a cathedral.

2)    I am more likely to feel amorous in a romantic environment.

3)    I am more likely to do work when in an office, rather than laying on my sofa.

4)    Sleep is more likely if I am in a quiet, comfortable bed, rather than in a raucous party.

The point of this is, we sometimes have more control over the Establishing Operations or by setting the occasion for a behavior than we have directly over the objective; through willpower, intention, commitment, or similar concepts.

In any event, we are more likely to achieve our goals if these are consistent with our own values.  Knowing our own true values is important for achieving success in meaningful goals.  (As the reincarnation believers say, “If you live in a world where your success and happiness is dependent on what others think; better luck next time.”) – BTW, that was just a bad joke.