The corresponding German article is called “Energie und Erkenntnisruhe”. That is an unusual word for a more specific form of “innere Ruhe”, the more direct translation for peace of mind.
We desire a consistent understanding of the world, a harmonic worldview. When we become aware of something that we cannot directly fit into our worldview, we become restless. We remain restless until we integrate the new input or until we push it away and, if we are lucky, forget about it. When we already are fully utilized, we do not want to provide additional energy to solve conflicts. Then we try to keep our harmonic worldview and our “Erkenntnisruhe” intact. When confronted with disturbing input, we reject to look at it because we know it would require too much energy that we need for other activities. It would open too big a barrel if we allowed ourselves a closer look at a disturbing statement. So we refuse to do it. That can happen subconsciously, without us being aware of it.
That’s why it can be challenging to change a belief. It is actually not so difficult, but requires a lot of energy and also time because it disturbs our peace of mind. It is simple, but not easy. Peace of mind is important, because it enables us to recover and leaves energy available for other things. However, to truly move forward and grow our worldview, it is important to give up the peace of mind whenever possible and invest energy to think about experiences or statements that are colliding with our worldview.
When we are at the limit for a long time, a continuous need for peace of mind and preservation of our beliefs blocks further expansion of our worldview. Then our development is stagnating and we will eventually become very unsatisfied. If there are suppressed conflicts in our worldview, they will consume energy in the background also when we do not address them. When many conflicts accumulate, this energy demand grows, becomes significant and makes us ill. In a best case scenario, the illness will change our situation in a way that makes time and energy available for solving conflicts in our worldview, so that our development can continue. Energy becomes available again and then we can heal.
At this point I wish to introduce the energy model by Vera F. Birkenbihl, because it illustrates nicely why we have to actively create conditions that leave energy available for work on our worldview and enable us to know ourselves better and develop. This model differentiates several areas that all require energy and feed from a common source. This source is our individual energy potential. How we distribute that energy is our energy budget. The areas have a falling priority from left to right. If an area to the left needs more energy, it takes up more space, which is then missing for the areas to the right. If one area, for example D, needs more energy, it can only take it from the right. If there is no area to the right (which still uses energy), area D must reduce its activity. Then we have to look at the areas A to C and try to use less energy there. Only when less energy is needed there more energy becomes available in area D. It is not possible that an area simply takes energy from the left, and with growing energy demand to the left, the interest for the areas to the right is fading. We also find this phenomenon in the hierarchy of needs.
| A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automatisms Body function Health | Self-Esteem “I-Esteem” Social Integration | Lifelong learning Curiousness Attention | Work Coping with everyday life Maintenance | Work on myself Solving conflicts Growing my worldview |
Area A includes our automated body functions and our physical health. It has the highest priority and can cover all space if necessary, leaving no energy for the other areas. But when we are healthy and rested, it needs very little energy. Area B is the energy for our self-esteem and social integration. If we question ourselves or feel abandoned, we need a lot of energy here. Area C is the energy for lifelong learning, we need it to give attention to our surroundings both in the moment and with regard to past and future. Area D is the energy for our everyday life, for work and for maintaining our stuff. The last area with the letter E is the one with energy for working on ourselves, solving conflicts and expanding our worldview.
This area E only has the energy it deserves, when all other areas are in a good shape and consume no excessive energy. That cannot be taken for granted and requires our will to maintain each area in good condition. A lack of interest in Area E is not a sign for a character flaw, but for a lack of energy. If we want to spark an interest within ourselves or others, it is not helpful to try and convince with arguments. We must instead help to lower the energy demand in area A to D. Especially solving conflicts and the integration of inputs not matching our worldview requires lots of energy in area E. When the other areas do not leave enough energy, this activity must be refused.
I would like to add a thought to this model. In the third paragraph it says that peace of mind enables us to recover. That implies that area E can in fact use up energy that is needed in area A. This last area can take energy from the first area. That is possible because the last area includes our mental health, which has an even higher priority than our physical health. And in the same way that a conflict in our body, an illness, increases the energy demand in area A, a lasting unsolved conflict in our worldview affects our mental health and increases the energy demand in area E. We can imagine the five areas shaped as a ring, where each area always expands clockwise when it needs more energy.
If area A and E have spread out over the entire ring and compete for energy, our health is at serious risk. We have a protection that prevents area E to take more energy from A than necessary. We loose all interest to allow new input in this situation. But when there already are conflicts in our worldview, we cannot simply forget them – they take energy even though it is needed for physical recovery of the body, and they can contribute to fatal illness.
It is very important that we actively solve conflicts in our worldview and not try to ignore or suppress them. We must shape the energy demand in area B, C and D in a way that energy is left over on a regular basis for solving conflicts in our worldview. If we allow the outside world to tempt us and allow too much energy into B, C and D, then we create a build-up of conflicts and energy demand in area E. This can also happen if we have learned that we must not admit a conflict in our worldview. Conflicts stack up, we never achieve true peace of mind anymore. Area E needs more and more energy without solving conflicts with it, without achieving harmony in our worldview. Until finally area B, C and D get no energy at all and the lack of energy in area A pulls us down into a deep crisis.
This will be explained in more detail in the next article.
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