Associations: The invisible sticky links

Associations: The invisible sticky links

Dear Humans


Associations have always fascinated me from a young age, I have ended up realising that not only did I develop innate links but I also took on others likes, dislikes and preferences to my own and pictured them as my own. It varies from religious ideas, traditional thoughts forms to entire likes and dislikes that make an imprint on the human psyche. I say nobody is immune to this, it can come from parents, siblings, friends, adverts, the books we read and the experiences we have even to the films we watch.


I, therefore, devised a way to find associations, pick them out and figure out if I wanted to keep them or not, This came out as when was younger I struggled with trying to find out what I actually liked and what I truly enjoyed rather than what others proposed to me and what I saw in my environment. from likes, people, feelings, even to the extent on why I developed a favourite colour. This then evolved into an entire method that I believe can help any human being with the ability to reflect and has a thirst for self awareness.


The process is as follows
 

  1. Identification - Pick anything you would like e.g Food, Film, Ideas, Feelings, people.
  2. Origination - Figure out exactly where and when this occurred - pinpoint it exactly, earliest memories, pasts conversations, adverts etc
  3. Addition / Removal - Find out for yourself if this link is necessary or beneficial to you, keep it if needed, remove it if not.
  4. Reflection/Titration-Re-asses the linkage as times change and re titrate according to what is beneficial to you.
Example
  1. Identification- My immense liking towards ‘’Casio watches’’
  2. Origination- Figured out that my dad liked Casio watches, his liking created a liking for me to like the brand. (Parental Associations). These are the earliest memories I have of the liking, the after memories are linked to adverts, shop recommendations, sales and hype news.
  3. Addition / Removal- I respect my father but I have to find out if I personally like Casio watches, tried a few on, love the vibe, simple, easy, ideal - developing my own choice and liking.
  4. Reflection/Titration- The realisation that I like only specific types of Casio watches, not exactly what my dad likes. Tried other brands of watches too, similar vibes branched out into swatch watches.

Conclusion : This Association is fine and beneficial to me as I like the watches my self.


I hope the process above helps you discover and give you insight into how clingy the human spirit can be and how we pick up on so many links not even due to our likings but the programming and persuasions of the people and external environment around us.


As one of my favourite Greek Philosophers Thales of Miletus said, “The most difficult thing in life is to know yourself.”. This brought no essence to me when I was younger but growing up made me realise that it is very difficult to know oneself because we are never taught to see inside ourselves and figure out who we truly are and what we truly desire in this life, the rush of the constant grind keeps us away from self-discovery.


Please note I am not a phycologist of any kind, I have written this based on my experience of always being attached to certain ideas when I was a child but couldn’t figure out where they came from, so I devised a way to find this out my self. The process above can be used not only with likings but with dislikes, feelings and even habits. Use it wisely and illuminate yourself in the process. I hope you enjoy the process of figuring out yourself as it's difficult at first but very liberating in the end. 

 

As for me ''I am free from everything you associate with me whether its in the past, the present or the future’’. 


Kindly 


Afzal: Servant Of God Alimighty and Merciful  : The Illuminator

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Photo by jesse orrico on Unsplash

 

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