Comments on: The Neutral Fallacy: There is No Sideways in Life http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/the-neutral-fallacy-there-is-no-sideways-in-life/ Entrepreneurship, marketing, personal devlelopment Sun, 14 Mar 2010 21:27:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: “But starting a freelance business is too risky!” and other reasons people don’t earn more money | I Will Teach You To Be Rich http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/the-neutral-fallacy-there-is-no-sideways-in-life/#comment-11548 “But starting a freelance business is too risky!” and other reasons people don’t earn more money | I Will Teach You To Be Rich Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:52:23 +0000 http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/?p=1986#comment-11548 [...] Fields puts it best: How do you handle [...] [...] Fields puts it best: How do you handle [...]

]]> By: Steve B http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/the-neutral-fallacy-there-is-no-sideways-in-life/#comment-10408 Steve B Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:03:15 +0000 http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/?p=1986#comment-10408 Jonathan: Thanks so much for this post. It really resonated with me. Thanks. Steve B. Jonathan:
Thanks so much for this post. It really resonated with me.
Thanks.
Steve B.

]]> By: Corvus http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/the-neutral-fallacy-there-is-no-sideways-in-life/#comment-10066 Corvus Wed, 21 Oct 2009 23:01:05 +0000 http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/?p=1986#comment-10066 Man. I like this post. I'm printing it and putting it on my inspiration wall in my office. Thanks! Man. I like this post. I’m printing it and putting it on my inspiration wall in my office. Thanks!

]]> By: Dom http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/the-neutral-fallacy-there-is-no-sideways-in-life/#comment-10019 Dom Sun, 18 Oct 2009 09:27:03 +0000 http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/?p=1986#comment-10019 Prufock says in his comment above: "Good idea, but simplistic. Sometimes pursuing one avenue means letting go of another. Improving a relationship can cause work to suffer, and vice versa. Chasing adventure can send your finances into the red, but building your finances can cause you to miss opportunities for adventure. Etc. I like the idea of contemplating the possible scenarios, though." I agree that Jonathan Fields' idea is good, but I don't think it's simplistic at all. Some people's interpretations of the idea can be simplistic though, or even completely miss the point. Prufock says he likes the idea of contemplating the possible scenarios. But surely the key to this blog entry is not merely to contemplate scenarios, but to take decisive action in the face of fear. And pursuing one avenue doesn't mean you have to let go of another. Humans are capable of multi-tasking! It's perfectly possible to advance your work and your relationship simultaenously, particularly when you become a career-renegade and work for yourself, doing what you love! If you choose the right work for you, and the right relationship for you, the two become sources of energy, and enhance each other. That's why working for yourself doing something you love is so liberating and life-enhancing. "Chasing adventure can send your finances into the red" (implying that it might be better not to chase adventure) again is a simplistic view. The fear of going into the red (and succuming to this fear and not taking action) can result in the loss of a fantastic opportunity, missing out on future wealth and spiritual enrichment too. Taking action doesn't mean being reckless and ignoring risk, it means weighing up risk, facing up to fears, and taking action boldly but intellegently too. So although chasing adventure could potentially send your finances into the red, this isn't a valid example to support the notion that the concept of taking action is simplistic. Prufock says in his comment above:

“Good idea, but simplistic. Sometimes pursuing one avenue means letting go of another. Improving a relationship can cause work to suffer, and vice versa. Chasing adventure can send your finances into the red, but building your finances can cause you to miss opportunities for adventure. Etc.
I like the idea of contemplating the possible scenarios, though.”

I agree that Jonathan Fields’ idea is good, but I don’t think it’s simplistic at all. Some people’s interpretations of the idea can be simplistic though, or even completely miss the point.

Prufock says he likes the idea of contemplating the possible scenarios. But surely the key to this blog entry is not merely to contemplate scenarios, but to take decisive action in the face of fear.

And pursuing one avenue doesn’t mean you have to let go of another. Humans are capable of multi-tasking! It’s perfectly possible to advance your work and your relationship simultaenously, particularly when you become a career-renegade and work for yourself, doing what you love!

If you choose the right work for you, and the right relationship for you, the two become sources of energy, and enhance each other. That’s why working for yourself doing something you love is so liberating and life-enhancing.

“Chasing adventure can send your finances into the red” (implying that it might be better not to chase adventure) again is a simplistic view. The fear of going into the red (and succuming to this fear and not taking action) can result in the loss of a fantastic opportunity, missing out on future wealth and spiritual enrichment too. Taking action doesn’t mean being reckless and ignoring risk, it means weighing up risk, facing up to fears, and taking action boldly but intellegently too.

So although chasing adventure could potentially send your finances into the red, this isn’t a valid example to support the notion that the concept of taking action is simplistic.

]]> By: Footprints, Imagination, and the Art of Sustainability http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/the-neutral-fallacy-there-is-no-sideways-in-life/#comment-9998 Footprints, Imagination, and the Art of Sustainability Fri, 16 Oct 2009 03:44:15 +0000 http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/?p=1986#comment-9998 [...] As humans, we grow or we die. There is no sideways. [...] [...] As humans, we grow or we die. There is no sideways. [...]

]]> By: Mountain View « Owning Kristina http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/the-neutral-fallacy-there-is-no-sideways-in-life/#comment-9443 Mountain View « Owning Kristina Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:01:54 +0000 http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/?p=1986#comment-9443 [...] Sideways Jonathan Fields has an interesting post on the subject of fear. In The Neutral Fallacy: There is No Sideways in Life, he talks about the danger of coasting through life and succumbing to the fear of failure. When you [...] [...] Sideways Jonathan Fields has an interesting post on the subject of fear. In The Neutral Fallacy: There is No Sideways in Life, he talks about the danger of coasting through life and succumbing to the fear of failure. When you [...]

]]> By: RTNW « True Things http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/the-neutral-fallacy-there-is-no-sideways-in-life/#comment-9419 RTNW « True Things Sat, 10 Oct 2009 23:52:53 +0000 http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/?p=1986#comment-9419 [...] Except there is no coasting. There is no neutral. No sideways. [...] [...] Except there is no coasting. There is no neutral. No sideways. [...]

]]> By: kelly http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/the-neutral-fallacy-there-is-no-sideways-in-life/#comment-9362 kelly Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:32:47 +0000 http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/?p=1986#comment-9362 definitely one of my favorite posts to date. and one of my favorite parts: "there’s only up or down, though the rate of acceleration and the magnitude of the progress in either direction often leads us to to some very warped perceptions." i find this point cool and necessary; that, though there's only up or down, sometimes it's not a rapid increase or decline, it doesn't have to be harried. so many people are actually trying to slow down life a little and achieve a bit of neutrality, and that note makes it clear: it's totally possible to "practice stillness" and still climb upwards, still make changes, just more in a marathon sort of way. good food for thought. definitely one of my favorite posts to date. and one of my favorite parts: “there’s only up or down, though the rate of acceleration and the magnitude of the progress in either direction often leads us to to some very warped perceptions.” i find this point cool and necessary; that, though there’s only up or down, sometimes it’s not a rapid increase or decline, it doesn’t have to be harried. so many people are actually trying to slow down life a little and achieve a bit of neutrality, and that note makes it clear: it’s totally possible to “practice stillness” and still climb upwards, still make changes, just more in a marathon sort of way. good food for thought.

]]> By: David Johnson, Chicago Personal Trainer http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/the-neutral-fallacy-there-is-no-sideways-in-life/#comment-9360 David Johnson, Chicago Personal Trainer Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:05:28 +0000 http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/?p=1986#comment-9360 Good read - Most people are familiar with this - You hate your job but stay because you fear what the future may hold... You can't stand your girlfriend but stick around because you fear you may not find someone better... Despise your fitness routine but don't take the time to find a new one because it's outta your comfort zone... Everyday that passes and you don't make the change, you take one step back. Just remember what the stakes are: Your success. Your livelihood. Your happiness. "I don't want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me" Frank Costello, The Departed Good read –

Most people are familiar with this -

You hate your job but stay because you fear what the future may hold… You can’t stand your girlfriend but stick around because you fear you may not find someone better… Despise your fitness routine but don’t take the time to find a new one because it’s outta your comfort zone…

Everyday that passes and you don’t make the change, you take one step back. Just remember what the stakes are: Your success. Your livelihood. Your happiness.

“I don’t want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me” Frank Costello, The Departed

]]> By: Adam Di Stefano http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/the-neutral-fallacy-there-is-no-sideways-in-life/#comment-9358 Adam Di Stefano Thu, 08 Oct 2009 02:34:12 +0000 http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/?p=1986#comment-9358 Agree with you, Jonathan. There is often too much emphasis put on hard external goals and not enough on intrinsic goals. However, I think the hardest part is figuring out how to achieve those intrinsic goals. That's what people need the most help with. It's hard to measure your level of "presence" or state of inner peace. If we can't measure it, how do we know if we're progressing? And if we don't know if we're progressing, we lose the "flow" state. I think this is probably the single biggest challenge anyone trying to work towards an intrinsic goal has to deal with. Agree with you, Jonathan. There is often too much emphasis put on hard external goals and not enough on intrinsic goals. However, I think the hardest part is figuring out how to achieve those intrinsic goals. That’s what people need the most help with. It’s hard to measure your level of “presence” or state of inner peace. If we can’t measure it, how do we know if we’re progressing? And if we don’t know if we’re progressing, we lose the “flow” state. I think this is probably the single biggest challenge anyone trying to work towards an intrinsic goal has to deal with.

]]>