--- content_date: 2020-04-01 feed: "DANIEL_ON_SLOPE" codex_section: "S03" codex_candidate: true source: Scotomaville source_file: 01.08-fixation.pdf chapter: 01.08-fixation total_pdf_pages: 8 volume: v1 title: Fix'n Fixation monomyth_stage: "02 - Call to Adventure" category: - awareness tags: - fixation - awareness - diffuse-thinking - focused-mode - blind-spots - scotoma - personal-growth - elephant-parable - neurological-circuits - emotional-triggers summary: I explore how fixation differs from simple attention by attaching emotional baggage from past experiences, using our Airstream life during the pandemic as examples like mixing the wrong gel for sanitizer and getting triggered at the laundromat. By distinguishing focused and diffuse thinking modes and practicing peeling the onion to uncover faulty beliefs, I highlight the need for awareness as a wall to prevent over-fixation and see the whole picture, much like the blind men and the elephant. qr_links: - https://youtu.be/SGKabABiH28 - https://youtu.be/qALNBefGNSQ --- # 01.08-fixation ## Spread 001 [p1–p2] **type:** image_heavy | **img coverage:** L=45% R=0% **heading:** Leaving SCOTOMAVILLE ### Visual description The left page features a large, angled close-up photograph of a cordless vacuum cleaner (Dyson-style with a purple top, blue filter, red accents, and black body) resting on a wooden floor beside white striped fabric. Bold black text overlays the image with the chapter title “FIX’N FIXATION,” while smaller gray body text below discusses pandemic stress and imagined microscopic threats. A “From Transcript” section displays a dialogue between Daniel and Angelina about mixing aloe vera gel with vodka to make hand sanitizer, only to discover it was baby-oil-gel instead. The right page is primarily text-based, dominated by a large pull-quote at the top reading “WE NEED A WALL BETWEEN ATTENTION AND FIXATION... LET’S CALL IT AWARENESS,” followed by body copy explaining diffuse versus focused thinking modes, with a smaller quote from W.H. Murray. The vacuum image feels ironic and metaphorical, as it visually represents a cleaning tool in a chapter centered on fixation, paired with the humorous transcript about a failed DIY sanitizer attempt during early COVID. The overall spread blends documentary photography from the authors’ real-life setting with conceptual text on awareness. ### Left page Leaving SCOTOMAVILLE 78 FIX’N FIXATION VOL 1 AWARENESS From Transcript: Daniel: “Where’d the sanitizer go? Angelina: “Well, we had a bottle of sanitizer and I got some aloe vera gel, (I thought) at the store. Later on, when I mixed it into our hand sanitizer, and then I was going to add more alcohol, like Vodka, I realized it was baby-oil-gel.” Daniel: “So your at-home chemistry - what did they tell you, don’t make your own gels? So what do we have?” Angelina: “We have baby wipes.” Daniel: “Which are not sanitizing.” Angelina: “No, but you can wash your hands with soap and water when we get back.” Daniel: “You’re kidding, right?” Drive all the way back before I wash my hands? My nose itches. This is annoying! We’ve imagined microscopic killers and global supply chains. It’s possible the chronic stress will have been worse. .08 ### Right page Leaving SCOTOMAVILLE 79 We’re living through a turbulent time in history. Yet, we have the opportunity to become more self-aware than any preceding generation. I recorded this the first week in April 2020. We were all experiencing one of the most challenging things of a gener ation. Looking back, you recall facing things like mandates. Being forced to consider the world from a different point of view was a fabulous opportunity to change our trajectory. Let’s make the distinction between fixating and simply paying attention. And because we’re traveling in an Airstream, I’m going to use tools called transparency and authenticity. For the second edition, I used Grammarly. For the third, I have AI. The events were not scripted. I shared as stuff happened, to prove my thesis points. “This may sound too simple, but is great in consequence.” - W. H. Murray I believe the difference between fixation and attention is the attached emotional baggage. I am NOT a scientist, scholar or physician. I am an explorer, and student that has followed others. We remember things, as I see it, using billions of neuronal connections forming millions of electrical pathways. Our mem ories are partial recordings of what we might have heard, seen and felt, and care to recall. Diffuse vs. Focused Mode: I took a fabulous class called ‘Learning How To Learn’ taught by a Neuroscientist, and a Ph.D. in Systems Engineering. The class discusses two different facets of thinking. One is diffuse, like a cloud of ideas or a swirling bucket of memories thrown into the wind. Diffuse thinking is broad pattern thinking that hap pens when you consider ideas, as with daydreaming. The other type of thinking is focused mode. It’s what happens when we study or when we’re writing code, or we’re solving a problem. When we’re thinking intensely, soaking in what’s hap pening right in front of us we are focused, and often fixated. The point is to cycle between the two modes, and not to fixate on either one alone. After we’ve focused for roughly 40 minutes, it’s time to have some diffuse thinking to process new ideas that are related to established beliefs, choosing which to keep and which to forget. “we need a wall between attention and fixation... let’s call it awareness” ## Spread 002 [p3–p4] **type:** image_heavy | **img coverage:** L=44% R=17% **heading:** Leaving SCOTOMAVILLE ### Visual description The left page features a large documentary photograph across the top showing Angelina from behind as she rides a mountain bike along a dirt trail beside a calm lake in a desert landscape filled with yellow wildflowers, cacti, and rocky hills under an overcast sky. Below the image, a small circular portrait of Daniel appears next to the opening text about Angelina having “diffuse time on a donkey trail” while flushing his fixation on the sanitizer challenge. The right page displays two smaller, side-by-side photographs at the top. The left image shows the cluttered interior of the Airstream with a large red puffy jacket or sleeping bag draped over a chair or counter, while the right image is a close-up of a white surface (likely a wall or door) marked with two faint smudges or fingerprints and a small dark spot. Bold text directly above these images reads: “THERE ARE ALWAYS ‘BIG MESSES’ IN A TINY LIVING SPACE BUT WE TEND…” and “…TO ‘FIXATE’ ON THE TINY SCREW HOLES AND FINGER-PRINTS.” The two images on the right page function as ironic visual commentary on the chapter’s theme, contrasting a genuinely messy living space with the tendency to obsess over minor imperfections. The overall spread uses real journey photography on the left and more illustrative, almost humorous close-ups on the right to support the discussion of fixation versus diffuse thinking. ### Left page Leaving SCOTOMAVILLE 80 Angelina is having diffuse time on a donkey trail, flushing my fix ation on the sanitizer challenge. For this Third Edition, I want to engage the reader, aligning with the video transcript, while drawing out stronger evidence. Certainly, Daniel. Here’s a restructured version that inte grates the transcript and the referenced insights from the minyan, presenting a holistic understanding. Introduction: The Power of Mind Albert Einstein once said, “The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking.” “Transcript: When we repeatedly recall thoughts and memories, we form neurological circuits. The electrical pathways become embedded metaphorically. They become insulated, like a rubber-coated wire.” 1. Neurological Circuits: Habit Formation In the words of Carl Rogers, “The only person who is educated is the one who has Angelina is thinking diffused and ‘in a zone’ - as opposed to focused thinking on accounting learned how to learn ...and change.” “That’s how habits begin. The electrical routes become fre quented and established.” 2. Formation of Beliefs: Focus and Diffuse Mode As Viktor Frankl emphasized, “Between stimulus and response, there is a space... In that space is our power to choose our response.” “The information we gather in focus mode is associated with diverse ideas in diffuse mode, and the combination becomes ### Right page Leaving SCOTOMAVILLE 81 There are always ‘big messes’ in a tiny living space but we tend... ...to ‘fixate’ on the tiny screw holes and finger-prints our beliefs. Beliefs underly our attitudes about things like masks, mandates, inflation, and obedience.” 3. Emotional Reactions: Triggers and Instincts “Know thyself,” Socrates urged. “When we recall things, our emotional ‘black boxes’ trigger feelings, and our protective instincts quickly react. We take shortcuts on well used pathways that end in familiar but incorrect feelings, like your wife stalking you as a hungry tiger fixates on a warm meal.” 4. Fixation vs Attention: Jim Rohn, often said, “Wherever you are, be there.” “So let’s look at some examples around the Airstream to differ entiate the line between fixation and attention. The full-time Air stream experience is - it’s hard to describe - I mean, you can see the constant mess.” 5. Self-Understanding: Emotional Exploration Marcus Aurelius wisely noted, “The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.” “I’m at the laundromat, sitting in the truck waiting for a load inside to dry. I start peeling: Why did I get triggered this morning? (awareness) Because I didn’t want to go to the laundromat. (excuse) I wanted to hand wash the few clothes we had. (defense) Why do I have so few clothes? Ahhh, there’s an emo tional rich answer welling up!” 6. Peeling the Onion Exercise: Inner Discovery C.S. Lewis wrote, “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” “Do you see me peeling an onion? My mom sewed most of my clothes or bought them at Sears. So I didn’t get bell-bottoms and tie-dye - I got geek clothing. (a memory) I’m frustrated that I have to go to a laundromat and potentially expose myself to the corona-virus because I have but five underwear. Just buy more, Daniel. They are not scarce. ## Spread 003 [p5–p6] **type:** image_heavy | **img coverage:** L=0% R=100% **heading:** Leaving SCOTOMAVILLE ### Visual description The left page is text-heavy with body copy on personal growth and fixation, a prominent large bold quote reading “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear” centered across the top, and a small green ChatGPT-style icon next to the “Elephant Fixation and Focused Mode Thinking” subhead. The right page is dominated by a single large, high-angle photorealistic image of a gray elephant standing in a sunlit forest clearing, surrounded by roughly a dozen casually dressed adults (some standing, some seated on the ground) positioned around its body. Overlaid text on the upper right of the image presents the heading “The Blind Men and the Elephant” followed by a paragraph-by-paragraph retelling of the parable, describing each man’s focused description of the trunk, ear, tusk, or other part. A small sailboat logo appears in the bottom right corner of the right page. The elephant image feels metaphorical rather than documentary, as it directly visualizes the classic story to illustrate the chapter’s theme of narrow fixation preventing a view of the whole. ### Left page Leaving SCOTOMAVILLE 82 I solved the underwear challenge, and I exposed a strong emotion and memory supporting a faulty conclusion from long before - ‘I’m not the kind of kid that gets new clothing.’” 7. Over-Activated Attention and Personal Growth Zig Ziglar stated, “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” “Fixation is over-attention. Life is like this. We can’t rely on everything going as we want. We have to summit our Personal Everest, expecting that “life is what happens between our plans,” and when we are ready to grow - all kinds of events will unfold that offer greater revelation of our false beliefs.” Conclusion: Journey to Self-Understanding As you yourself have eloquently put it: “The greatest expedition you will ever undertake is the journey to self-understanding.” Back to Transcript: “So, you won’t have arrived, but you’ll be LEAVING Scotomaville on your journey. (recording an affirmation on my phone) Daniel. You’re not mad at Angelina; you’re frustrated, with emotions in tension between imagined tigers, scarcity and humiliation. Remember, mom was a teen on the streets. She didn’t understand your needs.” This combination of your personal examples with insights from the minyan creates a richer narrative that connects with readers and enhances understanding. Feel free to guide changes as needed! Hey reader, I appreciate you! You’re going to make it! You’re going to do just fine! “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear” Elephant Fixation and Focused Mode Thinking The parable of “The Blind Men and the Elephant” has rich and varied origins, making it familiar to many cultures and philosophical traditions. Its universal themes of humility, empathy, and the pursuit of a more comprehensive understanding resonate across various philosophical, religious, and cultural contexts. This parable highlights the limitations of fixation and intense focus on one aspect of a complex reality. While each man’s focused observation was correct in a narrow sense, their inability to integrate different perspectives led to misunderstanding and conflict. The lesson from this story aligns with your philosophy of self-understanding, awareness of our blind spots, and the search for broader wisdom. It serves as a reminder to step back from intense fixation on specific details and to strive for a more holistic understanding of our experiences and the world around us. This parable also resonates with the words of Marcus Aurelius, who emphasized the importance of seeing things in their entirety: “Always look at things as parts of a whole, and remember that no part can exist without a coordinating whole.” ### Right page The Blind Men and the Elephant In this story, six blind men were asked to describe an elephant by touching different parts of the ani mal. Each man became fixated on the part he was touching, unable to see the whole. The first man, touching the elephant’s trunk, insisted it was like a snake. The second man, feeling the elephant’s ear, argued that it was like a fan. The third man, holding the elephant’s tusk, claimed it was like a spear. The others, touching different parts of the elephant, described it as a wall, a tree, or a rope. Each man was in a state of focused mode thinking, concentrated only on the part he was touching. While each man’s observation was correct in a narrow sense, fixation on their individual experiences led to a fragmented and incomplete understanding of the elephant - all of them blind to the aerial drone above, or the intention of the pilot, or the aim of the intelligence commanding it. ## Spread 004 [p7–p8] **type:** text_only | **img coverage:** L=0% R=15% **heading:** SGKabABiH28 **urls:** `https://youtu.be/` `https://youtu.be/` ### Left page YOURT https://youtu.be/SGKabABiH28 Psychological fixation means having attachments to people or focusing on things that persist from childhood to adulthood. Fixation is when the attention required to ‘fix’ something is focused on an idea, impulse, or aim, especially an obsessive preoccupation with something... Your turn. List some fixations. WATCH REFLECT https://youtu.be/qALNBefGNSQ ### Right page RTURN Consider the dynamics of questioning your impulses, commitments, and attention. Awareness can reveal false conclusions or become a fixation. Scan the code to discuss fixation with other explorers and me. DISCUSS Myelinated sheaths are insulating layers made up of myelin, a fatty substance that surrounds the axons of many nerve cells. The primary function of the myelin sheath is to increase the speed of electrical impulses along the neurons, enhancing communication between different parts of the nervous system. Diffuse mode refers to a mental state where the brain is relaxed and able to make broad, abstract connections. It’s often linked with creativity and insights, occurring when we’re engaging in activities that don’t require intense focus, like taking a walk or daydreaming. Focus mode, in contrast to diffuse mode, represents a mental state where the mind is highly concentrated on a particular task or problem. It is associated with logical thinking, analytical processing, and attention to detail. Focus mode is necessary for deep learning, problem-solving, and mastery of complex subjects. These terms interplay to create a dynamic learning process. The myelinated sheath enables efficient neural communication, which facilitates both focused and diffuse modes of thinking. The balance between focus and diffuse modes is essential for fostering creativity and problem-solving, resonating with the journey to self-understanding and self-mastery that you emphasize in your teachings.