1  The Circle of Tolerance

Intelligence –

The difference between "Thinking" and "Reasoning"

Some decisions, as simple as they may be, determine the direction of our entire life. The things we do as well as the things we don't do affect our environment and the way that people will act and react around us. And that environment will in turn affect our continued actions and reactions. The foundation for changing our direction and the results we get in our lives lies in the way we make our decisions. While each action or inaction has its foundations in “thinking”, not all originate from “reasoning”.

“Thinking” is the process that interprets events and surroundings. “Reasoning” takes those interpretations and determines if they are true. Many times we stop at thinking. We combine emotions that we have associated with the events and “decide” that it is true without reasoning. This is because by the time we get to the thinking part, we have already started acting, or more fittingly “reacting” to a situation. Studies have shown that our brain feels 30,000 times faster than it acts, and acts 30,000 times faster than it thinks.

To Reason we use the more evolved part of our brain. When our brain is more relaxed or composed (in alpha state) it operates at its peak. The problem is that we usually operate in a state that is much less efficient and more prone to “Reaction”. When we are using our Intelligence there is no internal conflict so our brain can operate in a more natural relaxed state. We can therefore make better decisions without the obstacles of “reactive” perceptions.

There are 3 parts of our brain that we must understand. The first is the cognitive brain (sometimes referred to as the “thinking cap”). This part engages in higher-order cognitive processes, such as reasoning, analyzing and conceptualizing; it is the part that makes us mentally “Intelligent”. The second is the limbic part of the brain; this is the control center, the part that controls our voluntary bodily functions, such as our motor skills and our dexterity in doing things. It is the “action brain” and it is also where emotions come from. And finally, the primitive reptilian brain.

LIZARDS AND IDENTITY INTELLIGENCE

The “reptilian” brain or the reactive center, deals with our primal need to survive. It is the part of us that repeats patterns of behavior that we usually do not like, patterns that often prevent us from taking action on opportunities or keep us procrastinating, patterns of fear and sometimes stupidity. It reacts to emotional triggers that are outside the boundaries of our “Circle of Tolerance”. This primitive part of our brain breeds lizard-like reactions to our surroundings, and I might add that lizards are not very intelligent. Think of the last time you were in a conversation with someone you were trying to make a point to when they did not agree. You finally left, perhaps without resolving the point and felt a bit frustrated. 20 minutes later though, you thought to yourself “OH! #@&! I should have said…” This is because during the encounter you began to “React” to the situation thus using your reactive brain instead of your reasoning brain, and for all practical purposes, you became a lizard. It then took you 20 minutes to get back to being a human being where you could “Reason” again. When you are in the reactive center of the brain you have Lizard-like Intelligence.

To elevate ourselves to the greater level of being a human being and sidestep our primal reptilian instincts, we need to respond, not react. We need to reason, not just think. To start, this requires increasing our “Circle of Tolerance”.

While this book will guide you to cultivate an awareness that can change your life, no tool will make a difference if you react to your environment without the ability to think intelligently and act on what you have learned. This action will require us to Let Go of many of the rules we have created about the way that “Things Should Be” these are known as “Rules of Engagement” and set the boundaries of our circle. The greater the number of rules, the smaller the circle.

When you increase your Circle of Tolerance, you increase the potential to become more of the person you wish to become because you use more of your brain’s capacity to deal with situations and surroundings. When you are able to consciously make decisions without reaction, you produce intelligent results. Instead of reacting to events and people around you, the ability to use your greater Intelligence allows you the sight to see beyond the apparent. It allows you to combine the mental, emotional, and physical processing of your brain into a powerful and directive influence for making positive progress your life that will allow you to affect your environment.

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