Here I use the example of being punched in the face to give a little more detail about how an instinct can form (i.e., my reaction to being punched in the face) without the specific action that triggers the event occurring much (i.e., I didn’t get punched in the face much growing up; though it was a none zero number) and how the unwanted instinct can be intentionally reprogrammed (i.e., by getting punched in the face on purpose, I can train my reaction to being punched to be whatever I want it to be)(yes, even if the instinct I want to program is to be punched in the face less, I need to get punched in the face now to not get punched in the face later).
(Fair point, well made. I concede that if your overall aim in life is purely to avoid getting punched in the face, this train is counter productive. However, if your goal is to react properly should you ever get punched in a real world situation, then you need to get punched a lot of times in training situations.)
Instinct Reformation at Work: Getting Punched in the Face
I came to my understanding of instinct because I started training a martial art. More specifically because I was bad at it from the get go. Removing tension in the body is a foundational practice of this art, and I am terrible at it.
I quickly discovered that every instinct I had was wrong and would likely get me killed in a fight against someone with any knowledge of how to take advantage of such a mistake.
My instinct had been programmed something like this:
if (PunchedInFace == 1) {
StandDefiantAgainstAttack();
RelyOnSuperiorPainTolerance();
SwingWildly();
}
This program did not exist as a result of taking punches to the face throughout my life (though I have a brother and so had my fair share). Being punched is not the only way people experience punches, after all. We see other people being punched (in real life or in movies). We’ve had the experience described to us. We’ve heard the sound of something solid hitting flesh and experienced the solid smack across our cheek when we accidentally ran into a tree branch we didn’t see. None of this fits into the habit of being punched, but all of it informs our decision making in response.
My martial arts class provided both the knowledge about how best to be punched in the face as well as repetition to practice it. Over time, I purposefully replaced the old code with a new one:
if (PunchedInFace == 1) {
TakePunchSoftly();
Retaliate();
RepeatAsNecessary();
CelebrateVictory();
}
Why yes, I do remember a bit of computer coding from college. Why do you ask?
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