Even a Whisper Can Leave Cracks

On the malleability of the mind.

The mind is a malleable thing, sensitive to outside influences.

In The Art of Learning, Josh Waitzkin describes how a Soviet player interrupted his natural rhythm of thought by tapping a chess piece against the table. The sound was barely audible, yet it caused Josh to make careless errors at critical moments.

Only when the tactic was explained to him was he able to notice it and counteract it.

Our minds are not immune to outside influences, especially if they are subtle and we aren't paying much attention. Just what are we putting into our mind? Are we being intentional about it? Do we pay attention to what we read and watch and allow to enter our ears? Even a whisper has the potential to alter our behavior.

To be careless in this seems dangerous. The smallest cracks can spread and weaken a foundation over time. It might not be noticeable, and a single crack causes no immediate negative effects, but keep adding hairline fractures and introduce the rain and heat and cold over the decades, and suddenly, you have a crumbling house.

And what about when the concrete is still drying? Who do we allow into our children’s minds to make an impression that will last forever? I still remember certain images from my childhood. I can recall the music and ambiance, the feeling of dread, and the nightmares they caused.

In many ways, this is part of growing up. Learning how to deal with unhealthy influences, because we can’t walk around in a bubble. But we also need to learn when it's worth putting on the hip-waders to trek through sewage and when we should just turn around and avoid that path altogether. Defenses can be built up. Dykes can be constructed to hold back a rising tide.

Babies should learn to crawl before they walk, they should learn to sprint before they jump hurdles, and they should learn to discern good from evil and build up some kind of immune system before being subjected to potential filth.

Even then, we should be wary about letting anything past those defenses. Our minds are more susceptible than we realize. Seeds sprout at inconvenient times and inconvenient places. Nothing ever really goes away.

The Dresden Files follows the private investigator (and wizard) Harry Dresden as he solves mysteries involving magic. One repeating concept in the book is the Sight, which allows a wizard to see the true nature of something. It can provide important clues.

But there’s a catch. Whatever you see with the Sight is stuck in your mind forever. You can never forget it, so you better be careful when you use it. In one book, Harry uses the Sight on an unimaginable horror that weakens his knees, makes him vomit, immediately makes his life a walking nightmare, and more. Beholding the terrible image almost ruins him.

The only thing he can do is practice, over and over again, recalling the image and steeling himself against his fear, disgust, and weakness. Over and over. He must train himself to be numb to this evil just so he can exist in the normal world without fainting.

The secret for us in the real world, however, is that everything is Sight. Everything affects us in some way.

As the children’s song goes, be careful little eyes what you see. Be careful, little ears, what you hear.

Because even a whisper overheard in passing can be catastrophic.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”