“The person who says he knows what he thinks but cannot express it usually does not know what he thinks.”~ Mortimer Adler
Our presuppositions or “framing stories” are the subconscious beliefs we have about the way the world works. They are our “first principles”.
These principles are hard to identify, because by definition they are so much a part of the way we think that we struggle to see them. But doing the work to uncover them can be incredibly useful when honing in on one’s values.
Some examples might be helpful.
What you believe about work will largely drive the decisions you make about work.
Do you believe work is a burden? You will approach your job and your work with a sense of drudgery.
Do you believe you should work for money? You will likely miss out on opportunities to work to build asset value, because doing so would require delaying gratification.
Do you believe work is about “making a dent in the universe?” You’ll likely be drawn to massive opportunities (a double edged sword.)
I know a older guy who believed you need to get a safe secure job at a big company. He was laid off three times. And yet he still clung to that idea. He’d tell me what I was doing was risky. He’d tell anyone who’d listen why they have to get a safe secure job. Would get into arguments with you about it. His framing made him blind to alternative realities.
We all have opinions about money. And what you believe about money determines how you handle it.
For many people money is scarce. And so they act as if it is scarce. I had a single mom growing up who constantly struggled to make ends meet. As a result, while I pursued startups and venture capital for work, I have always been extremely conservative with how I spend and invest money.
Other people believe money is abundant. They realize money is just an idea. And if they find something people want and give to them, the money will come.
What do you believe about people and their nature?
I know a guy who’s fundamental disposition about people is they are untrustworthy. They’re out to screw you.
The problem with these framing stories is you can always find someone who proves your point. Especially when you’re looking for it.
One skill I’ve learned from my wife has been to go into new situations assuming the other person is fascinating. I didn’t always do this - in my arrogance I looked down on people often. Not proud of it. And I missed out on dozens of life-giving interactions as a result. It took her to help me realize that was a framing story of mine, and then practice to change it.
The fundamental first principle, at the end of the day, is the nature of reality. All religious movements are attempts to answer this question. All philosophers are ultimately trying to answer this question. The sciences are largely about answering this question.
Few of us are arrogant enough to suggest that we know the answer to this. And yet many of our decisions flow from what we believe here, consciously or not.
Our actions are always in line with what we think is real. If I sit on a chair, it’s because I believe it is real, and it will support my weight. If I believe that I’m the product of an all knowing creator that will likely spill into other areas of my life. If I believe I’m a conglomeration of matter that has always existed and temporarily exists in this form, that likely will impact things as well.
Again - what matters is not the specific beliefs one has about reality. I don’t know what’s right. I do know that we should name them, and think about what the implications of them are.
One person could believe the future is going to be worse than the past. The other could believe the future is going to be better. And while one of them could theoretically be right and the other wrong (by what definition?), the person who believes it’s going to be better will likely be better off as a result.
Figuring out what framing stories we have is incredibly important. Sometimes they are valid. But often they are not. Often we have them because of some other reason. Trying to get to the root behind that belief is critical. So is asking if that belief is helpful or harmful to you.
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