The Anatomy of Spring Influence Part II

Last time I started on how powerful and influential one's history could get. The physical analogy used is spring force. The main lesson is that compressed emotions and mistakes are powerful and potentially explosive so it's in one's own best interest to be wary of them. Consider the following examples.

David was a king in ancient Israel for whom everything was going. One day he spotted the beautiful wife of one of his soldiers, took her in, slept with her and the pretty woman became pregnant. Didn't he use protection? That's a very stupid question to ask because even if he did, his actions would still not be justified. Even if he did use protection, what should he expect when the woman told her husband? As soon as he realised what he had done, his desire to save the king's face led him into killing the woman's husband in desperation. I like the way Adeolu Akinyemi told the story in a recent post of his. King David would never imagine himself killing one of his finest soldiers but he did it anyway. Just because he thought the explosion of the spring was more than he could bear, he simply packed on more load. Ultimately what happened was that he married that woman, lost the child from that first pregnancy and most unfortunately, landed his children, generations yet unborn, in trouble. It was said to him that, "Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house because you despised [God]...Before your very eyes [God] will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight." (emphasis mine). And you know what? "So a tent was put up on the roof for Absalom, and he slept with his father's [David's] concubines in plain sight of Israel.". And then came incest, hatred and obituaries: Amnon and Absalom and Adonijah. If only he did not load the spring further!!!

Most people do not know the story behind the man after whom the O'Hare International Airport, Chicago was renamed. The man Edward Henry "Butch" O'Hare was the son of Edward Joseph O'Hare. Edward J. was a lawyer who worked closely with Al Capone before turning against Capone and helping convict him of tax evasion. 

This is how it happened. When Edward J. moved to Chicago in 1927 he started working with Al Capone, a gangster who led a crime syndicate that was in virtually in control of Chicago. They both collaborated in business and law, Edward J. providing the legal expertise that supported the syndicate. However, sometimes in 1930, apparently realising that he was doing something wrong, O'Hare volunteered to start working undercover for the authorities with the sole aim of bringing Capone to justice. Slowly, discreetly and steadily, he started providing evidence to investigators; and one of the investigators, Frank Wilson, actually acknowledged his finesse openly, stating in a 1947 magazine issue, "On the inside of the gang I had one of the best undercover men I have ever known: Eddie O'Hare." The evidence provided by Edward J. during Capone's tax evasion trial in 1931 and 1932 helped in proving Capone's guilt. 

There is speculation that Edward J.'s actions were spurred by one or a combination of three reasons: to ensure that his son, Edawrd H. got into the Naval Academy, to set a good example, or to attempt to right his wrongs. Whatever reasons he had, his actions meant only one thing - gently easing the load on the spring. Eventually in 1939, he was shot dead but that didn't seem to matter much anymore because that same year, his son started flight training at the Naval Air Station Penascola in Florida. The son, Edward Henry "Butch" O'Hare went on to become one of the finest airmen in the US Navy during and after World War II. So fine was he that only 9 years and 10 months after his father's death, the Orchard Depot Airport in Chicago was renamed after him. What would have happened if his father had not unloaded the spring? My guess is that Edward H. would probably never have gone to Naval Academy, eventually Al Capone's syndicate would have been busted and Edward J. would probably still be working there and he would also have been incriminated.

Compressed springs are powerful but not only in the negative sense. In the next post I'll discuss the positive side to compressed springs and the aspect of stretched springs.

The Anatomy of Spring Influence Part I

In basic physics, a spring is a device that stores potential energy. Potential energy is the type of energy that is stored within an object; the energy is there but its action cannot be felt until it is released. The amount of potential energy stored in a spring defines how much force (technically known as spring force) the spring can exert. The spring force is the force exerted by a compressed or stretched spring upon any object that is attached to it. 

Most springs obey Hooke's law. In very simple language, Hooke's law states that the amount of force that a spring exerts increases or decreases as the length by which it is compressed/stretched increases or decreases. Thus, the amount of potential energy stored in a spring corresponds to the amount of load it carries. By extension, the spring force also corresponds to the amount of load on the spring. The reason for these relationships is that the length of compression or stretch in a spring depends directly on the weight of the load on the spring; the heavier the weight, the more the compression or stretch, the more the potential energy stored in the spring, and the greater the spring force.

One important thing about springs and the load they carry is that if the load is removed suddenly, the potential energy in the spring is released explosively and all the spring force pushes the spring back to its original uncompressed/unstretched position. In other words, springs store energy when they are loaded and they tend to 'explode'  when the load is suddenly removed. The greater the load, the greater the 'explosive power'. That's the exact reason why auto-mechanics are extremely careful with shock absorbers. And it's the exact reason why you should also be wary! Springs, whether compressed or stretched, are powerful. For the rest of this post I will only consider the compression part.

Suppressed emotions, hidden sin and past mistakes are like compressed springs. They will one day explode if the load is not carefully eased; and the the aftermath is hardly ever nice. As a matter of fact, the more effort goes into the suppression, the more energy is stored and the more potentially explosive the whole thing gets. Being aware of the potential explosion, most of us simply pack more load onto the spring - for instance, we tell a lie to try to cover up some misdeed, we tell an additional lie to cover up the one already told, we start avoiding the people who hold us accountable and gravitate towards those with whom anything goes... 

However, that is not a reasonable course of action because every additional load, rather than alleviate or remove the problems, simply aggravates them. In fact, packing more load onto the spring leads to some sort of vicious cycle where the potential explosiveness becomes worse and we try to prevent it by adding more load thereby increasing the potential explosiveness, until someday....God forbid! Even worse, the spring begins to influence one's line of reasoning and approach to issues, wanting to desperately avoid anything coming to close to the spring even if they're beneficial, and gravitating towards anything that takes attention away from the spring even if they're deadly.

The best thing to do once you sense a spring - a grudge, a sin, a mistake, suppressed anger, bitterness, whatever - is to immediately stop loading and start easing the load already added, carefully and steadily. That is the only way to avoid the explosion. In the next post, we'll consider two true stories as examples.

GRAVITY

I'm still writing about influence, and that's what you're still reading about. This time, the specific issue is the force of gravity and the lessons on influence that can be drawn from its characteristics.
 

In everyday English language use, gravity is a noun which refers to 

1. the seriousness or importance of something (always something, never someone!);
2. seriousness of attitude, synonymous with the noun gravitas which means a serious and impressive way of conducting oneself; or
3. a type of physical force which the sun, moon or other massive object exerts to attract another object towards itself. It is in this third sense that I speak of gravity here.

By definition, the weight of an object is defined by the force of gravity that the earth exerts on its mass. Mass, in turn, refers to the amount of matter (or substance, if you like) that is in an object. These definitions point out one important fact. No matter how much matter an object contains, its weight is always going to be determined by the amount of gravity it experiences. 

That is why, for example, objects weigh much less on the moon. One kilogram on earth barely weighs more than 160 grams on the moon. And in outer space (I mean where astronauts go in rockets and not just outside your house) one enters the realm of what is called 'weightlessness'. This refers to apparent lack of weight irrespective of how much substance any object contains. Why? It's simply because there is no source of gravity in outer space. 

If we go by the definition of weight in the sense of the influence or importance that something or someone has, then we can see clearly from the foregoing that we're all practically useless without some form of gravity - some compelling, inescapable, higher-level influence. And it is no accident that gravity has to come from a relatively larger object. A smaller object does not exert gravity on one that is larger. By extension, everyone who runs away from heavier responsibilites, loftier goals, stricter discipline (or any other form of gravity that you can think about) will most likely never amount to anything. To anyone who has ever seen how things float around in outer space or are simply too reluctant to move will not find it hard to understand that.

Now, the verb gravitate connotes attraction or interest. To gravitate towards people generally means being attracted towards and going to be with them. To gravitate towards something broadly means being interested in that thing to the extent of wanting to do or have it. The hidden meaning in this verb becomes obvious when we take it together with the meaning of gravity as discussed above. Gravity is non-negotiable; once an object comes close enough to the source of gravity, it will definitely gravitate. 

This simple but powerful truth has two practical implications. One, it is very crucial to choose carefully who or what one moves close to so as to avoid gravitating in the wrong direction. Two, it is important to consistently seek to perform better and live for a higher purpose; this serves as a source of gravitational pull otherwise one's life ends up weightless.

WORD OF MOUTH MARKETING

Word of mouth marketing

I'm taking a break today from the ongoing series on influence to share some thoughts on information sharing - the very basis for what has come to be known as word of mouth marketing. Good enough, it's not completely unrelated to the subject of influence.

Word of mouth marketing loosely refers to someone telling someone about something in the context of buying and selling. This includes direct word of mouth sales campaing and referrals. For instance, an insurance man might knock at my door or my friend could tell me the tailor who made his suit. Those examples will make you see immediately that word of mouth marketing applies to all kinds of products. Funny enough, they are often free, especially when one thinks of referrals. And as far as I know, more business connections, deals and slaes are made through referrals and word of mouth than through any other means.

 
Being part of a social community is especially important for human well-being. In fact, one of the reasons why loneliness can be excruciatingly painful is that we are not wired to live isolated. In every human culture, there are norms that serve to guarantee the persistence of the community. For instance, in my society it is typical for the menfolk to gather in the evenings for drinks and gist - the so-called town gatherings.

Now, there is something virtuous about this characteristic of the human race - it is the blessing of information sharing. By reason of forming into communities, it becomes easier for us to get information around. With the internet came a universal vehicle for fulfilling this need. Online social networks facilitate the formation of new kinds of communities and the perpetration of existing ones. However, these forms of impersonal information flow channels have not in any way invalidated the role of 'town gatherings' in making the world go round. 

And that brings me to where I'm going - to briefly highlight the power of 'town gatherings'. Far beyond evening meetings of menfolk for drinks and gist, I take the concept of 'town gatherings' to broadly encompass all kinds of circles of influence that might exist: friendships, relationships, business associations, membership societies, etc. These things literally make the world go round. And as long as they do, they provide the strongest avenue for marketing that I know of.

So, if you're reading this and you know anyone who has something to sell, tell them to get in the right communities and talk about their business. If they can, tell them to prime people with some goodwill. You'll be amazed how influential word of mouth can be in helping a business grow!

I've read this great piece on the subject and I highly recommend it for those who want to read more. 

Friction and Resistance

Yet another set of lessons on influence from analogies with physical force. This time it's about friction and resistance. Think about a two-sided kind of influence.

At the most basic level, frictional force opposes motion. The first useful thing to note is that there are several types of friction. This is useful because it is consistent with the observation that the forces that can slow one down in the journey of life cannot be placed into a single category. There are different types.

Of the several types of friction that can be identified, static and kinetic friction come closest to the other points I want to make here. Static friction exists between non-moving surfaces and kinetic friction arises as soon as there is relative motion between surfaces. This simple distinction leads me to the major points of this post.

By definition, static friction does not require motion for its existence; in fact, it actively prevents motion. While this property is of immense benefit in that it ensures that things can stay in place without sliding around, it also constitutes a huge disbenefit because it has no respect for dynamics. It has been said that good is often an enemy for best. What that means is that once someone starts to do well, there is a high level of static friction that needs to be overcome at that point because they tend not to see the need for higher levels of performance. That's the point where you hear people talk of 'attachment', 'comfort', 'satisfaction', 'just good enough', etc. And that is why many will resist change. (Doesn't that suggest that past achievements do not necessarily make good influence?)

Now, that static friction is useful because, just as a rolling stone gathers no moss, it is hard to achieve anything meaningful without staying in one place for some time. However, the static friction becomes a disbenefit because, even when it's time to move, it does not go away; in fact, it fights until it is overcome. The unfortunate part of it all is that many people simply give up too soon just because it seems nothing is moving though they're pushing so hard. Think about this. Suppose you placed your fridge in one corner and your furniture in another. You're fine with whatever amount of static friction is holding them in place as long as they are where you want them to be. Now suppose you suddenly saw the need one day to have them moved around. Then the static friction becomes an enemy! That's exactly how it works in real life as well. In my mother tongue there is a saying which essentially translates as 'nothing good wants to get done.' Most people, I know, will move the furniture and the fridge despite the friction; I wish I could say the same about the more important situations of life.

So much more can be written but I prefer to move on.

Consider, for one moment, what kinetic friction -as earlier defined - might imply. Many will think that two surfaces in contact need to be moving for there to be kinetic friction. That's only partly true. Kinetic friction just requires relative motion. This means that even when only one object is moving and the other is stationary there will be kinetic friction so long as they are in contact. The intriguing thing is that this friction is mutual - acting on both the moving and the stationary object. Thus, there should be little wonder why those who seem to be going nowhere with their life will tend to resist those who appear to be purposeful. Friction!

The next major point is the importance of understanding that there is something called a coefficient of friction. That is the constant quantity which determines how much friction will be at play between any two surfaces. The nice thing about this coefficient is that it depends, more than anything else, on the nature of the two surfaces. That's why lubrication can help to reduce friction because it temporarily alters the nature of the surfaces in contact.

However, lubrication is not a permanent solution to friction (and I don't know any so don't ask me). That's why lubricants need to be replenished. Also, lubricants do not guarantee perfectly smooth rides - they only reduce friction not remove it. Whatever you believe your lubricant is, never run short of supply, never go far away from your source. I can tell from my experience that God makes a great source.

Before wrapping up, it's crucial to point out that as negative as friction seems to sound, it is extremely beneficial. I have hinted earlier how static friction helps things to stay in place. Kinetic friction is the reason why we can run and not fall, why cars can ride and not skid, why wood can be planed, why floors can be scrubbed, and so on. Thus, for as long as one is wanting to make progress, there's going to be need for friction. For as long as one will need cleaning up - internally, I mean - there's always going to be friction. That, to me, is the single most important reason why breaking addictions is very difficult - specifically static friction.

The final thing I'd like the reader to note is the importance of contact. Friction, as a concept, is meaningless without physical contact. That's good news in the sense that whatever source of friction one experiences, reducing contact will always help. But one needs to be careful enough to tell when the friction is good or bad.

Influence from contact

In physics, the term 'applied force' could be used in reference to any type of force.  However, it is most often used when talking about the force that one person or an object directly applies to another person or object. All applied forces are contact forces. In other words, the source of the force must be in physical contact with its object. For instance, picking up a book from the floor, pushing or shoving someone and kicking a ball are all examples of applied force. As every action has an equal but opposite reaction, so does every source of force experience a counter-force from its object.

Applied force is parallel to what I call influence from contact. Just as an object acts upon and is acted upon by every other object in contact with it, so does a human being influence and come under the influence of everything to which he is exposed.

Little wonder, then, that parents and teachers and peers are considered very influential in human development. In fact, I personally consider it a big blessing for one to have good parents and teachers because they both constitute some of the most significant influences for every person, beginning from the first days of life. It is for this reason that they are worth following. However, as they teach, guide and lead, they are also influenced by the ones they influence. People suddenly become more attentive when they have children. Teachers often become irritant or pleasant depending on the responsiveness of their pupils. And, of course, we speak of peer pressure only because peers are influential, and
they don't do that from a distance.

Now, those are just two clear examples of how influence from contact works. One can think of many more. As a matter of fact, the bottomline is that everything - note, EVERYTHING not just EVERYONE - you come in contact with influences you one way or the other. This brings up the challenge of how to deal with the influence. If we realise and accept that the next date, the next meeting, the next conference, the next protest, the next programme will have an influence on our lives, then we will take seriously the kind of contacts we make. We will also take seriously how we respond to contact requests. The other side of the coin is that you play a role in the shaping of the things you come in contact with. If I were you, I would take seriously every activity I get involved in. Why? The specific answer to that you have to figure out by yourself; but the generic answer is that your role has an influence.

Next time the focus will be on friction and resistance.

A little more about influence

When I wrote on influence the last time, I used the analogy from physics about inertia and forces. In this post and several more to come, I continue along this line. Just as there are different types of forces in the world of physics, there are several types of influence; some good, some bad, some ugly. This is where choice matters.

Speaking of choice, I do not only refer to choosing the kind of inluence you want to be or expose yourself to. I also refer to an equally, if not more, important choice: the choice of response to different influences. Making this choice appropriately starts from understanding: understanding what kind of influences there are, identifying them when you see them and knowing what options there are.

In my next series starting at the end of this month, my attention will be on drawing parallels between the forces known to physics and the influences that mankind always has to deal with. 

Let's start with this basic classification. In physics, there are contact forces and there are non-contact ones. Contact forces do not exist unless there is direct touch between at least two objects. The force will arise as a result of the action of one or all objects in contact and/or their reaction. An example is the support force that bears you up when you lean against a wall. Non-contact forces do not require material contact, they act from a distance and in some cases they're so far away that the object experiencing the force does not even know it's there. An example is gravity. Most of us do not even realise that our body weight is simply the downward pull that the earth exerts upon our body.

In a more practical sense, there is the direct influence of parents and teachers (when you discount the effect of the internet) and there is, of course, the non-contact influence of celebrities, government policies and so on. Responding rightly to any of these requires that we know they're even there and that they affect us. A closer look at specific examples of each influence type will start at the end of this month.