Myelin, Bananas & (Quitting) Smoking – Tools to a Better Future

Three vignettes. Nothing terribly special about them. Just conceptual tools that help me understand the world better. Tools that can help put our problem solving work into perspective and perhaps stir conversation. Credit goes to the New York Times, my twin brother and the Marlboro Man.

1. Heard about Myelin?

Myelin is this incredible substance, addressed recently by the Times on this basic question: what is talent? This infinitesimal biologic neuro-chemical stuff—most appropriately likened to “bandwidth”—allows us to execute key physical and mental processes effectively, like playing the piano or hitting a tennis ball extraordinarily well. The most essential ingredient is technique – or as the old adage goes “practice, practice, practice.” I read the article in amazement.

It made me think about how often we look at our deficits first as what we need to “work on.”

According to Myelinists’ theory, though, what’s most critical is an extraordinary focus on technique—those things we’re strong at; increasing our sweetspot to deliver where we have the most potential to succeed.

You can imagine my relief – we should focus on what we’re good at and make ourselves great, even extraordinary.

2. How would you, without a tranquilizer, catch a wild monkey?

Actually, its amazingly simple. Place a netted trap with a banana hanging in the center. A monkey can reach in and out with ease. But as soon as it grabs hold the banana, the net locks its arm and it can’t move.
To get out, all the monkey has to do is let go of the banana. But, as zoologists know from experience, the monkey will not let go of the banana, no matter what.

I think everyone benefits if we can answer one fundamental question: What’s our banana?

What’s yours? Your industry’s? Detroit’s? The Region’s?

I’ll lead by example: Mine is meaning. I am trapped by it; it nourishes me. I refuse to let go. That’s why I care so much about my experiences, my work, where I choose to live and how I spend my time. It can make me a royal pain to be around sometimes. But that’s me, and that’s my banana.

We need to know our banana, embrace it, see its flaws and merits. Mitigate the bad and harness the good.

Here’s an example: one about relationships, incentives, old rules and a new world.

3. Quitting smoking is a hard thing to do. Even harder is to quit being a smoker.

In the last two decades, the relationship between smokers and, well, everyone has changed enormously. The rules – from social etiquette to bar room bans – are different. The world is more enlightened and knowledgeable on the subject.

Yet people still smoke, in droves.

Why?

I think the central problem is one of incentives. And the beast is gradual taxation. Cigarettes cost about 25 times more than they did 50 years ago. But that sticker shock didn’t come all at once. Instead, it graduated up, at a glacial pace.

Want smoking rates to go down? Multiply the price of smoking by 25 times.

Tomorrow.

Seriously, would you pay $125 for a pack of cigarettes?

It’s a lot like asking what it takes to sustainably change our diet. Are we so addicted to certain behaviors we delude ourselves into thinking that, no matter the consequences, for now this still feels good …even though its glacially painful …even though its going to kill us.

These three vignettes raise lots of questions:

Are we building on past success or hurting future progress? Are we in an environment that promotes new ideas, innovation and creative problem solving? Are we using dated techniques and rulebooks?

Are we focused on our strengths and expanding our sweetspot? Are we clear what our banana is? Are we addressing monumental shifts in complexity by glacially weaning ourselves off old habits? Do we know the difference between quitting them and actually, sustainably, changing who we are in the process?

Brad Frost,
Brand Strategist, United Way for Southeastern Michigan
This post is part of an on-going series from MetroMode.