[The following was copied and pasted from GPT-4 after I fed it a transcript of a 3 minute ramble I had recorded while walking just now and asked it to turn it into a 1500 word blog in the style of Morgan Housel]
Consistency Equals Truth: The Power of Habits and Identity
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." While these words are often attributed to the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, their origins are somewhat disputed. Regardless of the source, however, the essence of this statement is timeless. It resonates with a fundamental truth about human behavior and personal growth that I've come to believe deeply in: the idea that consistency equals truth.
When we consider our identities, the concept of consistency becomes critical. Let's say you regard yourself as a fitness enthusiast or a healthy eater. But how can we ascertain if this is indeed true? The answer lies not in what we say, but in what we consistently do. If you regularly visit the gym, follow a nutritious diet, and maintain a healthy lifestyle, then you truly are a fitness enthusiast.
The best-selling author James Clear explains this concept eloquently in his writings on habit formation and identity change. According to Clear, transforming your identity starts with shifting from someone who doesn't perform a specific action to someone who does, even just a couple of times a week. When you consistently engage in that activity, you start to see yourself as a person who does it regularly.
For instance, if you consistently exercise, over time, you naturally adopt the identity of a person who works out. This change in self-perception makes maintaining the habit of working out easier. This identity-habit loop reinforces itself. You perceive yourself as a fitness enthusiast because you work out, and you work out because you see yourself as a fitness enthusiast.
However, it's not just positive habits and identities that operate this way. The same principle applies to negative ones. If you consistently find yourself in unhealthy relationships, over time, you might start to identify as someone who is always attracting the wrong kind of partners. This self-perception can inadvertently lead you to repeat the same pattern, reinforcing the negative habit and strengthening the unwanted identity.
One of the ways our brain upholds our identities, both positive and negative, is through the power of confirmation bias. This cognitive bias causes us to gravitate towards information and experiences that affirm our existing beliefs and identities. Robert Cialdini, renowned social psychologist and author, discusses this in his book, Influence. One of the six major categories of influence he identifies is consistency. The desire to remain consistent is a powerful motivator in human behavior, so much so that once we commit to a small action that aligns with a particular identity, we're more likely to follow through with larger, related actions.
In essence, our actions are the yardstick by which we measure the authenticity of our identities. By consistently acting in alignment with a chosen identity, we validate it. It's not enough to just say who we are or what we do. Consistency in action is the only real proof.
This idea has far-reaching implications, extending beyond our personal habits and identities to the realm of technological advancement and societal trust. The concept of a distributed ledger system or 'blockchain' is a prime example. Blockchain technology provides a transparent and tamper-proof record of transactions validated by multiple independent parties, ensuring automatic trust.
In a future shaped by blockchain technology, actions will be consistently and independently verified, reinforcing trust through verifiable consistency. The trust generated through blockchain comes not from faith in a central authority, but from the transparent and persistent consistency of the system itself. As blockchain technology becomes more prevalent, we might see it becoming a standard mode of data storage, driving trust in new and transformative ways.
In the end, the equation is simple: Consistency equals truth. By repeating a set of actions or behaviors, we build and reinforce specific identities. The more consistently we act in alignment with a chosen identity, the stronger that identity becomes. Whether it's about becoming a fitness enthusiast or trusting a blockchain network, the principle remains the same. It is through the power of consistency that we build our truths. Understanding this can help us shape our identities, our habits, and ultimately, our lives.