I’m used to working with people who operate like this…
But, there’ve been times in my life when I’ve been with or worked with someone who is operating more like this…
Or, more rarely, like this…
I’ve likely run across many people who don’t operate from Reptilian Territory; it’s just that it’s hard to recognize something that is so foreign. One wise person once said to me “If you’ve never tasted ice cream, how can you possibly say what your favorite flavor is?” Do I even like Rocky Road? How can I recognize something I’ve rarely tasted?
I was used to working really hard for not a lot of feedback. If I got feedback, it felt like criticism.
Then, one day, something different happened:
At first I found myself suspicious. What does this person want? Why are they acting that way? What did I do? What ‘s going on here?
Then, I jumped to: How can I replicate whatever it is that’s just happened?
Then realizing… Oh, wait, this is not about me doing anything differently in order to make something happen – this is about me seeing and recognizing something different.
Over time, with more exposure, I’ve gotten better at recognizing when people are operating out of a broader spectrum of being human. And, I’m still learning.
We don’t eliminate Going Reptile. I certainly have not. Thinking I’ve eliminated it is a disguise or “delusion” (see post 6). But what we can do is learn to find and exercise muscles that allow us to recognize and experience other ways of being, in others and ourselves. For me it continues to be a rich and humbling journey.
It’s humbling because it’s not easy. It requires intestinal fortitude and a willingness to see what I’m doing and where I’m operating from… which often isn’t pretty.
