Surviving The World As We Know It: Part III

As promised this (PART III) is a continuation of previous posts (Part I and PART II).

Here is an excerpt from those posts: (If you've read this part in the other two posts already feel free to scroll down to the numbered points).

The world as we know it is a social landscape. Everything we have built and everything we do is contingent on other people. We have all become the people we have become because our ancestors were survivors. 

How does learning from my ancestors help me now?

Our ancestors were adept at creating and maintaining groups, tribes and societies. Because of their ability to function in a society or group, the people before us mastered the art of making clothing, tool making, fire, water collection and purification, container making, shelter building, hunting, foraging, fishing, trapping and agriculture. Ironically, all of these things are things that most of us today no longer know how to do on our own. If we face a catastrophic change in our current state of the world, these skills would once again mandate who lives and who doesn't.

But first....

Those ancestral survivors mastered and honed their social skills. They worked together toward a common mission of survival. In order for you to confidently move toward honing the abilities that they once had, you must first master the art of social survival. Even if your preference or your plan is to be a lone wolf, because you live in a social world, your odds are greatly increased if you have social skills to add to your basic-needs "survivor pack."

The following (PART III) is a short list and a continuation of PART I which included skills #1-3 and PART II which included skills #4-6 (both can be found in previous blog posts). This list is not all encompassing and will be added to in future follow-up posts, but here is a mini foundation of basic "social survival skills" for interacting, attracting, inspiring, motivating, and leading people:

So, here are three more "survival skills" to throw into your kit....

7. Judging others:

I find it rather amusing how some people have an unyielding moral compass comprised of heavy, tungsten alloy when expressing their opinions, criticisms and judgments of others. However, when turning that same moral compass to the self, suddenly, morality is flexible, adaptable, fluid and even adjustable to individual circumstances.

Be careful being so critical of the conduct of others if your own self-regulation is void of even an ounce of integrity. Just one more reason why we should all carry two compasses when navigating....in case one isn't accurate. 

8. The best part of an argument is absolutely nothing:

This skill is a reminder that no none actually wins in an argument. No one hears each other. No one will suddenly, amid a storm of yelling, come to your way of thinking during an argument. Generally, someone only appears to win the argument because the other party acquiesces, submits or becomes indifferent. There are no “real” winners in an argument.

In order to “win” someone over to your way of thinking, you need to give them something to believe in. Open up and share your thoughts, feelings, and opinions in a healthy way. Inspire and motivate others and they will follow your lead to include listening to your point. The “loudest” one is rarely the “rightest’ one. If the argument is unavoidable or unsolvable, wait for a better, calmer opportunity to discuss things. Find a creative way to attempt to get someone to hear your point of view. Creativity and compassion, together, can solve problems without argument. Keep this in mind whether you are leading your family, subordinates at work, a committee, or elsewhere.

9. What can you agree on?

This social skill is about finding a happy meeting ground in all discussions and interactions. In a disagreement, you first meet and discuss the points that you both agree on. This tactic is useful when dealing with very confrontational or difficult and defensive people. Find at least one common point or common ground that you each are in agreement about BEFORE addressing anything where your opinions or thoughts differ.

This is a very wise tactic in both leadership and in everyday interactions with others. Finding common ground first and agreeing on points equates to cushioning and calming any discussions or debates that follow and aids in making the conversation more productive and positive.

So, what does this all mean for me?

These three skills in addition to the social survival skills presented in Part I and Part II are should be added to your "social survival kit." Read and re-read these three life skills and begin to practice them everywhere you go and in everything you do. Social skills, like tool making and fire starting, must be learned and practiced.

 Master these and master your social landscape. You live in a social world now and no one can predict what the world will look like one day. Mastering your social landscape can only improve your odds of survival in the world as we know it as well as into the world that we don’t know...yet.

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