Be All That You Can Be Pt. 3
Locus of Control
Locus of control (LOC) is a psychometric variable that was first described in 1953. It has since come to be validated as a stable measure with valuable predictive qualities. LOC exists on a spectrum in all of us ranging from internal to external. Those with internal LOC have a sense that they have control over their lives, those with external LOC have the sense that they have a passive role in the play of life. This is an important variable to consider for two reasons.
LOC can be modified via the application of mental skills/philosophies and behaviors
LOC has a significant impact on mental health outcomes
A month back Jonathan Haidt published an article on his substack that got a lot of interest on twitter. What got so much traction was the posting of a chart showing that over 50% of young liberal women have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder. The article is informative and worth the read.
One of the things that the article brings up is LOC and its importance. In the Army, I think keeping this concept in mind is critically important. The big green machine is a leviathan that even 4-star generals have little if any ability to sway in the grand scheme of things. Given this fact, it is very easy as a Soldier to adopt an external locus of control. We know from the literature as well as insightful reflection that this is a mistake. We might not have control over the greater Army (or whatever large bureaucratic institution you happen to reside within), but we do have control over ourselves and our immediate surroundings. Keep your focus on the things you can control and you will be surprised by how much you actually have.
They Made Me Do It
This is something I might have said in the past, but not something I’ll ever say again. Nobody can make me do anything. Now, there might be consequences for taking a stand on certain issues, and in extreme circumstances that consequence might be death, but I can’t think of a better way to recognize how much control you have than to realize that nobody can make you do anything. Not the Army, not anyone. Even if you decide to do something under threat of coercion, it was still your decision. Own it and you can shift your LOC towards internal or at least maintain it there. This will help you recognize opportunities when they present themselves. Take the shot mandate. So many people said they had no choice. This was a lie born of an external LOC. My LOC had been previously internalized when I decided that I would never do another sit-up. I know that may sound funny, but I did my last sit-up in 2019 for an Army Physical Fitness Test and that time I knew no-one would ever be able to persuade or coerce me to do another for the rest of my days. Realizing you have that control carries over, so when I was told that I didn’t have a choice but to get the shot I knew that this wasn’t true, and I was ultimately vindicated.
LOC and Mental Health
Having an internal LOC isn’t about denying reality. It isn’t about believing you have control over things that you don’t. It is realizing that you have control over your life and your actions. I think it goes hand-in-glove with being on the path of righteousness. This internal LOC essentially enables spiritual enlightenment. When you understand that the traditional western conception of cause and effect doesn’t apply to conscious human beings then nothing can divert you from the path you choose. We all have the same destination, we only chose how we arrive there, and that how is not only important, it is everything. In a way, having control over the how means that you really have control over everything. Not only do I think this is closer to the truth, if not THE truth, it is clearly associated with better performance and improved mental health outcomes, because it is really just a re-framing of a completely internalized LOC. For an expansion on this mind bending re-ordering of cause and effect see this fascinating article shared by the always insightful Daiva:
A Tonic for Toxic Leadership
With so much of the leadership in these large bureaucratic institutions like the Army composed of hypocritical and delusional empty suits it is easy to despair. It only seems logical that these leaders have more control over your life than you do. This is a specious lie we tell in order to comfort ourselves when we stray from the path of righteousness. Focus on what you have control over and you may be astonished as to what level of excellence you can achieve in yourself and what you might inspire in those around you. Internalize your locus of control and truly be all you can be!
Propagating the illusion of an external LOC is the greatest sin of bureaucracy. Take academia. What field should be more suited to an internal LOC than scholarship, where spergs pursue their individual research interests as they want, wherever they may lead?
In theory, at least. In practice, it trains you to be constantly subject to the requirements of unaccountable others - peer reviewers, examiners, hiring committees, grant committees, tenure boards. At each stage in one's career, the institution is carefully calibrated to accustom its members to every development of consequence being entirely at the arbitrary discretion of others.
Does this mean the LOC is external? No, of course not; as you say so clearly, the LOC is never truly external. Free will is built into physics at the most basic level of reality.
But the institution excels at tricking people into *thinking* that the LOC is external. It's no accident that the mental health of academics is infamously abysmal.
Same logic applies to government agencies, large corporations, and as you say, the military.
As always, I admire the clarity and efficiency of your language model, even though I'm not exactly fluent in that tongue. And yet, conducting a simple find-and-replace of "LOC" with "soul", and we're mostly talking the same game. I just believe we sometimes need a little outside help to remember this very important rule.