We humans have a very juvenile characteristic buried deep within us. It’s called the Justice Mechanism. Since we all have it, we need to manage it.
Scientists have a game called the Ultimatum Game that illustrates this trait:
- Person A is given a sum of money.
- Person A has the decision of how to divide up the money between them and Person B.
- Person B has the power to:
- Agree to that distribution
-OR-
- Say “No Deal”, resulting in neither A nor B receiving any money.
Something interesting occurs around the 65/35 distribution mark. Somewhere around when Person A gets twice as much as Person B, Person B typically nukes the deal. Even given the fact that any money received is a windfall, the fact that it is a disproportionate payout makes Person B feel cheated. Why does this happen? Person B basically says, “I just can’t stand to see that SOB get more than me!”
The problem with this mechanism is that it traps us at our status quo, keeps us average, and does not allow us to reach our Next Level. It is a difficult trait to manage whether we admit to it or not.
We must grow to our highest potential – our continuing Next Level. We must kill our innate chimpanzee desire to make sure everyone is treated fairly. Especially ourselves!
Here are 3 action steps to help quash this self-limiting characteristic:
- Change your focus – change your focus from doing work to creating massive value. Learn to do things for others without the expectation of having something done for you.
- Realize that acting that way is not your Highest Self – analyze and decide – “What is the best outcome for this event – regardless of the equality of the players in the game?” Be selfless. You can reprogram yourself.
- Manage the Instant Gratification Orientation – we are a short-term based society. Short-term outcomes rarely provide huge results. Long-term focus is what is necessary for massive success.
Implementing these steps in your daily life will catapult you to reach your Next Level and free yourself from such self-imposed limitations.