Recently, I listened to an interview with Dr. Ellen Langer with Krista Tippett on “On Being” , Dr. Langer, is awell-known psychologist who was also the first female psychologist to be granted tenure at Harvard. Dr. Langer does not embrace a particular spiritual or philosophical tradition although she echoes, in scientific terms, the importance of noticing people, places and things, the interactions of people, places and things, and the intra actions of individual pieces of a system such as we humans. If one was comparing her to Eckhart Tolle one might use the language of “the Art of Presence.” If one was comparing her to Pema Tolle one might talk about letting go of attachments to dualities and other labels.
As a scientist, Dr. Langer is trained to look for what she has not previously noticed - of seeing from a new perspective, of hearing with a new ear. She often makes suggestion such as, “Notice five things about the person with whom you live that you have not previously noticed.” That, of course, requires that one suspend one’s previous “picture” and allow for the possibility that we do not “know” that person with whom we might have been living for a long time.
I am sitting in the café of the Dali Museum in Saint Petersburg, Florida. My son and a mutual friend are here to see both the Dali exhibit and the current exhibit of M. S. Escher, both of whom are noted for “seeing” from a different perspective and, at times, creating an illusion instead of what we initially think we see. I suppose all great artists – painters, graphic designers, dancers, and musicians – do this. Scientists do this while problem solving and/or exploring. Scientists always work with the null hypotheses – postulating that the research will prove the opposite of what seems to be true. For example the researchdf might poxig that exercise leads to weight loss. The null hypothesis would be: “Exercise does not lead to weight loss.” The experiment then has to be set up to try to prove the null hypothesis. This is to insure that the researcher remain as objective as possible.
Dr. Langer often suggests that we use this principle in relating to the people we think we know. We might postulate that x behavior will lead to y results. The null hypothesis is that X behavior will not lead to Y results. For example, “If I am nice to John, he is going to respond with sarcasism. The null hypothesis would be that, “If I am nice to John, he is not going to be sarcastic.” I would then approach John expecting him to be other than sarcastic. Perhaps he will be warm and inviting. Perhaps he will tell me how happy he is that I am going to be living in his neighborhood.
I am well aware that this human - me – despite my often-stated intentions to the contrary - tends to put people, places, and things into little boxes. I then relate to them or avoid them based on who I have decided they are and not who they might be or could be. Dr. Langer would suggest that I begin to use the null hypothesis in viewing and approaching the people I know or meet.
The current Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis, in speaking to the joint house of the Congress of the United States on September 24, 2015 suggested that:
“We, the people of this continent, are not fearful of foreigners, because most of us were once foreigners,” Francis said. “I say this to you as the son of immigrants, knowing that so many of you are also descended from immigrants.”
His hypothesis is that we often relate to “foreigners” as if we are fearful. He is suggesting that we use the “null hypothesis,” “We are not fearful of foreigners.”
This pope has continued to challenge many of the ways we think about each other and with mother earth. Although audiences, including the members of congress and others of us listening to his speech, might have “heard “ him as either being supportive of or disagreeing with our belief systems, we might do well to practice hearing the null hypotheses. He is, after all, inviting us to think outside the box on many issues. Some will maintain that he is also inviting us to stay well within the box on other issues. I am not entirely convinced that is the case. He tends to often say things, which can be “heard” from many different perspectives.
Of course, as one who thinks that we are all equally worthy of love and respect and worthy of sharing the resources of mother earth, I tend to “hear” him from that perspective. Yet, I very much need to be aware that it is not his mission to co-sign my beliefs. If he did only that, I would not grow or learn anything. It may be that some of my perceptions of him are an accurate reflection of some of his qualities or opinions. For example he may be as humble as I and many others perceive him to be. He certainly does not seem to have a need to show how powerful or important he is by where he lives in the Vatican or what he expects of others. On the other hand, he agreed to take the position of the pope and has not been shy about his leadership, about challenging the behavior of the Vatican bureaucrats or the behavior of world leaders. He consults with, embraces and spends time with the previous pope, Benedict, while not seeming to have a need to agree or disagree with him.
I think what Dr. Langer, Pope Francis, Pema Chodron, the late Wayne Dyer, Eckhart Tolle and others have in common is the willingness to focus on what they have in common with others and not on what is different. They seem to discover that we humans have much more in common that we have differences. In other words it may be that he challenges us by often using the null hypotheses.
If I am correct in my understanding of the null hypotheses and example of Jesus and individuals such as Pope Francis :
· I am the prisoner.
· The prisoner is I.
· I am the homeless.
· The homeless people are me.
· I am the hungry person
· The hungry person is I.
· I am the least of these.
· The least of these is me.
· I am the hypothesis.
· I am the null hypothesis
· I am all people.
· All people are me.
Written September 26, 2015
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