Unspoken Bargains
(Tricks of the unconscious)
Source: Generated by AI.
In any interaction there are unconscious bargains at work. These are driving forces. Mechanical in nature, they require no thought. They are deep-rooted, neurological patterns of behavior that are often survival based.
The need for “nutrition” drives us, whether food for the stomach, emotions for the heart, or impressions for mind and soul. We need these foods to survive and thrive. In almost every interaction there is an instinctive and an emotional “bargain” going on beneath the surface. These are often hidden within social conventions.
For example, someone comes for a visit. Typically we offer them a drink, perhaps some food, place them in a comfortable chair. We take care of their instinctive needs with the unconscious hope that they will repay us with an emotional reward. The stories they bring, the laughter, the gossip, the tragedy, the things we share, are all examples of the emotional food and psychic energy upon which we dine.
Conversely, in sales, a good salesman will strive to create an emotional bond with the client, in the hopes that they will favor him with an instinctive reward, (i.e. an order).
These are some of the more obvious, but unspoken arrangements that underlie human interactions.
From Loy; In The Forests Of The Mind:
The paths we travel become the thoughts we think,
The thoughts we think create the paths we travel.
Yet we think we choose. —Maelo
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