Beyond Superficial Growth: Exploring the Depth of Personal Development

Chapter Seven | Free One Million Minds: Beyond Progress: The Personal Depth that Society Needs

12/23/2024

Duration | 5 minutes 46 seconds
Guest: Dr. Symeon Rodger

synopsis

In this chapter, Jamie Meyer and Dr. Symeon Rodger explore the depth of personal development in Western society compared to the Eastern traditions, focusing on the limitations of mainstream self-help tools. Dr. Rodger discusses the superficial application of techniques like yoga and Tai Chi, and how a lack of depth in learning these practices can lead to a superficial understanding. They delve into the difficulty of accessing truly transformative knowledge and expertise, especially when the majority of available resources offer only surface-level insights. The conversation highlights the importance of seeking deeper, authentic experiences for personal growth.

dialogue summary

Jamie Meyer:
In your opinion, with the prevalence of “fast food” personal development alongside deeper, more profound approaches, especially when comparing Western methods with their Eastern equivalents, do you think the West has truly progressed in personal development, or are we simply “putting lipstick on a pig,” still far from achieving meaningful growth?

Dr. Symeon Rodger:
It’s a difficult question, and I’m not sure there’s one particular answer. Personal development has definitely penetrated Western society to a certain extent; much of it has gone mainstream. For example, techniques like Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) or Thought Field Therapy (TFT), which allow people to feel emotionally better within a minute, are now widely recognized and even recommended by doctors. This is progress. People are much more aware of these tools, but I think only a small percentage of the population truly understands what’s available and how powerful these techniques can be.

There’s also the issue of accessibility. For example, when you think of something as profound as yoga, most people associate it with basic exercises in a gym or yoga studio—sun salutations, downward dogs, and some meditation or breathing exercises. While these practices are useful and valuable, they don’t present the opportunity to go deeper. Most people never explore this deeper dimension, and thus, their understanding remains superficial.

I can speak from experience—after 40 years of practicing Tai Chi, I’ve only had the fortune of training with a true Tai Chi master a few times, and that was with the same individual whose expertise was far beyond the average teacher. Accessing that level of depth is rare. To truly understand these practices, one must be willing to dig deeper, to question: What are the principles behind this? How is it supposed to work?

A friend of mine, who shares my perspective on Tai Chi and has a lot of experience in Qigong, once said, “You’re one of the few people I can have this conversation with because most Tai Chi experts I know just focus on the forms—how to perform them. When I ask them to go deeper and explore the real essence, I get a blank look. This highlights a serious issue: If the teachers themselves don’t possess a deeper knowledge, it becomes difficult to go beyond the surface level of the practice.

Jamie Meyer:
That’s a really interesting rabbit hole you’ve gone down, because it seems like there’s this epidemic where everyone believes they’re an expert. They think they’re receiving the depth of experience and exposure you’re describing, and that they have access to the quality of information you’re hinting at. But in reality, that level of insight is actually quite rare.

Credits Roll

references

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is a form of psychological acupressure that uses fingertip tapping on specific meridian points to reduce emotional distress. For more information, you can refer to the book “The Tapping Solution” by Nick Ortner.

Thought Field Therapy (TFT) is another energy psychology technique that uses tapping on specific points on the body to treat psychological distress. More about TFT can be found in “The Thought Field Therapy Manual” by Roger Callahan.

Yoga and its Depth the deeper aspects of yoga, particularly the ones explored in traditional practices, are often not accessed in Western studios. For a deeper understanding, books like “The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali” by Swami Sivananda or “The Heart of Yoga” by T.K.V. Desikachar are highly recommended.