Educational articles

Rasa Baltė Balčiūnienė
Founder of HAI Institute, business psychologist

The human brain can operate in automatic or experiential mode. Automatic functioning is based on patterns, stereotypes and repetition: we learn certain ways of doing things and automatically repeat them. This helps us save energy and speed up processes.

Experiential functioning allows us to listen to our body, its signals and states, to feel not only ourselves but also our environment. By being aware of these senses, we can find solutions in non-standard and critical situations, see new possibilities, discover unexpected ideas. If a person lives in a routine for a long time and uses only the automatic mode of functioning, life begins to seem boring, limited and activities no longer bring the desired results. Then it is necessary to "switch" to the experiential mode, as this is the way to feel pleasure. If we do not experience pleasure, aesthetics, inspiration, we cannot create and grow. I am not talking about the superficial experience of pleasure, but about the deeper levels of pleasure.

The first level of pleasure is physiological. These are the pleasures that enhance our vitality: a beautiful space, good food, good quality, beautiful clothes, etc. Beauty and quality enhance human existence and inspire action. After all, there is a difference between leisurely eating your favourite meal in a restaurant and hurriedly grabbing a hot dog at a petrol station. The food we eat, the clothes we wear, the way our bodies feel. And if we know how to make the right choices, we have more energy to achieve our goals.

The second level of pleasure is emotional. The things that inspire us: beautiful places in nature, works of art - all the things that arouse wonder and stimulate a higher quality of life. It is important to spend some time on the rituals of experiencing beauty. A visit to an exhibition, a sunset or an interesting book works wonders. We evolve through the experience of beauty.

The third level of pleasure is ethical-moral. It is the satisfaction of one's activity or work. It is the pleasure we feel when our actions, ideas, decisions contribute to the growth and well-being of a larger group (organisation, city, country, etc.). And it matters to us.

The fourth level of pleasure is the intellectual pleasure of knowledge. We experience it by developing our intellect, learning about life's phenomena and situations, seeing their deep causes, feeling how unexpected insights are born. New knowledge may not have a practical application at the time, but it expands our thinking.

The fifth level of pleasure is historical-economic. This is the pleasure we take in contributing to a better quality of life for future generations through our activities. It may not bring financial returns, but it is focused on the unconscious needs of a larger system or group and creates long-term benefits for society. This level goes beyond the third.

So, what we 'feed' the psyche is what we become. The more aesthetics, cognition and quality pleasures, the more opportunities for success and creativity. And the more successful one is, the more value one creates for others.