How does entrainment effect your life?

In case you’re wondering, no, I didn’t misspell entertainment.

One definition of the word entrainment is the process whereby two interacting oscillating systems assume the same period. An example of this is if you mount two clock pendulums side by side on the wall, they will gradually begin to swing together. They synchronize each other by picking up tiny vibrations they each transmit through the wall.

They synchronized by picking up tiny vibrations they each transmit through the wall. I find that fascinating.

Author Ursula Le Guin described this beautifully when she wrote, “any two things that oscillate at about the same interval, if they’re physically near each other, will gradually tend to lock in and pulse at exactly the same interval. Things are lazy. It takes less energy to pulse cooperatively than to pulse in opposition. Physicists call this beautiful, economical laziness mutual phase locking, or entrainment.”

Why am I sharing this with you?

If you’ve heard the phrases, birds of a feather flock together, or, you are the sum of the five closest people to you, then this is entrainment at work in your life. But I’d like to expand on the previous phrases and tell you that you’re also the sum of the ideas you spend time with.

As Le Guin said, it takes less energy to pulse cooperatively than to pulse in the opposition. You don’t have the energy to continuously fight against or disagree with the people or ideas you spend time with, so eventually, you have few choices. Succumb, cooperate, fall in step, or change the people and ideas you surround yourself with.

It’s not easy leaving the people or ideas you’re comfortable with, but if you ever really want to change your life, it will require you to do so. And if you can’t do so physically, then at least mentally via whatever resources or medium is available to you.

So, if you find yourself seeking change in your life, you need to spend as much time as you can immersing yourself in the people and ideas that have already accomplished what you’re seeking to do. At first, this will feel daunting, but with enough time, you’ll find yourself in entrainment or in sync with your new environment.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it, please share it with one person you love.