Distill big concepts into either words or short phrases.

Distillation is the work of thinkers, teachers, philosophers, psychologists, and anyone in a qualitative field where stories and concepts are the primary means of delivering insight. The breaking down of ideas into short, identifiable names or phrases is what allows us to build greater conceptual realities and frameworks of thinking.

I wrote about the concept of naming in my post about AQ (Adamic Quotient); there, I pointed to instances in philosophical dialectics that explicitly birthed concepts we still use today in modernity.

Classical Distillations

• Plato's allegory of the cave
  • A metaphor for human perception, suggesting that most people live in a state of ignorance, only perceiving shadows of the true reality.
• Aristotle's Golden Mean
  • The idea that virtue lies between extremes of excess and deficiency.
• Dharma (Hinduism, Buddhism)
  • The principle of cosmic order, duty, and righteousness, guiding the ethical and moral life.
• Wu Wei (Taoism)
  • The concept of "non-action" or "effortless action," emphasizing alignment with the natural flow of the universe.
• Epicureanism
  • The philosophy of seeking pleasure in moderation and avoiding pain, often encapsulated in "simple pleasures."
• Hobbes' Leviathan
  • The concept of a social contract where individuals give up some freedoms to a powerful sovereign in exchange for security.

Modern Distillations

• Parts work
  • A therapeutic approach that views the mind as being composed of various parts, each with its own perspective and purpose.
• Cognitive Dissonance (Leon Festinger)
  • The mental discomfort experienced when holding two or more contradictory beliefs, often summarized as "mental conflict."
• Shoshin (Zen Buddhism)
  • The concept of "beginner's mind," which emphasizes an attitude of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions when studying a subject.
• Ikigai (Japanese)
  • A Japanese concept meaning "a reason for being," which refers to the things that give your life value, meaning, and purpose.
• Ahimsa (Mahatma Gandhi)
  • The principle of non-violence, which Gandhi elevated to a political and ethical doctrine. It emphasizes love and respect for all living beings and was central to Gandhi's approach to social and political change.
• Growth Mindset (Carol Dweck)
  • The belief that abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work.
• Marshall McLuhan's The Medium is the Message
  • The idea that the form of a medium embeds itself in the message, influencing how the message is perceived.
• Sigmund Freud's Id, Ego, and Superego
  • The three parts of the human psyche that interact to shape behavior and personality.

I love the distillation of ideas, absolutely love it. The fact that we can capture big unwieldy stories and place them in a digestible container that we can then ship, package, and distribute to others via conversation.

Sometimes concepts don't fit neatly into a few words but instead into a phrase. Jordan Peterson's first chapter in 12 Rules For Life, titled "Stand up straight with your shoulders back," comes to mind. The phrase captures his broader exploration into the deep, evolutionary importance of posturing oneself with integrity to survive in a fundamentally hierarchical society. Ram Dass's "Be Here Now," though admittedly more succinct, captures the broader importance of awareness and presence in each moment as well as the trappings of the past and future realms.

A coach I've worked with for years has shared some simple phrases that have served as powerful reference points at critical junctures in my work and mental attitude. At first, they struck me as unsophisticated, and my inner snob was suspicious that phrases so simple had any value. I am happy to report that simple does not mean ineffective, and that being a snob is ultimately a symptom of close-mindedness. Here are a few of those phrases that have helped me:

Do what you CAN do
Cheerful, firm, and early
3 times, that's your answer

When in a depressive state, I would compound my pain by doling frustration on myself for not doing enough. The phrase "Do what you CAN do" was something I could leverage to make my best effort within my limits. "Cheerful, firm, and early" has served me as a framework that I use to communicate my wants and needs with others, especially in the workplace. It took me some time before I could approach colleagues with a cheerful attitude to make adjustments or requests, including uncomfortable negotiations with employers for a raise. "3 times, that's your answer" has helped me escape loops of frustration when it comes to expectations from other people. If someone repeats a behavior 3 times, expect it to continue. Rather than hope that a person might change — whether it's arriving on time to an event or completing a deliverable at work on time — I can learn to expect such a behavior and either work with it or around it. These small phrases have allowed me to reclaim agency.

Distilled phrases don't have to come from an external source. We can conjure our own phrases, our distillations, to help us navigate the world. The idea of AQ was one of mine, one that reminds me of the importance of naming, the power of conceptual distillation in mapping out our world and empowering us to navigate through it.

What concepts will you distill?