Want To Dodge Bullets? Maybe You Don’t Have To!
February 22nd, 2008
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Image from The Matrix (1999).
There’s a scene in The Matrix where Morpheus is explaining to Neo how they’ve been hiding from the invincible agents who rule the Matrix. He says that a prophecy has foretold of someone known as “the One,” who Morpheus believes to be Neo, and who has the power to destroy the agents and save the human race (no pressure). Morpheus says:
“I won’t lie to you, Neo. Every single man or woman who has stood their ground, everyone who has fought an agent has died…I’ve seen an agent punch through a concrete wall. Men have emptied entire clips at them and hit nothing but air. Yet their strength and their speed are still based in a world that is built on rules. Because of that, they will never be as strong or as fast as you can be.”
“What are you trying to tell me? That I can dodge bullets?”
“No, Neo. I’m trying to tell you that when you’re ready, you won’t have to.”
It isn’t exactly clear what Morpheus means until the end. Neo is shot by Agent Smith and confirmed dead. But then Trinity tells him that the Oracle told her that the man she loved was the One, so he can’t be dead. When Neo realizes that he’s the One and the rules of the Matrix don’t apply to him, he gets up, uses his mind to stop the bullets fired by the three agents, sees through the illusion of the Matrix to the streaming green code behind it, effortlessly blocks Agent Smith’s punches with one hand, then jumps inside Agent Smith’s body and explodes him from the inside. Woah.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is what we refer to as a quantum leap, a sudden and profound jump from one state to another. Neo started out not believing that he could ever be able to dodge bullets, then at some point his powers suddenly expanded so much that dodging bullets was beneath him. There were many steps in between that led up to this, but it culminated in a quantum leap—that one instant when Neo accepted that he was the One. Now he’s forever changed and can’t go back.
OK, this makes for a good example, but it’s just a movie. Let’s look at a real world example.
One of my hobbies is juggling. In college, my roommate and I had learned how to juggle three clubs individually, but we wanted to learn how to pass. This means that instead of juggling by yourself, every right hand throw or every other right hand throw passes a club to the other person. We saw in a video that it looked pretty cool, and we decided to give it a try.
It was very unnatural at first and it took us a while to get started, especially since we were both left-handed (we had to do it right-handed or we’d never be able to pass with anyone else). It took some time before we were able to pass even once. With some more practice we were able to pass a few times before dropping, and eventually we could consistently keep it going for a while before it fell apart.
Although we were getting better, my roommate said that we’d never be able to pass like the people in the video. He said that maybe if we practiced really hard and had a lucky run, we might be able to pull off 20 passes, but that was about it. And I agreed with him. We had made a lot of progress, but it was still very hard. We could continue to get better with practice, but realistically we weren’t going to get a hundred times better. Other people told us this as well.
What I hadn’t counted on was a quantum leap.
We stopped practicing at some point, never having been able to pass very well. But a few years later I met some people who had been passing for years, and I practiced with them. I don’t remember how long it took, but at some point it just clicked. It no longer seemed that every pass was a desperate Hail Mary, but time slowed down and it just came naturally. Today I can pass as long as I want to, and it gets boring unless I throw in some under-the-leg passes, left hand passes, and double spins. Aspiring to make 20 regular passes now seems like a joke.
Quantum leaps are much more likely to happen with mental abilities than with physical ones. You’re not likely to instantly lose 100 pounds, double your bench press weight, or cut two minutes off your mile. Why is that? Because your body is based in a world that is built on rules. Because of that, it will never be as strong or as fast as your mind can be.
Juggling may seem like a physical activity, but it’s predominantly mental. The reason I’m able to pass clubs is not because I increased my strength or my endurance. It’s not even really because I improved my accuracy, although that’s part of it. The main thing that happened is that I just learned how to pass! It was like flipping a switch on in my brain. Suddenly I just got it, and now it’s hard to understand why I couldn’t do it before.
You’ve surely made some quantum leaps in your life. Some common ones are learning how to walk, read, or ride a bike. Maybe you’ve made the quantum leap of going away to college, getting married, or having a baby. A lot of quantum leaps happen naturally, without a lot of forethought. Toddlers learn to walk because trying to is instinctive, they don’t have much else to do, and they don’t remember that it hurts when they fall. People get married because one day after spending years together, it just seems like the right thing to do.
But many quantum leaps aren’t inevitable. While nature and society deserve most of the credit for you learning how to walk and going off to college, it’s up to you to decide if you want to become super confident, develop a positive attitude, become self-employed, or establish healthy eating habits. How do you consciously initiate a quantum leap?
The main thing is to be aware that personal development often occurs in quantum leaps, as opposed to continuous growth. You can put in a lot of effort without seeing any results, but that doesn’t mean that you’re not making progress. Something’s happening inside your brain; it just hasn’t manifested in the physical world yet. At some point something clicks and you’re able to make the quantum leap. It won’t necessarily be an instantaneous shift, but once you see how it’s going to happen, the shift will happen relatively quickly compared to all the effort that led up to that moment.
Consider this:
At 211 degrees, water is hot.
At 212 degrees, it boils.
And with boiling water, comes steam.
And with steam, you can power a train.
One extra degree makes all the difference.
So don’t give up because your efforts don’t seem to be producing results. Just keep going. The bullets may seem impossibly fast, but if you keep trying to dodge them, maybe one day you’ll find that you don’t have to.
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February 22nd, 2008 at 3:22 am
Hi Hunter,
Great post. I didn’t know it had the name of “quantum leap”, but I remember when I went back to college, I tested into advanced algebra. But when I got into the class I didn’t understand a word the professor was saying. I was barely getting a passing grade on the weekly quizzes, and thought of dropping the class. Then one day, it clicked, and I realized “I know this”. From than on, it was easy.
I really like how you wrote this post. Your writing is fabulous, but mostly, you are sharing a part of who you are with your readers. That’s great to see in a blog, and now I can hardly wait for your next post to see if you share more.
Great job, Hunter!
Barbara’s last blog post..And You Say You Are Not A Gambler
February 22nd, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Hi Hunter – this is a great post. And if we as people are capable of doing things such as learning to walk, speak English, read, write, ride a bike etc – we’re capable of pushing ourselves to achieve far greater things.
CatherineL’s last blog post..Online Marketing: The Snowdrop Effect
February 22nd, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Hunter,
Wow! A left-handed juggling blogger!
You can earn 15% more than the right-handed (according to research I’ve just been reading on Wikipedia. I agree. Perseverance is key. And two commenters here who have been advocating and encouraging patience and persistence to others and helping new bloggers are right.
I’ve had several tipping points in my life which have caused massive peaks. I’d rather not talk about the other tips which have gone south in such a positive and inspiring post!
Ian Denny’s last blog post..The Best Bloggers Are Left handed
February 22nd, 2008 at 11:44 pm
@ Barbara, the term “quantum leap” comes from physics, referring to when an electron jumps from one energy level to another instantaneously. It’s like shifting from 1st gear to 2nd gear, with no in-between.
Your story reminded me of another story I heard about a quantum leap. I was going to put it here in the comments, but then I realized I can probably turn it into a full post. Thanks!
And thanks for the other thing you said. I try to inject relevant stories into posts whenever I can. I like to see it on other blogs (like yours), because I think that’s what makes things interesting. People can go too far by talking about themselves too much and getting off-topic, or by sharing things about themselves that don’t interest many other people, but a blog without any personality is no fun.
However, I’m a little concerned by your comment “I can hardly wait for your next post to see if you share more.” And that’s just because I like to under-promise and over-deliver. This post is one of my favorites so far, and I’m very glad you appreciate it. But I don’t get ideas like this very often, and I can’t repeatedly crank out posts like this. I’d rather that people expect good posts and occasionally be surprised by a great one, than expect great posts and routinely be disappointed.
Having said that, my next post happens to be a very special one. Don’t miss it!
@ Catherine, uh-oh, is hell freezing over? You said “great post!” [Inside joke: Catherine is quite vocal about hating spam comments that say nothing but "great post."] I noticed that those things you listed (walking, speaking, reading, writing, and riding a bike) all have something in common–you learn them when you’re a kid. And yet these are some of the most difficult quantum leaps that people usually make. Do adults stop trying?
@ Ian, I hadn’t heard about lefties earning 15% more than right-handers. If I print your post and take it to my boss, I wonder if he’ll agree to an instant 15% raise (probably not). I also wonder how much of that difference is explained by career choice vs. performance.
You have a good point–you can make a quantum leap in a bad direction, like deciding to become a Nazi. Fortunately, those cases are less common. You never forget how to ride a bike.
February 23rd, 2008 at 3:45 am
Hunter,
You’re under pressure now. We know you can write fantastic posts, and won’t let you sell yourself short. Just kidding, I’ll come and visit even if you write a funny poem as I do from time to time.
BTW: Did that teacher of yours ever find out that you have a blog and are writing again? I hope so. She would be proud.
Barbara’s last blog post..And You Say You Are Not A Gambler
February 23rd, 2008 at 5:24 am
The principles behind this post make me think of the Law of Attraction and the point at which you just need to let go and believe. A lot of people think that everything takes hard work and feel as though they need to figure out exactly how they are going to achieve all their goals in minute detail. But if you just believe, when the time comes it will just happen, and you may find that the bullets were never there in the first place.
Caroline Middlebrook’s last blog post..Are You Remembering to Build Assets & Skills?
February 23rd, 2008 at 9:49 pm
@ Barbara, it’s funny that you mentioned funny poems. I’ve thought about writing a haiku if I ever had writer’s block! No, I haven’t been able to find the teacher I mentioned in Other People Will Reveal Your Calling, If You Listen. I did manage to get in touch with another former teacher of mine, but that’s a story for another day.
@ Caroline, that’s interesting. I wasn’t thinking about the Law of Attraction specifically, though it’s an apt comparison. But I think many quantum leaps require less faith than the Law of Attraction does. Someone who keeps trying to learn to ride a bike will eventually succeed, whether they believe they can or not. However, when making those more difficult quantum leaps, it’s a huge advantage to just believe that things will work out, instead of trying to figure out every step of the way in advance.
February 25th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
I agree with Barbara and Catherine, great job on the writing for this post. Everything comes together very nicely.
As for Quantum Leap, that brings to mind the time-traveling show (great show, alternate time-lines, etc.)
As for the idea itself, very interesting indeed. Sometimes it’s called an epiphany, other times, lightbulb clicked in his head, etc. Yes, most of us have a number of these, especially as children, but also throughout our lives.
Re: juggling, you still had to practice a lot, correct? That became part of your “muscle memory” and like training for dance or martial arts, after a period of inactivity you were able to recall it, and improve upon it — classic case of “hitting the plateau”, but then after a while, ascending again. It probably helped that you had other people to juggle with, much like a dancer or martial artist will improve by dancing/sparring with different partners. You get used to each other’s “mistakes” if you practice with the same person all the time.
I don’t buy the whole “law” of attraction, other than keeping a positive attitude, working hard, but also taking the occasional breather to let things “sink in”.
Anyway, thanks for the cool post!
Nez’s last blog post..Dungeons and Dragons in Real Life
February 25th, 2008 at 9:28 pm
@ Nez, I’ve never seen the show Quantum Leap, but it’s interesting that it involves a leap in time, as opposed to in physics where it’s a leap in energy, or as opposed to how I’m using it here (a leap in ability or situation). The principle is the same in that it’s an instantaneous jump instead of continuous change.
I still had to practice juggling, yes. I put in continuous effort except for that one long break, but I think a lot of it came back to me pretty quickly. Another reason I think it helped to practice with someone else is because I could see that it was definitely possible, and in fact not even that hard.
Glad you liked the post!
March 24th, 2008 at 1:58 am
[...] Related reading: Want To Dodge Bullets? Maybe You Don’t Have To! [...]
April 11th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Hunter I find it hard to top what the others have said about this post, I do know that I like your style and will keep reading.
April 11th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
Thanks Laurie, I’m very glad you like it.
March 15th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
I have a guest post (hibernating) that I have for which I’ll submit to some personal-development blog out there. Actually, the premise of my post is pretty much what yours is.
In fact… I may modify my post in order to include a quote from your post.
This is really good stuff. I totally enjoyed this presentation.
I do agree. Spiritual growth is often about making tremendous effort over a long period of time, and then suddenly having a “quantum leap” as you put it.
Here’s the thing to remember though: That quantum leap was dependent upon all that previous effort that was seemingly done in vain.
That’s pretty heavy stuff.
Bamboo Forest – PunIntended´s last blog post..A Rushing River is The Ultimate Metaphor For a Wise Life
March 16th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
@ Bamboo, you know how they say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results? It’s not true. Because when something doesn’t produce any visible results, that doesn’t mean that nothing happened. Those efforts just have to build up before the quantum leap can occur. Heavy stuff indeed.
April 12th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
This is my favorite post so far.
This is something people have to know b4 they can improve.
It brought my mind back to my 6th grade summer, when I made the decision that I was going to be thin and dropped about thirty pounds. But it wasn’t until I gave the extra degree(into my 8th grade summer), that I actually became not only thin, but a balanced level of thin and healthy. It took a lot of work b4 I got my Quantum leap.
I want to watch the Matrix, now. I had intended 2…..
April 12th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
@ Lori, that’s how it goes – it’s a lot of work before the quantum leap. To everyone else, it looks like it happened instantly. But you know better!