I like reading what Vicki Johnson has to say. She's got this nifty personality test result on her page which, along with her recent post about her re-taken test results being a little bit less introverted, made me want to re-take my own test by the same website. Those results should be floating somewhere on the right hand side of this page.
However, I noticed on the personality test, many of the statements/questions are false dichotomies. For example, a statement may read "I value... A) mercy B) justice." This statement is tough, because it's not a value-driven response to reply with one or the other. Truly the question should be "Which do you value MORE: mercy or justice?", for without one, you can't understand the other. Pastor Gorrell gave a great sermon this morning about Acts 2:37-41, citing John Calvin's sermons emphasizing the necessity of the conviction and grave realization of one's sin against a holy God for the sinner's repentance and His subsequent forgiveness to be true.
For the record, I choose mercy.
"Neural plasticity" is one of those super-cool and pretentious scientific phrases that psychologists like to throw around to sound legitimate. It's actually a real thing; I just like bashing psychology back into its place. (After all, psychology, being the "study of the soul," is a pretty obnoxiously arrogant effort, apart from the Word of God.) Neural plasticity is also one of those self-referential phrases like pedophile ("child-lover") or orthodox ("straight belief")-- "neural" refers to the neural system of the human body and "plasticity" refers to the flexibility of an object. Put together, this phenomenon is the changeability of the brain.
Neural plasticity also isn't about the changes children go through during puberty when their pre-frontal cortices develop, or about temporary changes from a bad cold or PMS or depression or a head-ache. Neural plasticity doesn't concern itself with the case of Phineas Gage, the American miner of the 19th century who survived having blown a hole through his brain in a terrible railroad-constructing accident and who subsequently and spookily changed his act from responsible and godly man to lamesauce angry bum. Neural plasticity is the slow and steady long-term change in a person's tastes, desires, attitudes, dreams, humor, among other things.
To throw in a cool example, the very first time I was turned on to this idea was not from a Psychology classroom, but from an awesome lady while in Prague. Mrs. Scipione travels with her husband George every year to work the soil of the Czech Republic by providing seminars and biblical counseling while George Scipione does the same and helps supply the pulpit. [They actually are inspirational to my goals of ministry!] These two were an absolute delight to be around. Mr. Scipione has such a quick wit with words, he'd always slip in one or two or even three puns in normal conversation and then don this huge grin while you were stuck trying to figure out what was missed. Mrs. Scipione said that this very trait of his that especially endeared him to me used to irk her, but that over time she decided to love it anyways. Now, she says, she's just as quick to return a volley of puns!
This plasticity of the brain is excellent--we're not tied down to any one thing. Biologically, mid-life crises that result in career changes are OKAY, because you can learn how to do something entirely different. The adage "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" might apply to canines, but God has bigger plans for us. And how blessed that He converts sinners not only for salvation in light of eternity, but also salvation in this life! This could go much farther philosophically, because one of the big topics of philosophy argues about one's personal identity-- if you're defined by your memories and actions and you're converted to Christ, are you a new person? But I'm not going to go there today.
The scary flip-side to neural plasticity is the fact that we're wired to be practicers. Everything you do makes you just a little bit better at doing just that. Reading comprehension, riding a bike without holding the handlebars, making coffee, singing, washing a car, doing laundry, or building a chair--doing any of these will make you more efficient. You never stop practicing.
This is sobering, because some of us (cough... me) don't have a Puritan work ethic of total productivity. It's sometimes hard to justify watching TV or a movie. But I need to remember that God gave us a day of rest: one in seven. Even still, my conscience binds me by reminding me that leisure time doesn't have to be spent in relaxation: even movies or TV shows or art exhibits or reading can be done thoughtfully, with a critical eye, in order to discern goodness, truth, and beauty. When, then, shall the mind rest? In sleep every night.
Jesus touches on this when He replies to the legalistic Pharisees trying to undercut Jesus' authority by calling Him the Son of Beelzebub by saying "O generation of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things; and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things." -Matthew 12:34-35
If "out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks," then we must be careful what we intake and stew within our hearts, that our mouths may not become accustomed to speaking evilly.
But thanks be to God! This story has the most beautiful of endings. Though God made man to be changeable, his Master doesn't change.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and for ever. -Hebrews 13:8
"For I am the LORD, I change not. Therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed." -Malachi 3:6
Praise my soul the King of heaven!
To His feet your tribute bring.
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Who, like me, His praise should sing?
Praise Him, praise Him, praise Him, praise Him,
praise the everlasting King! (red #76)
However, I noticed on the personality test, many of the statements/questions are false dichotomies. For example, a statement may read "I value... A) mercy B) justice." This statement is tough, because it's not a value-driven response to reply with one or the other. Truly the question should be "Which do you value MORE: mercy or justice?", for without one, you can't understand the other. Pastor Gorrell gave a great sermon this morning about Acts 2:37-41, citing John Calvin's sermons emphasizing the necessity of the conviction and grave realization of one's sin against a holy God for the sinner's repentance and His subsequent forgiveness to be true.
For the record, I choose mercy.
"Neural plasticity" is one of those super-cool and pretentious scientific phrases that psychologists like to throw around to sound legitimate. It's actually a real thing; I just like bashing psychology back into its place. (After all, psychology, being the "study of the soul," is a pretty obnoxiously arrogant effort, apart from the Word of God.) Neural plasticity is also one of those self-referential phrases like pedophile ("child-lover") or orthodox ("straight belief")-- "neural" refers to the neural system of the human body and "plasticity" refers to the flexibility of an object. Put together, this phenomenon is the changeability of the brain.
Neural plasticity also isn't about the changes children go through during puberty when their pre-frontal cortices develop, or about temporary changes from a bad cold or PMS or depression or a head-ache. Neural plasticity doesn't concern itself with the case of Phineas Gage, the American miner of the 19th century who survived having blown a hole through his brain in a terrible railroad-constructing accident and who subsequently and spookily changed his act from responsible and godly man to lamesauce angry bum. Neural plasticity is the slow and steady long-term change in a person's tastes, desires, attitudes, dreams, humor, among other things.
To throw in a cool example, the very first time I was turned on to this idea was not from a Psychology classroom, but from an awesome lady while in Prague. Mrs. Scipione travels with her husband George every year to work the soil of the Czech Republic by providing seminars and biblical counseling while George Scipione does the same and helps supply the pulpit. [They actually are inspirational to my goals of ministry!] These two were an absolute delight to be around. Mr. Scipione has such a quick wit with words, he'd always slip in one or two or even three puns in normal conversation and then don this huge grin while you were stuck trying to figure out what was missed. Mrs. Scipione said that this very trait of his that especially endeared him to me used to irk her, but that over time she decided to love it anyways. Now, she says, she's just as quick to return a volley of puns!
This plasticity of the brain is excellent--we're not tied down to any one thing. Biologically, mid-life crises that result in career changes are OKAY, because you can learn how to do something entirely different. The adage "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" might apply to canines, but God has bigger plans for us. And how blessed that He converts sinners not only for salvation in light of eternity, but also salvation in this life! This could go much farther philosophically, because one of the big topics of philosophy argues about one's personal identity-- if you're defined by your memories and actions and you're converted to Christ, are you a new person? But I'm not going to go there today.
The scary flip-side to neural plasticity is the fact that we're wired to be practicers. Everything you do makes you just a little bit better at doing just that. Reading comprehension, riding a bike without holding the handlebars, making coffee, singing, washing a car, doing laundry, or building a chair--doing any of these will make you more efficient. You never stop practicing.
This is sobering, because some of us (cough... me) don't have a Puritan work ethic of total productivity. It's sometimes hard to justify watching TV or a movie. But I need to remember that God gave us a day of rest: one in seven. Even still, my conscience binds me by reminding me that leisure time doesn't have to be spent in relaxation: even movies or TV shows or art exhibits or reading can be done thoughtfully, with a critical eye, in order to discern goodness, truth, and beauty. When, then, shall the mind rest? In sleep every night.
Jesus touches on this when He replies to the legalistic Pharisees trying to undercut Jesus' authority by calling Him the Son of Beelzebub by saying "O generation of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things; and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things." -Matthew 12:34-35
If "out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks," then we must be careful what we intake and stew within our hearts, that our mouths may not become accustomed to speaking evilly.
But thanks be to God! This story has the most beautiful of endings. Though God made man to be changeable, his Master doesn't change.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and for ever. -Hebrews 13:8
"For I am the LORD, I change not. Therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed." -Malachi 3:6
Praise my soul the King of heaven!
To His feet your tribute bring.
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Who, like me, His praise should sing?
Praise Him, praise Him, praise Him, praise Him,
praise the everlasting King! (red #76)
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