Become Your Own Investigative Agent

I’d like to state at the very beginning of this blog that it’s not aimed at what I refer to as a “recreational” martial artist, by which I mean a person who simply attends a class one or two times per week as a part of their schedule of numerous activities. It’s geared toward the individual who regards martial arts an integral and important part of their overall life. This having been said, it doesn’t mean the first type of person can’t get anything out of it.

Personal growth relates to your growth as an individual, not as part of a group, school, style, etc. It’s an ongoing evolutionary process, researching and developing for yourself, what you can do, not what anyone else can do. One of the best ways to do this is by becoming your own investigative agent.

Becoming your own investigative agent allows you to search for truth independently, outside of any organization, system, or style, as opposed to following a certain blueprint laid down by others. It offers you the freedom to explore something as far, as deep as you want to, and for as long as you want to or feel the need to. In short, to “enter a mold without becoming caged in it.” It will allow you to be self-sufficient (which doesn’t mean you don’t do anything with anyone else or without anyone’s help). It means using any and all means and resources at your disposal (media, friends, associates, etc.) You can fill in the blanks, as they say, on your own.

The core principle underlying becoming your own investigative agent is that of independent inquiry, which is comprised of and supported by two necessary ingredients: curiosity and critical thinking.

Curiosity guides you. However, it’s not aimless wandering, bouncing around from this art to that art. Being curious and investigating is two things; not being attached to a particular path or destination and yet always intentional about seeking out and discovering or figuring things for yourself. Curiosity begins with a question, such as “What if…?” or “How does that…?

Critical thinking is about skillfully analyzing, interpreting, verifying, assessing, and even reconstructing or restructuring the information and knowledge you discover or receive. Critical thinking will allow you to check your own beliefs, opinions, and assumptions.

Curiosity and critical thinking are complementary and fit together in a dynamic relationship like the harmonious interfusion of Yin/Yang. We need to be able to think in disciplined ways, but also have a burning curiosity and lively imagination.

A note of caution is necessary here. When working as your own investigative agent there are two major hazards to be careful of and try to avoid. The first is viewing things through any sort of ‘lens of conditioning.’ If your mind is constricted by such things as rigid thoughts and beliefs, preset ideas or preconceived notions, previous experiences, or if it’s saturated with your own expectations of how things ought to be, what something should look like, etc., it will be impossible for you to see anything clearly, because the lens will act as a filter which will distort the reality of “what is” and allow you to see only certain things or see things in a certain way. As a result, you may consider invalid or dismiss entirely anything that doesn’t fit that perspective.

The second what is known as “confirmation bias,” which refers to an individual’s tendency to search for or interpret information in a way that confirms their preconceptions, previously existing beliefs, ideals, or biases. People caught up in confirmation bias start from a conclusion; they look at things with their mind already made up on what they think or hope they will find, then search for confirming, positive evidence that supports their belief or point of view. As a result, they end up paying attention to information that upholds their ideas and beliefs and ignoring information that challenges them. Confirmation biases can affect not only how a person gets information, but also influence how they interpret it.

Being your own investigative agent is not something that comes easily. It requires self-motivation, self-discipline, and self-direction. Here are three things you can do before embarking on your path:

• Assess you level of curiosity -- Are you interested in learning new things or opening yourself up to new learning experiences?

• Assess your level of critical thinking -- When you’re learning do you engage your critical thinking to analyze and verify things, check your own beliefs, opinions, etc.?

• Assess your learning style or preference -- For instance, some people prefer a more formal education setting whereas others are auto-didacts. For some people their learning preference is visual, while for others it’s auditory or kinesthetic.

As I said at the beginning of this blog, personal growth is about you. Take responsibility for your own personal development from start to finish. Don’t put it into the hands of anyone else. Refuse to be stuck in any kind of box. Pursue knowledge and understanding for yourself. Investigate whatever you want to for however long you want to. Learn from whoever, or whatever you can, at your own rate, in your own way. Combine and interfuse your curiosity and critical thinking. Use the ‘laboratory method’ to test things out and find out what works and what doesn’t work for you. Hey, Bruce Lee became his own investigative agent and look at how much he achieved. Why not do the same for yourself?