Summary

The article draws parallels between Schrodinger's cat experiment and life lessons on happiness and fear, emphasizing the power of choice in shaping our emotional states and facing our fears.

Abstract

The author of the article uses Schrodinger's cat thought experiment as a metaphor to illustrate two profound life lessons. The first lesson connects the concept of superposition from quantum physics to human emotions, suggesting that like the cat in the box, we can choose to focus on positive emotions, effectively 'collapsing' the wave function of our mental state into one of happiness and hope. The second lesson pertains to fear and decision-making, where the cat's uncertain state before the box is opened represents our apprehension about making choices that could lead to success or failure. The article encourages readers to embrace the uncertainty and make decisions, as avoiding them prevents the possibility of success. The overarching message is that our choices can significantly influence our mental health and life trajectories, advocating for intentionality in selecting our emotional focus and the actions we take.

Opinions

The author believes that our minds can hold multiple emotions in superposition, and by choosing to focus on happiness, we can override negative emotions.
It is implied that in times of emotional trauma, remembering and focusing on positive experiences can help maintain mental health.
The article posits that fear often stems from the uncertainty of outcomes, and that by not making decisions, we deny ourselves the chance of success.
The author suggests that taking risks and making decisions is an act of bravery, not recklessness.
The piece concludes that the intersection of quantum physics and human emotions can provide valuable insights into our behavior and decision-making processes.

The 2 Most Important Life Lessons I Learned From Schrodinger’s Cat Experiment

About Happiness and Fear

For everyone who is not familiar with the Schrodinger’s cat experiment here is a very brief explanation in the simplest of terms —

In 1935, Erwin Schrodinger in an attempt to criticize Copenhagen interpretation of quantum physics proposed an experiment where a cat is placed in a box with the sealed vial of poison that will break open at a random time since no one knows if and when the poison is released until the box is opened the cat can be thought of as both, alive and dead.

The point being the existence of the cat is both, alive and dead till the box is closed, it is only by opening the box that we can know which is which.

Now one would think what does this scientific experiment have anything to do with one’s state of mind, but I would disagree —

The connection between Schrodinger’s theory and Happiness —

By analogy to the “thought experiment” let’s consider our emotions —

The experiment says that the cat can be in multiple states i.e. in superposition at the same time.

Similarly, as human beings, our mind is a battlefield for complicated emotions. We experience millions of emotions on day to day basis. We are sad, angry, tired, content, happy, all of it at the same time. All these emotions are in superposition in our minds, existing at the same time. For example —

EXPERIMENT SETTING:

When overbearing grief envelopes us or when one is in a stressful situation, we tend to focus on the crisis because our survival instincts tell us to concentrate on the bad, the severe. It’s only natural to do so. These are the times when one’s mental health takes a toll. These severe emotional traumas may lead to depression or emotional unavailability.

THE APPLICATION OF THE THEORY:

In such high-pressure situations, we tend to forget that all those other pleasant emotions are still buried deep inside in our conscious, those small wins are still lingering in the back, still in superposition; just seeking an appropriate access point.

So if we choose happiness, if we intentionally choose to focus on the good parts, the small wins. If we choose that our mind (the cat if you may) is, in fact, alive then by the extension of your choice all other states such as grief, regret, sadness, exhaustion collapse and you are left with the new possibility of hope.

Every day is a simple choice, you can choose to be happy, to be productive, to be more than what you were. So choose, and choose wisely.

“You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.”― Rabindranath Tagore

The connection between Schrodinger’s theory and Fear —

Now by analogy to the “thought experiment” let’s consider our fears —

The experiment states that the cat can be in either state before we open the box and only our decision or lack of it, forces the cat to be either dead or alive.

Similarly, we are constantly living in the fear of our choices; contemplating the what-ifs, deducing if that one particular decision that we are dreading will go in a positive way or negative. For example —

EXPERIMENT SETTING:

As humans, we are afraid to try something new because that something new forces us out of our comfort zone while threatening our well-established routine. The fear of change or fear of failure seems so tremendous that we don't even weigh on the possibility of success. We never make that decision to change the outcome of our life trajectory. And when no decision is made to inspect what you fear. There is no scope for success. It is the inspection that forces the probability of one state (success /failure)to collapse and forces the other to come to fruition.

THE APPLICATION OF THE THEORY:

But until we take the risk, until we take that leap into the faith, until we open the box; we will never know what lies across that finish line — Reward or disappointment.

The point is to try and make that decision. Because opening the box doesn’t make you reckless it makes you brave.

“One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t do.” — Henry Ford

WRAPPING UP

There are many theories in which science is reflected in the human psyche. And this simple yet complex experiment is an example of one of those theories. To believe in the science of physics or of emotions is an individual choice.

However the ultimate truth lies in our capacity to process knowledge and information, and to act on it. It’s irrelevant if it’s through the lens of quantum physics or human emotions.