The Real World Defined

The real world is the world as it really is, not as we believe it is or think it should be. This is an important definition to keep in mind. We will come back to it later.

After I left Franklin Covey, some friends and I started a new venture called the Galileo Initiative. Why did we call our new little venture Galileo? As I’m sure you know, Galileo was an Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who played a major role in the Scientific Revolution. His achievements include improvements to the telescope and the consequent astronomical observations, and he has been called the “father of science.”

Until the time of Galileo, most people in the Western world believed that the earth was the center of the universe and the sun went around the earth. Actually, in the early sixteenth century, it was Copernicus who first stated that the earth revolved around the sun. He died in 1543, just twenty years before Galileo was born. With the exception of a few, no one took his theory seriously. Then Galileo came along and said, “Hey, I’ve improved the telescope! I’ve done the math! I can prove that the earth is going around the sun!”

How did the world react to this new concept? Galileo was ridiculed, put on trial, convicted of heresy, and excommunicated from the church. He spent the last fifteen years of his life under house arrest, as a condemned heretic. But . . . he was right. He had the correct perception of the real world. That’s what the Reality Model helps us do: it helps us to see the world as it really is.

Before we get into the nuts and bolts of the Reality Model, I would like to define three more words that will be used in our discussion.

Principles

Once we see how things really are, we begin to perceive the principles our beliefs are based upon. Principles are what we believe to be true about ourselves, and what we believe about the world and our place in it. The principles we follow don’t change based on how our outside circumstances influence us. Correct principles can give us direction as we make life decisions. They are guideposts that help us successfully navigate the bombardment of change we are experiencing every day.

Natural Laws

Natural laws are fundamental patterns of nature and life that human experience has shown to be valid. Natural laws are rarely if ever changed or influenced to move in a different direction. We cannot change these laws to be what we want because they are universal and affect everyone. Choosing to accept or reject these laws will have an impact on the choices we make and the consequences of those choices.

Addiction

Here is my definition: addiction is compulsive behavior with short-term benefits and long-term destruction. This is not a book on addiction, and this is not a dictionary definition of addiction, but the purpose of my definition will become evident as you continue.

When I say the word addiction, most people start thinking about drugs and alcohol. Abusing these substances does in fact represent addictive behavior. But alcoholism and drug abuse are only two of many different kinds of addictive behaviors. Think about other kinds of addictive behaviors: exercising too much, working too hard, and overeating, among others! There are many different addictive behaviors.

Now that we have defined the real world, principles, natural laws, and addictions, you are ready to be introduced to the Reality Model. As you read, remember these definitions. They will be instrumental in understanding and applying the model effectively.