Have you ever felt that when you are around a certain group of people you are confined to a single identity that, while partially true, is not a complete representation of your 'self'?  Perhaps there are some people who think you are stupid and around them you feel...stupid.  Maybe there are some people who think you are absolutely hilarious and when you are around them, the jokes just keep flowing.  I believe there is a reason for this and it is the key to some very big ideas.

Our identities are fluid, we all know this from how different we feel day to day as we wake up.  As humans, we are complex beings and perhaps we evolve throughout our life.  Perhaps that's not the whole story.  I feel that our minds, are each a field of possibilities rather than one single or one group of identities and our present self is dictated by observation.

It is a leap, but one I am willing to take, to say that the nature of our minds is comparable or even linked to the nature of electrons on a quantum level.  A core principal of quantum physics is that when observing deeper than the atomic level we see that electrons, rather than being singular points in space/time, are a field of possibilities that become a point only when we observe them (see: Schrodinger's equation or better yet, Shrodinger's cat).  Okay.

Let's apply that abstract concept to some concrete personal experiences.

When The Help had our gigs with Radio 929, I sensed that many of the people present at the shows were looking at me (or maybe I should say observing me) in a way that was different from what I typically experience.  Rather than being some guys who are going to put on a show for their friends, we were the band that was touring through town with a snazzy Boston radio station.  All of a sudden, when talking to a bar manager or an intern or a member of the audience, I felt myself becoming constricted to an identity that didn't entirely fit my notion of who I am.  The words coming out of my mouth and the nuances of my body language seemed to fit the notions of whomever I was talking to more than my own sense of self.  Sometimes I was a nice young man playing his music and sometimes that was a rock star who looked down on others.  I felt that all the possibilities of who I am were narrowed down to the one identity I was being observed as.  On top of that, my behavior started to fit the profiles.

So think of some high school girl who is regraded by her whole class as a slut.  Sure, there is likely some truth to the rumors, but think of what happens once the brand crosses an invisible line and everyone starts to believe it.  Rather than being a complex human being in the presence of her high school class, this poor girl is pigeon-holed as a slut.  To spend every week day being looked at as a simplified character can have a dramatic impact on a person's life for better or worse.  So be careful with your mind.

If you agree with the ideas I'm putting down here, take them with you.  Think of the impact our thoughts have on each others realities and how they can result in human growth or imprisonment.  When people are talking, look at them with reverence and see if they talk more eloquently.  When making music with someone, admire their musicianship, listen to their playing and hear what happens.  When you're upset at someone, try and look at them as a complete person, not just a problem.

Hell, when the Boston Celtics are behind 11 points in the 4th quarter, and a whole stadium looks at them as champions something just might happen.  Anything is possible, right?