Years ago, a friend and I were in the car, iPod
plugged into the stereo system, singing and laughing. The playlist shuffled to
a song by Van McCoy. He was predominantly a songwriter and producer, but in
1975 he had a hit that went to #1 and won a Grammy.
We were both singing…
Do do do do do do do do do
Do do do do do do do do do
Do do do do do do do do do
Then my friend yelled, “EAT A HOT DOG!”
Me: (while laughing and choking) DO THE HUSTLE!
Her: What?
Me: Those are the words – Do the Hustle.
Her: REALLY? I always thought he said, “Eat a hot
dog.”
You have been on both sides of that conversation,
haven’t you? How many times have you heard someone singing along with Creedence
Clearwater Revival…There’s a bathroom on the right.
After Taylor Swift released “Blank Space” she had
to release a statement saying she was not singing about Starbucks lovers, but “all
my ex-lovers.”
I still sing “Starbucks lovers” – I just like it
better.
We laugh about song lyrics, and rightfully so.
But a study released in January 2014 indicates the challenge is not only with
lyrics.
Conducted through the University of Tuebingen by
Claudia Beck, Bernd Kardatzki and Thomas Ethofer, the study determined the
influence of alternative lyrics on the listener. The link for the study is at
the bottom of this page*, but essentially there were three parts:
1. Participants
heard a bit of a song and rated their familiarity with it
2. Participants
heard the same part of the song but were shown alternative lyrics, then judged
if they were familiar with the alternative lyrics
3. Participants
judged how strongly they heard the alternative lyrics as opposed to the true
lyrics.
Two statements in the results jumped out at me.
1.
…previous knowledge of the
alternative lyrics strongly influenced whether or not misperceptions occurred,
which is in line with the reports of many of our study participants that
induced misperceptions can result in long-lasting effects that occur each time
the respective song is heard.
2. Interestingly, the occurrence of induced misperceptions was independent
of knowledge of the original, but not of the alternative percept, which is in
line with observations made in the visual domain for reversible figures
demonstrating that we can get stuck in one interpretation until we are informed
that there is an alternative interpretation.
Did you hear it?
Induced misperceptions can result
in long-lasting effects that occur every time that song is heard…every time
those words are heard…every time that feeling is replicated.
Did you hear it?
We get stuck in one
interpretation.
So it isn’t just about Starbucks lovers, is it?
How many times have you said something and a
person who knows and loves you well heard something completely different?
Yeah…lots.
But it isn’t simply the meaning of words. Often,
it is what those words touch in us.
If I grew up feeling nothing I did was good
enough, I might hear harsh criticism when none was intended.
If I grew up feeling any sort of rejection from
important people, I might be incredibly sensitive to what I view as rejection
from others.
The hypothetical scenarios are endless – but the
result is the same. Until I know myself well, and understand my emotions, the
way I hear your words and the reactions I allow are LARGELY based on MY
perceptions and MY expectations.
Same for you.
We get what we expect, what we firmly believe we
will get, what we think about most, what we focus on often – whether we want it
or not.
That isn’t psychobabble. It is truth. It
is Biblical and it is also found in the teachings of every other esteemed
master.
If I think about it long enough, if I focus on it
hard enough, and believe it, I will get it...whether I want it or not!
If I decide I dislike a person or a situation,
and I repeat that dislike to myself, I can be sure evidence will arise
frequently. Then I say, “SEE!!!” and the cycle starts again.
Messed up song lyrics are funny. Messed up
thinking patterns aren’t.
Read these words again…
We get what we expect, what we firmly believe we
will get, what we think about most, what we focus on often – whether we want it
or not.
It is my determined purpose to be more aware of
what I choose to allow and how that creates my world, and less focused on “what
you make me feel.”
Always with a smile on my face. Never in a
morose, heavy-handed way.
Joy and well-being are everywhere. I get to
decide how much I embrace.
Maybe you will join me.
EAT A HOT DOG!
Do do do do do do do do do
Do do do do do do do do do
We will talk again soon,
BP
*http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0084667#abstract0
Beth Painter
is, among many other things, a writer and motivational speaker. You can
follow her on Facebook on the “Think Big focus small” page.
Beth is available to speak to your group about how to make
your dreams and desires come to life!
