Do you change your socks?
The first rule about fight club is…. never talk about fight club.
I can’t help but think about how many things in my life have had a similar first rule. Not always as direct and clear, of course, but it was there… and understood.
Someone get one over on you? See rule number 1.
Your friends or family get out of hand? See rule number 1.
A good person you know slip up, do something illegal? See rule number 1.
Someone who shares your uniform cross the line? See rule number 1.
Some unethical business practice bounce your way? See rule number 1.
Your favorite group or organization make a big mistake? See rule number 1.
When the groups I am a part of, the systems and ideas I believe in default to rule number one, there are at least two people being exploited—the one of them is me.
One of the top Marine Corps infantry training rules, right after the traditional rule number one, is about socks. Yep, one of the top rules for ground combat preparedness in the USMC is to change your socks, regularly.
I bet you thought it was something about never surrendering spoken with a booming Chuck Norris voice-over. Or maybe you something about killing them before they kill you, in a classic Sam Jackson expletive filled rant. In the boring Marine Corps, you don’t get Ethan Hunt or Jason Bourne high tech fight scenes on bullet trains, you get “change your socks.
Why socks? Does the Marine Corps believe Americas primary existential threat is foot odor?
If you’re an infantryman who can’t walk, nothing else really matters. In the infantry, your feet are your vehicle to shoot, move, and communicate. So even when you’re in the fight, front lines kind of stuff you carry extra socks. Rule number two would be something like “always do everything you can to keep your socks dry and whenever possible, air your feet out.”
So lately I’ve been thinking about thinking. Really I’ve been thinking about curiosity.
Changing your socks is a great solution even if it isn’t a sexy one. It is ironically simple yet its not necessarily an easy thing to do. As you can imagine when you’re trying to stay alive and complete a mission it’s hard to find time to do something as simple as change your socks.
Being curious is a lot like changing your socks. When we need to do it the most is often when it is the hardest to convince ourselves to do.
We are action oriented people who for some strange reason value unproductive activity over productive inactivity or what at least what looks like inactivity.
Why is it that slowing down to listen, to learn, or even to wait feels silly?
Why does recklessness feels so… normal?
If we pride ourselves on thought and reason why do we feel so small when we stop to think and reason?
Why won’t we change our socks?
Has the first rule of being human become don’t talk about being human?
To err is human, to be curious about it, well, please refer back to rule number one.
Is curiosity hard, uncomfortable, or uncomfortably hard?
Let’s make a rule number two.
Rule number two: Rule number one is stupid so forget it and be curious.
Change your socks. Stop and think, curiously. It’s uncomfortably hard, kind of like changing your socks while the world blows up, but profoundly simple.
And the voice thats creeps into your head, the one that asks, “What will people think?” Refer it back to rule number two.
