Five Sermons: The Formation of a WorldView

This essay delves into the intriguing hypothesis that as individuals mature and foster a defined worldview through experiences, we often consolidate our understanding into a limited set of primary lessons, typically no more than five. These lessons seemingly become the linchpin of our personality, shaping our conversations, decisions, and interactions. This proposition is explored through psychological perspectives, notably drawing upon Erik Erikson's psychosocial stages of life, supported by relevant research and real-world examples.

Introduction

As humans journey through life, we acquire a vast expanse of experiences that inform our perspectives and judgments.  We experience endless amounts of information and yet we only hold on to a select, focused portion.  With time, instead of diversifying our worldview, we seem to narrow it down to a handful of core lessons or sermons. For the purpose of this essay, a 'sermon' is defined not in the traditional religious sense, but as a vital lesson that holds such significance for an individual that they feel compelled to share its essence with others. These sermons are often numbering no more than five since the human capacity to remember is limited. Most of all, they recurrently emerge in significant conversations and decision-making processes.

The Emphasis on Five

The idea that humans naturally group information into threes is not new and has cognitive and neuropsychological underpinnings. The 'rule of three' permeates various facets of human society, from storytelling and rhetoric to design principles.

1. Cognitive Chunking and the Rule of Three

At the core of this behavior is the concept of 'chunking.' Miller (1956) in his seminal work explained that the average number of objects an individual can hold in their working memory is about seven. However, further studies refined this, suggesting that three might be a more accurate and optimal number, especially when the information is complex (Cowan, 2001). Humans tend to group or 'chunk' information into sets of threes to process and remember it more efficiently.

2. Triadic Structures in Intellectual and Cultural Narratives

This triadic structure finds resonance in various intellectual and cultural narratives. Philosophers and theologians have long emphasized trinities, be it in the forms of the Christian Holy Trinity or Hegel's thesis-antithesis-synthesis triad. These structures provide a balanced and comprehensive view, combining stability with complexity.

3. The Expansion to Five Core Lessons for the Intellectually Curious

The basic triad might feel limiting for individuals with a heightened intellectual curiosity. Their propensity to constantly seek new knowledge and challenge existing beliefs might lead them to add to their foundational triad. This results in the rotation of at most two additional lessons, as more recent revelations are cycled through or old ones are recycled. These lessons are more dynamic and susceptible to change based on new experiences and learnings.

Such individuals rarely replace their core triadic lessons but expand upon them, accommodating a broader spectrum of understanding, albeit still within a manageable cognitive limit. This might explain the hypothesis of five core lessons, combining the stability of the triadic structure with the dynamism of continuous learning. Two (or three) new ideas provide a sort of sandbox for testing new ideas that may replace the core three. This presents the human storage as more dynamic at the front line of the exploration through life. 

Erik Erikson's Psychosocial Stages and the Formation of Core Lessons

Erikson's theory of psychosocial development proposes eight stages, each characterized by a specific conflict central to an individual’s social and emotional growth. As individuals traverse these stages, they wrestle with questions of trust, autonomy, initiative, competence, identity, intimacy, generativity, and integrity. How these challenges are navigated forms the groundwork for future convictions.

For instance, during the 'Integrity vs. Despair' stage, experienced in late adulthood, individuals reflect on their life's journey. It's during these reflective moments that the crystallization of certain core lessons might be most pronounced. The insights acquired through prior stages, if they've been resolved positively, coalesce into foundational beliefs that elders deem essential for a fulfilling life.  Similar to a video game, or classic adventure tale, we as the main characters resolve levels with tools we have learned from previous levels we beat, and as we do so we accumulate a bag of tools. Perhaps that bag is only big enough for about five tools. 

Relevant Research on Cognitive Restructuring with Age

Studies in cognitive psychology highlight that as individuals age, their cognitive flexibility, or the ability to adapt to new information, tends to decline. This might mean that older adults prioritize information that aligns with our existing beliefs, lending credence to the idea of a capped number of core lessons.

Furthermore, research in gerontology indicates that older adults exhibit a 'positivity effect' in memory, where they tend to remember positive information over negative. This could be a mechanism to reinforce those core lessons that have had a positive impact on our lives, allowing them to focus on a limited set of essential life tenets.

Real-World Examples: The Elders' Teachings

To further understand this phenomenon, we can turn to the wisdom imparted by elders across various cultures. For instance, the indigenous elders often emphasize lessons like respect for nature, the importance of community, the value of storytelling, the significance of rituals, and the idea of cyclical time. Even though our life experiences are rich and multifaceted, the distilled wisdom often revolves around these central themes.

As an anecdotal yet illustrative example, we have autobiographies and memoirs of prominent figures that often reveal a recurrence of certain themes (by fives). Consider, for instance, Nelson Mandela. Throughout his writings and speeches, themes of unity, perseverance, the transformative power of education, the significance of sacrifice, and the pursuit of justice prominently emerge.

Or consider the autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi, in the profound recounting of his life, several themes emerge, but focusing on five key recurring themes: non-violence (Ahimsa), truth (Satya), simplicity, self-control, and duty. 

Then there is Winston Churchill, one of the 20th century’s most influential leaders. In his countless biographies, we can see five recurring themes: leadership in crisis, oratory and the power of words, the importance of history and legacy, the vision of a united Europe, and perseverance in determination. Churchill's life, filled with triumphs and challenges, provides a lens through which we can observe these recurring themes, offering yet another anecdotal illustration of the principle that prominent figures often revolve around a core set of ideas or lessons in their narratives.

Conclusion

The notion that as individuals age, our vast expanse of experiences and wisdom might be distilled into a handful of core lessons offers a fascinating lens through which to understand human development. While it might seem counterintuitive that a lifetime of learning can be encapsulated in just a few lessons, this paradigm underscores the human inclination to seek patterns, coherence, and meaning in life. As further discussion delves into this, it will be illuminating to discern whether this 'five core lessons' hypothesis holds universal appeal or is but a reflection of specific cultural or individual nuances.

References

• Erikson, E. H. (1950). Childhood and society. New York: Norton.
• Charles, S. T., & Carstensen, L. L. (2010). Social and emotional aging. Annual Review of Psychology, 61, 383-409.
• Carstensen, L. L., Isaacowitz, D. M., & Charles, S. T. (1999). Taking time seriously: A theory of socioemotional selectivity. American Psychologist, 54(3), 165.
• Cowan, N. (2001). The magical number 4 in short-term memory: A reconsideration of mental storage capacity. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 24(1), 87-114.
• Hegel, G. W. F. (1807). Phenomenology of Spirit. Oxford University Press.
• Mandela, N. (1994). Long Walk to Freedom. Little, Brown and Company.
• Miller, G. A. (1956). The magical number seven, plus or minus two: Some limits on our capacity for processing information. Psychological Review, 63(2), 81-97.