Tag: Machiavelli

Galileo’s Little Known Secret To Attain Genius Level Thinking

Two weeks ago, I went on vacation to Italy. 

The first part of the holiday was a trip to Florence and, while there, I visited the church of Santa Croce (see picture below).

This Church houses the tombs of some of Italy’s greatest artists and thinkers – Galileo, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Dante (the picture at the top of this blog post is of Galileo’s tomb).

Walking around this awe inspiring basilica got me thinking.  The achievements of the four men listed above were astounding. In one way or another, they impacted the course of human history.  

But what enabled them to have such a massive impact?

Talent? 

I’m sure they all possessed it in spades, alongside an impressive work ethic. However, was there something extra that allowed them to scale heights most people can’t even comprehend?

In the case of Galileo, I believe there was. 

It was Galileo’s ability to ask questions and challenge conventional wisdom that set him apart. 

This opened his mind to possibilities most people couldn’t even conceive. From that space, he made discoveries that changed humanities understanding of the world. 

However, this wasn’t easy and adopting this mindset lined his path with a great deal of adversity. 

I write about this in my first book, Escape The System. 

Below, I include an extract in celebration of this brilliant scientist who brought clarity where before there was dogma and stagnation. 

I hope it inspires you to question everything and find your own answers. 

Galileo was an Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer and philosopher born in 1564. His achievements in the field of science were vast. Sometimes known as “The Father of Modern Science” he made the first systematic studies of uniformly accelerated motion (now taught in most schools), improved telescopes, analysed sun spots and most famously, discovered evidence to support the theory that the Earth travelled around the Sun.

In 1632, Galileo’s book, Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, was published. In this book, he outlined evidence challenging the established truth the Earth was fixed and the centre of the Universe (a belief promoted by the Church, based on scriptures and almost entirely accepted by European society).

Such a challenge sent tidal waves through The System. The validity of its main institution – The Church – was being questioned and perhaps undermined. If Galileo’s views were to spread then its authority could come into question. Faced with such a challenge, The System (in the form of important members of the church) attacked, ordering him to appear in front of the Inquisition and finding him guilty of vehemently suspect heresy.

As a result of this verdict, he was forced to recant his views, placed under house arrest and received a ban on the publication of his book. With such a crushing verdict, it appeared that The System had won and another lone voice had been silenced. However, the word was out and although The System’s truth was not immediately discredited, a few minds had been sparked by the idea there might be another.

Sowing such seeds in the consciousness of humanity is how The System’s authority is undermined. It took time, but over the subsequent decades more and more people began to reject The System’s truth that the Earth was the centre of the universe. Eventually this groundswell of consciousness reached such a level that in 1741, Pope Benedict XIV authorised the publication of Galileo’s once heretic book. Then in 1835, all traces of opposition to heliocentrism (the term used to categorise those who believe the Sun to be the centre of the universe) disappeared from the church as further books were dropped from their banned index.

Such an outcome cements Galileo’s place as one of history’s greats. Although the view he promoted was not fully accepted until many years after his death, he played a significant role in advancing the collective knowledge of humanity. In doing so, he undermined the Church’s ability to define reality – if they were wrong about the earth being the centre of the universe then they could also be wrong about other dictates that governed the way society operated?

This trend has continued and the Church is now in a far weaker position than it was in the time of Galileo. Over the centuries, many of its core beliefs have been challenged and, as a result, The System has had one of its tentacles removed.

The System still has power, though, and as long as people continue to defend the dominant worldview simply because they’ve been conditioned to believe it’s true, then it will continue to exist. However, for every individual that refuses to accept The System’s reality and instead, discovers their own answers, its strength is diminished.

Perhaps humanities ultimate destination is a world where there are no boundaries to what can or can’t be done. In this place there’s no dogma about how the world works and some of the mystery, excitement and adventure of life can be restored.

Creating such a place would see the emergence of a race of people able to maximise their potential. If they could point to their forefathers, the ones that led the way, they would identify Galileo. He demonstrated the discoveries that can be made when you refuse to accept The System’s truth. However, if he hadn’t asked questions and possessed the kind of mind accepting of the idea that the Earth was the centre of the Universe, then none of this would be possible.

He simply wouldn’t have looked for answers in places where he’d been told they didn’t exist.

Such a possibility carries important implications for you. It raises the issue of how much you’ll be able to achieve when unplugged from The System.

Research claims we only use one tenth of our minds potential. Could this be the path to accessing those illusive nine tenths?

It’s not unfeasible. After all, a great chunk of us dies when conditioned to believe life can only be a certain way. Why do we need our full potential when it appears the opportunities for our lives are so limited?

We don’t. We only need one tenth of our brains to operate in The System. However, when you believe in a world where no idea is off limits, you suddenly need those extra nine tenths. Your horizons have expanded, and to flourish in this new reality, so must you.

To get your copy of Escape The System, click the link here. 

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If you want to discover a passion you can make a living from and overcome the fears that are holding you back, check out my free course 30 Days to Escape The System. Click here to get the course right now! (You’ll find the tips on developing belief and self-confidence fascinating!) 

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