As Above, So Below Integration: Designing for What Actually Happens

This episode integrates the principle of correspondence by translating it into practical, everyday adjustments that make desired outcomes more likely. Rather than focusing on belief or theory, the episode shows how small changes to environment, proximity, and effort can reliably reshape behavior.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Outcomes are strongly influenced by proximity and friction, not intention alone.
• Reducing barriers increases follow-through more effectively than willpower.
• People tend to choose the lowest-energy path available.
• Desire weakens as effort requirements increase.
• Practical alignment outperforms moral struggle.

💬 Featured Quotes

• “If it’s not nearby, you have to go to extra effort to make it happen.” (0:00–0:05)
• “If you want something to happen… put it near you.” (0:41–0:48)
• “When I stopped trying to fight it… I put flossers on my desk.” (1:22–1:37)
• “That has solved my flossing problem.” (1:45–1:52)
• “I reduce the barriers to entry and put it nearby.” (1:52–1:58)
• “The more effort required, the less likely it is to happen.” (1:58–2:06)
• “If I don’t buy them, I don’t bring them into the house.” (2:35–2:44)
• “The strength of that desire does not transcend getting in the car.” (3:07–3:13)
• “The lowest possible form of energy to achieve the outcome.” (3:26–3:29)
• “You can structure your life in such a way that leverages these easy and obvious principles.” (3:39–3:46)
• “If you want to make money, deliver something that people want to pay for.” (3:54–4:02)
• “These principles… make the outcomes you’re driving towards a lot more likely.” (4:58–5:01)

Creators and Guests

Host

Brian Mattocks

Host and Founder of A Mason's Work - a podcast designed to help you use symbolism to grow. He's been working in the craft for over a decade and served as WM, trustee, and sat in every appointed chair in a lodge - at least once :D

What is A Mason's Work?

In this show we discuss the practical applications of masonic symbolism and how the working tools can be used to better yourself, your family, your lodge, and your community. We help good freemasons become better men through honest self development. We talk quite a bit about mental health and men's issues related to emotional and intellectual growth as well.

So as we move beyond the systemic understanding of this and what it looks like sort of practically,

it's difficult to talk about, not because it's complicated, not because it's emotionally

weighty. But because the conclusions that this line of inquiry creates are so obvious and so easy

that it almost, you're almost like, well, duh, like of course, for example, if it's not nearby,

you have to go to extra effort to make it happen. So if you want something to happen, whatever that

might be, put it near you. If you want to, for example, it was, it's been a couple years now where

I have started to keep a little dental flossers right near my desk. I hate it, flossing. I never

wanted to floss, not because I really didn't like flossing itself, but because it was a pain in the

butt, like I got to go a special place and do it. I've got to get the floss out. I've got it's

painful because it didn't do it very often, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Like there was tons

of reasons why it sucked. When I stopped trying to fight it, like I knew I should floss because

it wasn't going to get any better any other way, I put flossers on my desk. So between meetings or

a couple of times a day, I will now just pick up a flosser and pick a spot and go at it.

And that has solved my flossing problem. I no longer have a flossing problem. I don't get cavities

between my teeth anymore because I put, I reduce the barriers to entry and put it nearby, which is

an understanding of that principle of correspondence. The more effort required, the less likely it is to

happen. That is a fundamental sort of emergent principle of this idea of correspondence and there are

hundreds of others. So when you go through your behavior set, I'll give you another sort of easy

one. And you guys probably have heard of my real personal issues with hunting archerios. I love

them and they love me back. I can tell you all about it, but it does not lead to a healthy lifestyle

for me. So if I don't buy them, I don't bring them into the house, I will have to do twice as much work

or three times as much work or n times as much work, whatever that might be to go get them.

That becomes a real challenge to kind of deal with when it comes time to mitigate those desires.

If I really want them, I will go get them. But chances are my strength of that impulse, the strength

of that desire to go get those things does not transcend getting in the car, going to a place,

buying them, returning home and then devouring them all in one sitting or however the case may be.

So using this principle of correspondence, you can again see, for example, in the form of energy

consumption, since those tend to the lowest possible form of energy to achieve the outcome

is a principle of correspondence you're going to find over and over again.

You can structure your life in such a way that leverages these easy and obvious principles

to help you achieve your outcomes. For example, and just again a third example here for this episode.

If you want to make money, deliver something that people want to pay for.

There is in any given sort of locality, some core businesses that never seem to go out of fashion.

There will always be a need for folks to prepare food. There will always be a need for folks that cut hair, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Whatever that might be, if you're looking to make money, do something that people always need and

it's going to be a lot easier for you to find jobs or you know, find revenue. When we look at all of

these kind of principles and again, just my minor reflection, sit around for a couple of minutes

and think about it, you'll be able to find these opportunities. Again, not just revenue, not just

dietary, not just hygiene. You'll be able to find all of these kind of things all over the

place, these principles that you can leverage to help make your life a lot easier and make the

outcomes you're driving towards a lot more likely.