The Power of Mindset and Dune’s Gom Jabbar
Mindset can have a deep effect on how we approach the challenges of our lives. Mindset can simplify even the direst of situations.
It’s the middle of the night.
Paul is pulled from the comfort of his bed and guided hurriedly to the cold, heavy doors of the family library. His mother, Lady Jessica Atreides, tells him he will meet with the Reverend Mother Mohiam and that, no matter what the Reverend Mother tells him to do, he must obey.
Still groggy from the abrupt waking, Paul opens the door and makes his way inside.
The room is dark and dreary at this midnight hour. A single beam of light falls upon the Reverend Mother as she sits and waits patiently for him in an oversized chair at the edge of the room. The space is ominous. The furniture, the books, the floor, and the wardrobes of the late-night wanderers are shrouded in deep shadows.
The Reverend Mother, veiled in black, bids Paul Atreides to sit opposite her.
She tells Paul that he must pass a test—the Gom Jabbar.
With one swift movement of her hand, she places a thin, dark needle at the side of Paul’s neck. She says that the needle will cause instant death to any who come in contact with its poisoned tip. After that, all Paul must do is place his hand inside a small, black case—about the size of a cigar box—and not remove it until she allows. If he does not obey, he will die.
Paul asks, “What’s in the box?”
She replies, “Pain… An animal caught in a trap will gnaw off its own leg to escape. What will you do?”
Paul places his hand inside the ancient container.
A moment passes.
A tiny flicker of pain washes over Paul. The feeling grows stronger. Paul tries to contain the pain, but he begins to waver. The pain becomes excruciating. He continues to hold his ground. The surfaces of his face begin to contort. Paul holds fast. He challenges the pain, and so too the Reverend Mother.
In the depths of his anguish and adversity, Paul pushes back.
The Reverend Mother releases her grip on the Gom Jabbar at Paul’s throat.
Paul has proved himself worthy.
Dune
This scene from the epic story (and now recently remade blockbuster film) Dune is a testament to the power of mindset.
Paul is faced with a challenge. He has only one path forward to succeed. All other paths lead to certain doom. Rather than yield to the pain, Paul embraces the darkness and pushes forward.
After the trial, Paul is somehow different. He has become shaped by the experience.
The challenges we face in life aren’t always fair, and they certainly aren’t always pleasant. But I think that the mindset of approaching our problems makes the difference between our successes and failures.
What was in the box?
Nothing.
The box was a conduit for fear, pain, and energy.
If Paul were to turn from his fear at that moment, he would have perished.
Instead, he understood the challenge, its parameters for success and failure, and pushed through.
The Power of Mindset
The day-to-day challenges of our lives are far less dramatic. But when we realize that we each can face great adversity and succeed as Paul did, the challenges become simplified:
We identify the issue.
We develop a plan to address the problem.
We execute the plan.
We solve the problem.
Keep the challenges you face in perspective. Human beings are resilient.
The path forward isn’t always easy, but the problem is often simple if you let it be.
📸: Warner Bros. / Dune (2021)
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