The Healthy Management of Reality - Stanford University

Similarly, it is true that certain types of environment encourage certain typesof behavior. However, the people in those environments can choose to changethem, and, in changing them, they will change their influence on them. Reciprocaldeterminism refers to this process of continual back-and-forth influence, in whichthe environment “determines” human behavior and human behavior “determines”the nature of the environment. In this way, human behavior creates newenvironments, which, in turn, “determine” human behavior in a new way.This concept was very freeing for me. It allowed me to retain an empiricalstance toward human behavior, including, of course, my own, while leaving roomfor dreams of making a difference, having an impact on my world, and being ableto mold my life in a way that would bring me nearer to the goals I valued.Practical implications of a probabilistic approachThere are several simple implications of this probabilistic approach. Topractice the reality management approach, it is important to ensure that one’sexternal and internal reality both remain healthy. The most immediate segment ofexternal reality is our body. To increase the probability that our body will remainin a healthy state, we need to engage in behaviors known to produce health. Theseinclude getting sufficient sleep, eating well, and exercising regularly. In all threeof these areas, it is important to remember to strive for a healthy range: Too muchsleep, food, or exercise can be as damaging as too little.HMOR.July2005.Muñoz.doc 66