The power of duplication

Every parent is conscious about how they raise their children. Upbringing, after all, has become so complicated nowadays. What makes it tougher is the social norm that the parents and their upbringing mechanics are to be blamed if their child misbehaves! The question therefore arises, how should one raise a child?
I was speaking to a respected Montessori teacher from Mumbai who said something very simple and pertinent to me: she said all you need to do to ensure proper upbringing, is to watch your behaviour. It is simple, she said. Your child will imitate you.

It could not have got simpler than that. And it is such a powerful thought and statement that it leads us to study the power of duplication and its impact on our lives.

The world functions on the power of duplication. Einstein called it the eighth wonder of the world! Investments, parenthood, tradition, spirituality, multi-level marketing – all of them, and much more, operate using this power.

Simply put, it is the process where an act, thought or event is repeated over a period of time, uninterruptedly. This repetition ultimately generates a power that the individual gets to enjoy. The question is how does this repetition take place, and how does it generate a power?

We can start with the earth itself, which repeats its seasons, doesn’t it? We are, after all, a microcosm of the earth. It is therefore natural that the power of duplication or repetition will work on humans as well.

Repetition increases the odds of being in the right place at the right time. One of the effects of repetition and adding detail to a concept is that the dendrites on the end of a neuron or brain cell become more complex and better developed as the information and collateral material is consolidated.

Verbal repetition has always been a part of spirituality. Many spiritual traditions use repetition as a way for reaching a divine state – be it the namaz, or reciting mantras, or attending church, or daily rituals in a temple, etc.

For instance, in the case of affirmations, prayers and blessings, the more you repeat the affirmation, the more impact it will have. The repetition at certain times of the day becomes a sort of tradition within your life. Building traditions is important when making patterns that you want to continue into the future.

If one person says an affirmation, prayer, or blessing, it produces an energy that can change his or her life. If a billion people recite an affirmation, prayer or blessing, its energy can change the very fabric of humanity. We could actually make human thought itself kinder and more compassionate and embrace love and peace as mainstays in our lives.