“The ‘comfort zone’ has become a buzzword in self-help circles, often touted as a barrier to personal and professional growth. But what if we’ve misunderstood its true nature? This post revisits the essence of the comfort zone, drawing on the scientific understanding of psychological states and brain wave patterns to uncover a more nuanced perspective.”
Understanding the True Definition of the Comfort Zone
Definition by Alasdair White (the founder of this term): “… is a psychological state in which things feel familiar to a person and they are at ease and in control of their environment, experiencing low levels of anxiety and stress. In this zone, a steady level of performance is possible.”
“Alasdair White first described the comfort zone as a state of routine with low anxiety and steady performance. This definition has evolved over time, incorporating elements of psychological safety and ease as highlighted by later researchers.”
Comfort Zone on Psychological Definition
Psychological state (psychology)
“A mental condition in which the qualities of a state are relatively constant even though the state itself may be dynamic; a manic state, courtesy of thefreedictionary.com.
Psychological state Types
To decode precisely the comfort zone meaning, I prefer classifying psychological states using brain waves. Brain Wave “is (neurophysiology) a rapid fluctuation of voltage between parts of the cerebral cortex that is detectable with an electroencephalograph (EEG)” courtesy of freedictionary.com.
Table 1: Characteristics of the Five Basic Brain Waves (Courtesy of ScienceDirect.com)
| Frequency band | Frequency | Brain states |
| Gamma (γ) | ≥35 Hz | Concentration |
| Beta (β) | 12–35 Hz | Anxiety: dominant, active, external attention, relaxed |
| Alpha (α) | 8–12 Hz | Very relaxed, passive attention (low stress and low anxiety) |
| Theta (θ) | 4–8 Hz | Deeply relaxed and inwardly focused |
| Delta (δ) | 0.5–4 Hz | Sleep |
Note: Text in italics has been added by us.
“Our mental states, such as relaxation, focus, and deep concentration, correspond to different brain wave frequencies. The ‘alpha’ state, characterized by relaxed alertness, is where the comfort zone lies. In contrast, the ‘gamma’ state, associated with deep concentration and problem-solving, represents an active departure from this zone.”
Comfort Zone Inferences
We note that a comfort zone is ‘the maniac state’ of an individual, controlling their environment and having a low level of anxiety and stress. Also, there is the possibility of steady performance. As a result, the incumbent controls the comfort zone, which is an ecosystem of opportunities for good production. As seen from Table 1, brain states (psychological states) vary depending on brain activity. Several brain states can be attained in one day, oscillating from one another.
Because an incumbent can fall asleep, stay awake, and later, thinking of problems, become anxious. In solving a specific problem, the brain enters a concentration stage, and vice versa. We need to design solutions to our challenges (operating in the Gamma (γ) frequency band) and identify problems (operating in the Beta (β) frequency band) by being active and attending external routines.
Comfort Zone Implication
“Contrary to popular belief, not all time spent in the comfort zone is wasted. It serves as a mental recharge zone, necessary for sustainable growth. The challenge lies in recognizing when to shift from this state to more demanding mental states, such as ‘gamma’ for peak performance.”
Complementary Construction in Comfort Zone
The preceding discussion highlighted the comfort zone. By denoting complementary construction, I mean underlining the missing dots to accomplish the real Comfort Zone. I don’t dispute it, but I strive to engrave it so that it becomes unassailable.
Why Comfort Zone is Special?
It is important because it describes an individual state whereby optimum performance is possible. When it is located, decorated with intelligence abilities rounded by their competences, it becomes a breakthrough weapon. Read through to be empowered.
Comfort Zone Components
Before it becomes a breakthrough weapon, components of Comfort Zone are meant to locate, grip, and illuminate it. Vigilantly and slowly read the following definitions:.
- Self-Development (SD): cumulative trait development from infancy to maturity
- Self-Recovery (SR): re-imprinting virtues to recover prudence and
- Personal-Reinvention (PR): trait scan as a scale to social influence
The three definitions above are within strong reach and influential in the comfort zone. Why? Because every human being possesses certain inherent complexity. Apart from biblical knowledge that a man (person) was created (KJV Genesis 1:27) and science, persons were ascended from apes; persons are born. Whatever the reason, a person undergoes a complex metamorphosis from the moment of his birth until the moment of his maturity. This is the reason that a person is intricate. We do not need the intricacies involved for now, but we need to illuminate the locator to the comfort zone among the three definitions above.
Personality Illuminator
The Self-Development (SD) definition underlines an important phenomenon: that humans gain prudence during infancy and towards adulthood. Achieving wisdom is possible if nothing stands in the way of steady development. The second term, self-recovery (SR), is meant to re-imprint virtues missed during growth into adulthood (i.e., SD). Personal reinvention (PR) is the programmed scanning of an individual to identify personal influences. Influences can impede maximum power to decree a trusting relationship with society or a thriving society.
Therefore, PR reveals room for conducting a self-recovery (SR) program if needed. As expected in these definitions, we perceive the overriding definition as an SD. For the simple reason that an SD is still being executed when an adult conducts a PR and determines that an SR is necessary. The new SD zone is the comfort zone with less anxiety and stress and the desired performance. Therefore, we need to decipher the filter of all applicable zones. Let us call it a piZ (personal influence zone)—pronounce it as pai-Zed.
Personal Influence Zones (piZ)
piZ denotes the flagships of Personal Reinvention Link and The Ultimate Enterprise. It is where we get the answer to an existential problem: why do people behave the way they do? PiZ engraves candidly the causes of the best as well as the worst habits in the world. Therefore, empower the people in the world with muscles to reshape our outcries!
It is a master answer. As precise and informative as it is! However, it came a long way. In the process, important milestones were made, like personality tetra receptors (PTR) and the PI-Scanner (Personality Influence Scanner, or piS). They are great tools; explore their links. Figure 1 is the piZ.
Personal Influence Zones (piZ)
Figure 1: Personal Influence Zones (Nkinga Diamond)
Figure 1: Personal Influence Zones (piZ) are the container of all nine zones according to the Ultimate Enterprise Model. The nine zones cover all human behaviors, excluding mental disorders. In two regions, Personal Influence Zones (PI-Zones) spanning from zone one to zone nine make up Nkinga Diamond’s Personal Influence Zones (piZ).
PUER (Pro Ultimate Enterprise Region) has zones 1, 2, 5, 8, and 9, and CUER (Contra Ultimate Enterprise) has zones 3, 4, 6, and 7. PI-Zones is powerful in managing personal relationships both locally and internationally. PUER encompasses thriving personnel at varying levels. CUER scribes personnel requiring transformation into PUER before hiring; otherwise, they hinder performance.
Human Development Forces
During personal growth (viz., self-development–SD), an incumbent is shaped by several forces that land him on one of the nine zones as his comfort zone. Let us briefly discuss the forces shaping human development. “Human development refers to the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development of humans throughout the lifespan… Physical development involves growth and changes in the body and brain, the senses, motor skills, and health and wellness. Cognitive development involves learning, attention, memory, language, thinking, reasoning, and creativity. Psychosocial development involves emotions, personality, and social relationships.”
The three major forces on human development are the variables on locating a specific zone (as a comfort zone) from Figure 1: Personal Influence Zones (piZ). Before locating a zone, the three human development forces define personal intelligence abilities with their competences, as detailed in figure 4 of the ueinfluence.com.
Personal Influence Zones (piZ) Inference
In the discussions preceding Personal Influence Zones (piZ) above, we infer that self-development SD) locates an automatic comfort zone arising from an individual’s development from infancy. Observing Figure 1: Personal Influence Zones (piZ), we find two regions: Pro-Ultimate Enterprise Region, or PUER, and Contra-Ultimate Enterprise Region, or CUER. PUER is a favorable region, such that if a self-development (SD) lands in this region as a comfort zone, then an incumbent is on the growth zone automatically. If not, then landed in the CUER, where a self-recovery program was required to shift into the PUER. PUER and CUER are fundamental regions to piZ that need illustration as follows.
“The Personal Influence Zones (piZ) model maps where individuals stand regarding their psychological and emotional states. It identifies whether one’s comfort zone is balanced (Pro-Ultimate enterprise region) or skewed (Contra-Ultimate enterprise region), guiding personal development strategies.”
PUER Living Examples
Running at the vertical center like a spinal cord, comprising an irregular hexagon with two lines of symmetry. PUER has IS-Score and PS-Score not differing by over 50%, representing a high-performance region. This means they do not bias incumbents operating to either of the IS or PS. Beyond Zone-9, we have divine spirits, while beyond Zones 7 and 3 are unholy spirits. The former has no fallacies; they operate on an ideal state, while the latter has no truth, contrary to human beings natural self-development. Because philosophy is asymmetrical to the truth.
Incumbents falling in this PUER are regular individuals. They vary from low cadre to gurus. In this post, I discuss the prominent figures who shaped the world the way it is now, in politics, science, technology, and poetry.
Politics
The vivid example of a PUER individual (a zone-9) in politics is Nelson Mandela. There are similar gurus like Julius Nyerere, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, etc. Mandela is a hero of the 20th century. You can get his detailed biography from here. He has an amazing life career, which very few can emulate. Rivaling his life career, one needs to be extraordinary in the IS and PS Spectrums. IS-Spectrum is about Spiritual Intelligence (Si) encompassing consciousness, existential, transcendence (transliminality), and sanctity. PS-Spectrum is about emotional intelligence (Ei), including self-awareness, self-management, social management, and relationship management.
That is, find their competences from Table 4. Si leads Ei, where consciousness, through wakefulness, existentially locates the vision, supported by transcendence (mostly by divine revelation) to define the cause and inspirations. However, sanctity has to lead the cause and desirable outcomes.
What did Nelson Mandela achieve?
Nelson Mandela laid his vision on a “‘Speech from the Dock’ on 20 April 1964, which became immortalized… ‘I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all people live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal that I hope to live for and to achieve. But, if need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.’ He was released from its gates on Sunday, 11 February 1990.” – ibid
Part of Nelson Mandela’s inauguration speech as President of SA on 10 May 1994
“We have triumphed in the effort to implant hope in the breasts of the millions of our people. We enter a covenant that we shall build the society in which all South Africans, both black and white, will walk tall, with no fear in their hearts, assured of their inalienable right to human dignity—a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world.
As a token of its commitment to the renewal of our country, the new Interim Government of National Unity will, as a matter of urgency, address amnesty for various categories of our people who are currently serving terms of imprisonment. We dedicate this day to all the heroes and heroines and the rest of the world who sacrificed and surrendered their lives so that we could be free. Their dreams have become reality. Freedom is their reward.” – ibid
Reality on Nelson Mandela
Note: Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for life and served 26 years in prison with hard labor for fighting apartheid. He was released and raised to power as president, acquiring all power to revenge his oppressors; instead, he called for amnesty. To achieve these, you need an incredible high calling in Si and Ei.
Science
Albert Einstein (relativity, and E = mc2) and Sir Isaac Newton are conspicuous incumbents, as are many others. These individuals transcended to lift technology to the present depth.
Technology
These are applications of science; it has gone far. Some few are here. In most cases, transcendence is what governs them.
Cell phones, microwave ovens, global positioning systems (GPS), computers. Also, digital music, internet, remote control, digital camera, video conferencing, X-rays, and AI (artificial intelligence). And many others,.
Poetry
Imaginations get imagery through poetry. We have great poets who transcended the world limits. Some of the great poets are from here.
- Edgar Allan Poe: Famous quote: “I have great faith in fools —self-confidence, my friends call it.”
- William Shakespeare: Famous quote: “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women are merely players; they have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts. His acts being seven ages,”
- Maya Angelou: Famous quote: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
- Mark Twain: Famous quote: “Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
And many others touch our imaginations distinctly.
CUER Living Examples
Running at the horizontal center, comprising an irregular hexagon having over 50% IS-Score and less than 50% PS-Score and vice versa. CUER comprises an egocentric triangle (individual spectrum-oriented triangle (encompassing egocentric and narcissistic zones)) and an empathic triangle (public spectrum-oriented triangle (encompassing empathetic and altruistic zones)) detailed below. Beyond Zones 3 and 7, we have unholy spirits. They are biased to fallacy only. Contrary to narcissism or altruism, human beings mature on a natural self-development. Because philosophy is asymmetrical to the fallacy.
Individuals falling in this region are irregular in their behavior. In this category, I discuss only the extremes, viz., pathological narcissists and altruism.
Pathological Narcissists
Pathological narcissist is a negative sense of self that is out of alignment with the greater good.
There are two subtypes of pathological narcissism: the unprincipled narcissist and the amorous narcissist. An unprincipled narcissist is a person with a deficient conscience; unscrupulous, amoral, disloyal, fraudulent, deceptive, arrogant, exploitive; a con artist and charlatan; dominating, contemptuous, and vindictive. And an Amorous Narcissist: “Sexually seductive, beguiling, tantalizing; glib and clever; disinclined to real intimacy; indulges hedonistic desires; bewitches and inveigles others; pathological lying and swindling have many affairs, often with exotic partners.” Courtesy of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiNarcissist:ki/Narcissistic_personality_disorder.
I avoid referring individuals with negative traits. Let’s not indulge in discrimination.
Pathological Altruism
Altruism “defined as the disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others”–courtesy of https://pediaa.com whose goes deeper, clarifying altruism. “Thus, it is the act of doing good for the wellbeing of others. There is a selfless concern for the well-being of others in altruism, which surpasses feelings such as sympathy, compassion, or empathy. It goes to a higher level where you will even risk your life to help someone else.”
Pathological altruism is when altruism is taken to an unhealthy extreme and either harms the altruistic person or well-intentioned actions cause more harm than good—courtesy of www.wikipedia.org.
In the same manner, I avoid referring individuals with negative traits. Let’s not indulge in discrimination. However, we have covered the prerequisites of our topic, leading to the precious conclusion.
Conclusion
“Understanding the comfort zone in the context of personal influence and brain states reveals that growth is not about constantly breaking free. Instead, it’s about mastering when to stay, recharge, and when to push into zones of challenge for optimal performance.”
Thank you for your scrutiny this far!
