Alone in the Universe? The Michelangelo Effect, & Gaming Evolution

Bruce Anthony: [00:00:00] Are we alone in the universe? And is your relationship the best that it could be? We’re going to get into it. Let’s get it.

Bruce Anthony: Welcome, first of all, welcome. This is Unsolicited Perspectives. I’m your host, Bruce Anthony. Here to lead the conversation in important events and topics that are shaping today’s society. Join the conversation and follow us wherever you get your audio podcast. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for our video podcast and YouTube exclusive content rate review like.

Comment, share. Share with your friends, share with your family. Hell even share with your enemies. On today’s episode, I’m gonna be talking about aliens, the Michelangelo phenomenon and the evolution of video games, but that’s enough of the intro. Let’s get to the show.

Bruce Anthony: A friend of mine sent me this trailer, and I guess Joe Rogan promoted it. I’m not a Joe Rogan fan by any means, but my friend forwarded this trailer for this documentary, and the documentary is called The Age of Disclosure, and it’s all about these former political officials and. People that worked in secret agencies and top level agencies talking about aliens.

And it got me thinking because the Superman movie is coming out and he’s the most recognizable alien. I mean, him and Alf. I just dated myself, didn’t I? Well kids, if you don’t know who is, look it up. But it got me thinking, of course there are aliens out there in the universe. This is not. Something that was a surprise to me.

[00:02:00] The documentary doesn’t get to give you specific example. It gives you specific examples, but it’s like there’s no evidence, right? There’s no clear, clear evidence. There’s no aliens that, that, that is being interviewed on the documentary. Okay? We are still. Unknowing as far as what’s out there in the universe, we’re still discovering planets that are billions of light years away.

And I don’t really think people understand how long a light year is. It is very far, but there are people out there that think that aliens don’t exist. They tend to be kind of religious zealots that say, no, God created man and woman, and that’s all that he created. And I’m like, oh, oh, okay. That’s, that’s real.

[00:03:00] Egotistical of you to think that out of this vast universe, the only thing that exists are the idiots that’s on this planet. Yes, human people we’re idiots. It would’ve got me thinking, why are we so fascinated about the possibility of aliens? And, and that’s an easy question to answer. We want to know. We want to be all knowing.

That’s the reason why people search out. That’s the reason why people try to discover new things. We want to know as much as we can when it suits us. Sometimes people out there don’t wanna know information if it disproves what they’re thinking, but we wanna know. And there’s a lot of it that says, Hey, we don’t want to know.

We don’t want to be alone in the universe. We want. Nobody wants to be alone. We wanna find out what’s out there. And the possibilities are endless, right? I mean, different civilizations, different technologies. We wanna expand and explore, and it’s also a search for connection. Like I said, we feel alone here on this planet, as many people as there is on this planet, in the universe, which is so vast.

[00:04:00] We feel alone and we want to be connected to something. Even though we fear the unknown, that’s another reason why we try to search out and find out what’s known. And we’re also trying to find out is there something else? Is there something bigger? People always try to search for purpose. Purpose in their life.

You know, what is my purpose here? Your purpose is to exist. Your purpose is to be kind and maybe help some people along the way. Your purpose is not to have a legacy. I was talking to somebody not too long ago. And they were like, yeah, I’m, I’m, I’m turning 60 and I don’t know what my legacy is. And I was like, what do you mean?

Like, they’re like, what am I gonna be remembered by? It’s like, odds are you’re not gonna be remembered. And they’re like, what do you mean? Like, odds are you’re not gonna be remembered. Like most people only remember like two generations in their family. Right, right. Like, I met my great-grandmother and great-grandma and great-great-grandmother.

[00:05:00] Like I, I met them. I don’t know them. I don’t even really remember their names. Like it’s my grandparents. Like, you get to your grandparents and if you’re lucky enough to meet your great grandparents, you might remember ‘em, but most of the time people in your own family are forgotten. After two generations, what makes people think that they’re gonna have some lasting legacy?

I know I we’re talking about aliens and I, and I’m detour, but this is, this has got me on a riff and I’m just gonna go with it. Okay. This idea that people were like, I need to have a lasting legacy. There are 45 presidents. 40, no, actually there’s not 45. There’s like 42 presidents. I know people are gonna say no, there is 45.

[00:06:00] They count terms. That’s the reason why Trump is 43rd and 45th. I think I, I, somebody will correct me out there, but there are presidents that have been forgotten the most powerful position in the world, sort of, I guess that’s what they say, that have been forgotten. Just because you do something that’s really important doesn’t mean that you’ll be remembered, and part of that context is searching for meaning.

Searching to find something else. If our legacy isn’t here on earth, could our legacy be somewhere out there in the universe? Is there more to life? What does alien life look like? We know what we’ve seen in movies. We’ve seen everything from little green men to predators, to aliens to actual aliens.

Aliens. We’ve seen humanoids. Superman is the humanoid that looks. I mean, he looks like a human. I don’t know if he got all the parts. I’m assuming he got all the parts. ‘cause him and Lois, you know, have kids in the comics and stuff like that in the television show. So I’m assuming he got all the parts. But we don’t know what an alien life form looks like.

[00:07:00] And would we even recognize it if we saw it, right? Because I mean, it could be human form, there could be aliens walking around here on in, in the planet. Look and act just like us, or they might be shapeshifters and can shape and form into anything that they want to. It could be a rock, it could be a tree.

It’s fascinating to think about and I. If you’re curious, I understand the fascination with outer space and aliens. I mean, it’d be nice to know more about the depths of the sea than outer space because that’s right here on this planet, and we absolutely know more about outer space than we do the depths of sea.

But yeah, to those people out there that think that we are the only beings in the universe, that’s a huge waste of space. It’s a huge waste of space. I don’t even know why you would even believe something like that.

Bruce Anthony: [00:08:00] So there’s this thing called the Fury Paradox, and it’s basically asking where is everybody?

Possible explorations include space travel. Explanations for this paradox is space travel. The, I know it’s a lot harder than what people think it is. Look, it takes. A while to get to the moon. We have not sent a person to Mars yet. That takes months to get to Mars, and that’s just the next planet over.

So space travel is not gonna be easy. Aliens could be advanced, similar civilizations, and they may not be interested or in, in us. And I, I’ll be real honest. Have y’all ever been driving in a city that you’re unfamiliar with? You’re following Google Maps or, or Garmin. If you have Garmin, good God, I just dated myself again, who has a Garmin out there anymore?

[00:09:00] But you’re following Google Maps and you’re riding around in this city that you don’t know about, right? And you drive past the street and the Google Maps tells you to turn on that street. But you look at that street and you say, Hmm, that street look a little dangerous to me. There’s some sketchy characters that’s on these corners, on this block right here.

I’m gonna drive down, but I’m gonna drive down real fast and I’m gonna lock these doors. That could be aliens driving by the planet and just being like, nah, them people crazy down there. I don’t wanna go down there. Because theoretically if, if you were a space traveler and you came across a planet that looked like ours.

And then you look down and let’s just say you got news broadcast from that particular planet. You see all the craziness going on, you’re like, that’s a violent planet. I’m not going down there. What if you’re a peaceful civilization? An alien comes from a peaceful civilization that want to spread their technology because their technology would be far more advanced than ours because they got to us, right?

[00:10:00] You wanna spread their technology. You know what we would do? Capture it and start testing the alien. Like we just naturally, that’s what we would do. So who would want to come and visit? Like, honestly, who would wanna come visit? They pro. Look, I, I guarantee you some aliens and drove by and be like, nah, don’t go down.

Don’t go down to that planet. We’re gonna move ahead to the next solar system. The people down there is crazy. Absolutely. And also aliens may have visited us in the past and decided not to come back. They, they could have visited us in the past and been like, look. I’m not dealing with these people over here.

[00:11:00] They are crazy. I mean, honestly, I don’t even wanna be here. I mean, I do wanna be here, but the aliens came and they told me there’s a peaceful planet with abundance of necessities and, and there’s joy and there’s basically a utopia. I’m out. ‘cause we’re living in a, I mean. I’m exaggerating, but almost a dystopia almost.

I mean, it ain’t mad Max yet, but I mean, it’s not pleasant out here in these streets. People are mean. It’s when it’s so crazy when people are kind to one another. It’s so rare that it spreads on social media sites. Like, ah, there’s still kindness in the world, but it’s few and far between, right? And like once again, aliens could just be like, nah, man, we done, done that.

[00:12:00] Been there, done that. I was watching the documentary the other day, CNN documentary, it was about the eighties, right? And I have a theory, and I’ve gotten this theory from other, other, people that, that talk about aliens and outer space and all that stuff that. When we set off those bombs in the forties, those atomic bombs, it was almost like a beacon that we are here.

Maybe they didn’t, maybe aliens didn’t know about us, but they set off a beacon. They see this large explosions. Multiple explosions. ‘cause we were also setting off bombs in outer space. So multiple explosions, right? That like, Hey, what’s that over there? And that they came here. And the, the documentary in C, it was a CNN documentary about the eighties.

I was watching one particular episode, ‘cause it’s a 10 part series, and they were talking about the evolution of technology and products in the eighties. There hasn’t been an evolution like that, a decade of evolution like that before or since I. Right, and it’s, it’s the advent of cable television. It’s the advent of CDs, Walkman portable cell phones, personal computers, everything that just is just, we have for Gen Z and Gen Alpha out there that just come natural.

[00:13:00] In the eighties. These things were being developed and being dropped. I mean, things like. Television’s on microwaves. I mean, it was crazy. People forget about the car phone. Now you have a car phone that’s just a cell phone, but there was an actual thing where there was a telephone that was in your car.

What this has have to do with aliens, if by theory in the forties aliens saw that, oh, there’s these bombs, there’s this beacon, there’s life there. Let’s go visit. Maybe they gave us. Maybe they came and visited and they gave us technology. And that led to the evolution of spaceship, right? Like we get into outer space in the sixties, televisions develop, we develop color televisions, movies develop faster, we develop faster, just media and electronics in general.

[00:14:00] The microwave is created, like all these things is created. And you could say, what could be the atomic bomb? Like all this stuff was created from Tom Paul, maybe. Also could be from aliens. They still don’t know how the pyramids were created. I just tend to think the Egyptians just did it. But, you know, there’s all these types of ho grs and, and like, you go into these caves and, and just pictures of humans with wings and humanoids, with wings and different types of creatures from the past, you know, and that’s, and that’s all very, very, very possible.

I also believe that aliens, if they are here, the reason why they wouldn’t make themselves visible is because we’re idiots. Just, just in general. Human beings are idiots in a large group and they feel threatened by everything. They don’t understand. Aliens would look and be like, they got differences in just color.

[00:15:00] That’s freaking them out because these people down there have different shades of color and they freak out and fight. Amongst that. They freak out and fight amongst what gender or sex that they are. We freak out and get scared of people trying to come to this country, escaping political prosecution.

Dictators, corrupt governments to try and have a better life. We shun them. You think that we would be any way kind to aliens? We would dissect them. We would put ‘em under. Look, if I was a alien, I’d stay the hell away from here. I, I truly, truly would. And yes, there’s this fascination and more and more information is being delivered out to people about UFO sightings, and there’s been congressional hearings and all this type of stuff, and that’s dope.

[00:16:00] But people don’t need to know the truth. People don’t need to know too, because people are idiots. People can’t even be kind to one another, who we have more in common with than we would in alien.

I mean, that’s true. It’s absolutely true. So yes, talking about aliens, discussing aliens and outer space and all that stuff is super cool. And maybe one day we will make contact if we have it. The, the, the masses, the public will make contact. I firmly believe the governments have already have, but the masses, the human beings, you and I will make contact.

[00:17:00] Everybody will know that aliens exist because they will reveal themselves to the masses one day. That will happen when we grow up as people and can accept things that are absolutely different until that time, aliens, let me just let you know, ‘cause this is going out in the airwaves, you know, so this would be out in the ether.

Don’t reveal yourselves yet. Wait until we figure out some of our, our, our problems and solve some of our problems, which haven’t been solved for over thousands of years. But it it, wait, wait, wait. Just wait, wait until we’re desperate and then come on down and offer help to help us with our plight. May maybe that way we will treat you with kindness other than that.

Good luck to you. And for people out there that don’t believe aliens exist, I look okay. Hey, believe what you wanna believe. You believe what you wanna believe. I, but it seems kinda logical to me that there would be other things out there in the universe, aside from what’s right here on this planet, but that’s just my unsolicited perspective.

Bruce Anthony: [00:18:00] The love doctor is back and I’m gonna be helping you with your relationship. What do I mean by that? I came across something that I thought was really dope, and yes, I think it, it, it, it applies to people in relationships, but I think it can apply to any relationship, right? It can con, it can apply to friends.

It can apply to coworkers, boss, subordinates. I think it can, it can be applied in every relationship that exists in human beings. But what is this that I’m talking about? What is this effect? It’s called the Michael Angelo Effect, also known as the Michaelangelo phenomenon.

Bruce Anthony: This phenomenon is how close partners and romantic relationships help sculpt each other towards their ideal selves, the version of themselves they most aspire to become.

[00:19:00] This process is rooted in mutual support, affirmation, and empowerment rather than control. The metaphor comes from Michelangelo’s view of sculpting. He believed his art was about revealing the masterpiece already hidden within the marble. Similarly in relationships, each partners help reveal the best, most authentic versions of each other.

I think that’s beautiful. I, so people always say, Bruce, how you single? Why? Why are you single? Because I’m looking for my ideal partner and my boys that have known me for years, and just like he looking for that superwoman, I am not. Who’s looking for the one I am. I still believe in the one, but the one has evolved over time.

[00:20:00] The one used to be strictly physical. I wanted the baddest woman that I could get. Then that changed. I realized having the baddest physically woman, physically appealing woman didn’t necessarily make me happy ‘cause I had some bad MA pajamas back in my day. Trust me on that one. Still today, still do. Okay.

I realized I wanted a friend that the most important thing to me was having somebody that I wanted around that I just didn’t. It just wasn’t for physical interaction. It was for mental and emotional and spiritual interaction. Then it kind of evolved even further. With my natural evolution as a person, it was, I’m trying to be better every day.

[00:21:00] I want people around me that helped me become this version of myself that I envision of my, in my head, this not perfect, perfect isn’t the right word, but perfect for me, version of who I want to be as a person. And I, I think I do a good job of keeping those around me, that help bolster the person that I’m aspiring to be.

So without even knowing it, and the reason why I say it could be applied to all relationships without even knowing it. I’ve been implementing the Michelangelo effect. For the last 10 years I only have, I, I choose friends based on how do you make me better? How do you challenge me? How can you make me get to that person that I have in my head that I want to be, that I’m still short on, right?

[00:22:00] Like, I’m not there yet. I’m getting there. That’s my goal. I need those people around me to help me get to that goal. And in turn, I wanna help people get to the ideal version of themselves. That’s kind of the reason why I started this show. One of the reasons why I started this show was because oftentimes people either don’t want to hear other people’s perspectives because it’s different than their own, or they don’t have time for it, or they just don’t care.

Right, and the whole purpose of the show, because at the heart I’m a teacher, the whole purpose of the show is to bring in people that you might not necessarily talk to or might not necessarily know their story. I. Give you their story, give you insights about who they are, what their work is, so that we can all learn because we can all learn from other people to try and become better ourselves.

[00:23:00] So that’s essentially why I started this show. My hubris seems to make me believe that I had that type of capacity and ability to do that to people. I will say that. There are people that contact me to say certain conversations, open their eyes and help them, so that fills my cup, right? But I also, with my relationships, romantic or otherwise, want to help people as attain that aspiration of who they can be as a person.

And so the Michelangelo effect, it came across my timeline of social media this week, and I was like, this is dope. I didn’t real, I, I didn’t know how to explain how I purposely live my life, but this. Was the perfect explanations. Partners shape each other towards their ideal self. So the Michelangelo effect is an interpersonal process where each partner’s perceptions and behaviors help the other move closer to their ideal self-defined as they, as they as the collection of traits, skills and aspirations they most value.

[00:24:00] The sculpting is achieved through two main mechanisms, partner perceptional. Affirmation, seeing and believing in your partner’s potential and ideal self. And another mechanism is partner behavioral affirmation, acting in ways that encourage and support your partner’s pursuit of their goals and aspirations.

Okay, I’ve talked about my bestie on this podcast. So much. People even ask her, are y’all gonna even have, are y’all gonna ever have her on the podcast? I don’t know. I, I guess I never really asked her. And I guess when I talk to her today, I will ask her if she wants to come on the podcast and talk about just our relationship.

But my bestie is a prime example of. This working in a friendship relationship. We big each other up. That’s what, you know, we used to call it back in the day. I don’t know what these young people are, young people call it, but we big each other up. Like we are always pointing out, man, you look great. You look like you’re in best shape, man.

[00:25:00] You’re pretty man. You’re handsome, man. You’re accomplishing your goals, man. You’re a boss. That’s. That’s what we do all day long. Now, we talk ish about everybody else, but, but with each other. All we do is give each other positive affirmations. We help each other. We support each other’s goals. We support each other’s aspirations, and we acknowledge by verbally speaking their accomplishments and.

This is what all relationships should kind of be, right? Every person should be out there trying to help sculpt the next person, be the best, ideal version that they see themselves, not as you see them as they see themselves. The effect, the Michelangelo effect is both mutual and. Collaborative. Both partners act as sculptor and stone shaping and being shaped by each other.

[00:26:00] The process is most successful when the ideal self being supported aligns with what the individual genuinely wants, not just what their partner desires. So once again, it’s not about what I want for other people. I mean, truly, I want other people to think, be in thought, be enlightened. Think read, but that might not be the version that they want for themselves.

Now, if the version that they want for themselves doesn’t align with who I am as a person, then obviously I don’t need to have a relationship with them. But we’re talking about people that you want to have a relationship with. You can’t project what you want for them. You must accept who they are as a person and help them be the best person that they can be, that they want to be, not what you want them to be.

[00:27:00] Collaboration and mutual empowerment. Are central for the Michelangelo effect. It’s not about imposing change, but nurturing growth that feels authentic to each other. So we not talking about those people out there trying to force you to do certain things. Like I said, I wish everybody would read and think and being thought and be open-minded.

Not everybody is like that. I’ve learned, hey, I don’t have to associate with those people. Like I don’t have to have a relationship with those people. And that’s. Anybody in my life, right? It could be a loved one, it could be a friend that I’ve had for, for decades. It could be a, a friend that I just had for a few days.

[00:28:00] If our situations don’t align, then I’m going to back away. But if our situations do, I’m not going to impose what I believe you should be. I’m gonna listen to you. I’m gonna ask you about your aspirations and I’m gonna support ‘em as long as they’re not stupid. Some of my friends got some stupid ideas, but, but let’s continue on.

The Michaelangelo, the Michelangelo effect enhances relationship satisfaction. Research shows that couples who affirm each other’s ideal selves experience, greater relationship satisfaction, trust and commitment. This effect is linked to higher marital satisfaction and is often observed in couples who report the healthiest, happiest relationships.

I mean, this kind of seems kind of self. Evident, right? Like if you support, and, and I’m specifically talking to romantic relationships, but the, like I said, I believe this applies to all relationships. If you support people and that person supports you, yeah. That’s a healthy relationship. That’s, yes, these people should be the happiest and healthiest.

They’re communicating, they’re supporting one another. They’re giving each other positive affirmations. That’s this.

Bruce Anthony: [00:29:00] It’s see, see, people say relationships are difficult. They don’t have to be, they don’t have to be difficult. They could be pretty simple. You can make them difficult, but it’s just listen to what the person wants.

Either it jives what you want or it doesn’t. If it does help nurture their ideal selves. I don’t know. It just seems pretty explanatory to me. It is pretty self-explanatory to me. It seems pretty obvious.

Bruce Anthony: You know what the Michaelangelo effect also does. It boosts individual wellbeing. Moving closer to oneself is associated with increased self-esteem, life satisfaction, and reduced loneliness.

The process helps individuals feel more authentic and fulfilled as their partner. Support allows them to shed insecurities and embrace new strengths.

Bruce Anthony: [00:30:00] I was talking to my boy last week. He brought up a, a relationship, a specific instance that I will not get into specifics about with me and a woman that I had dated for three years.

I said when he, I had forgotten about this particular incident that me and her had, and when he brought it to my attention, I was like, wow, man, that that relationship was so toxic. This person brought out the absolute worst in me. We were not a good fit at, you know, I didn’t do nothing like bad, bad. I just wanna put that out there.

‘cause I told you, I wasn’t gonna tell you specifically what happened. I didn’t, I, you know, I didn’t do nothing bad, bad, like, you know, yelling and screaming and stuff like that. You know, I ain’t do nothing that would be untoward. I didn’t do nothing like that, but she just brought out the worst in me, just the worst, and, and never supported anything that I ever did.

[00:31:00] Me naturally. I am a supporter. You know, I give positive affirmations. I encourage people. That’s just who I am as a person. And she just never did that. I was miserable and I was in it for three years. Go figure.

Bruce Anthony: But yes, if you do the Michelangelo effect, it will help the person shed their own insecurities ‘cause they’re moving closer to their ideal self.

Most people have insecurities because of other people’s actions. Now, self-esteem is self-esteem. I said that before. You gotta build up yourself, but it does help when you got a day one with you, your day One could be your friend, it could be your partner, it could be a coworker, it could be anybody, right?

[00:32:00] Your day, one big and up in you. Giving you positive affirmations, it can help you build your self-esteem. I don’t, I don’t, this doesn’t seem like rocket science to me. This seems pretty self, like I said, self-evident and like it is one plus one equals two. This is, I don’t think it can get any more simplistic than this, but I will raise my hand and say, before the class, I could never break it down like this.

I could never say this is exactly. What I want in my life. I knew it, I had it idea, but until I read up on this, it wasn’t like, ah, there it is, right there is exactly everything in black and white and in detail everything that I’ve ever wanted in my entire life. Out of all of my relationships. This is it.

This is it. And when you implement. This effect with your relationships, you’re helping other people grow. You’re not only growing yourself, you’re helping other people grow.

Bruce Anthony: [00:33:00] There’s an importance of balance and respect for autonomy, the effect. The Michelangelo effect is the most positive when partners support each other’s self-chosen goals rather than imposing their own ideas.

Once again, the effect is most positive when partners support each other’s self-chosen goals rather than imposing their own ideals, attempts to sculpt a partner into something they don’t aspire. Can backfire, leading to conflict and resentment. Open communication about dreams and values is crucial to ensure both partners are respected, feel respected, and remain autonomous in in relationships.

[00:34:00] Now I’m speaking about relationships Now, romantic relationships in romantic relationships often. You have to merge, right? Like you become a co. A couple. You are no longer an individual. There was one woman that I dated, I dated her for a year and we were older. I was in my forties and she was in her mid thirties and she had never had like a long-term relationship, which was a red flag right there, ladies and gentlemen, like, how you gonna be in your mid thirties?

And never had a real. Long-term relationship. And here I am, a seasoned vet in long-term relationships. And the thing that I explained to her was ‘cause she was such an individual, she was such an independent woman. I said, before we become a couple, you must understand something as such an independent woman, you are merging into a couple.

That doesn’t mean that you lose your independence. That doesn’t mean that you still don’t go off and hang out with your own friends and have your own life, but now there’s somebody else that’s a part of your life and you must remember that you’re a couple but never lose your individuality. And the Michelangelo effect is, is that’s what it’s saying.

[00:35:00] Hey, look right. Communication is key. Constantly talking about, you know, what your dreams and aspirations are. Those are things couples should do because if you’re a couple you, you make decisions, but you gotta have the other person in mind when you make a decision. Like if you’re in a relationship and you decide to take a job at another state, or you get offered a job in another state, that’s a conversation that you have with your partner before you decide on what you want to do.

You don’t just go take the job and say, Hey, I’m moving to the next state. You got a whole other person that you’re supposed to be thinking about. So. But if that job is your dream job, that’s a strong conversation to have, need to have that communication to say, Hey, look, this was my dream job. I know this isn’t ideal, but this is something I would like to do.

[00:36:00] Okay, well, let’s see how we can figure this out, because I want you to go and live out your dream. So how can we make this work? That’s what communication is, right? It’s not immediately saying to the one person, Hey, you can’t do that. Move to another state. What about us? That’s a selfish way of looking at it.

It’s understandable way of looking at it, but you also have to look at it from another person’s point of view. The other person is saying, this is my dream job. There’s gotta be a way that we can compromise. Work this out. So that. I can aspire to my ideal self, and you can aspire to your ideal self. But that only happens with communication, and once again, with this Michelangelo effect, communication is key.

Y’all gotta talk. If you’re feeling bad about something, say it, feeling good about something, say it. You know, you gotta talk. The Michael Angelo effect differs from a negative interpersonal dynamics. It is the opposite of the blueberry phenomenon where partners bring out the worst in each other. That’s what I was in with that woman I was dating for three years.

[00:37:00] I didn’t, I couldn’t put a name to it, but now I can. Blueberry phenomenon. I also dated. A woman, and I think it was a mixture of Michelangelo and and, and blueberry, and I’m gonna send this to her and ask her like, Hey, what do you think? Our relationship was because in one instance, it was absolutely we begging each other up, we we encouraging each other.

One of the, the most encouraging woman that I’ve ever dated in my entire life, to, to achieve goals and aspirations. We definitely implemented. The Michelangelo effect. However, the blueberry phenomenon definitely kicked in when alcohol was involved, not by me, by her she couldn’t control her alcohol.

[00:38:00] She later apologized. We we’re good friends now, but no, like you gotta be careful to make sure that you’re not imposing your will, what you want for that person. Once again, I cannot stress this enough what you want for that person onto them. Listen to them. That communication, hear and listen to what they want themselves, their ideal selves to be, and then help ‘em to aspire to be that as long as it isn’t infringing on you also aspiring to be your most ideal self.

Bruce Anthony: So what are some practical applications and examples of the Michelangelo effect? Expressing belief in each other’s abilities and dreams. I don’t know. That seems like a pretty simple concept, right? Just believing in the person and supporting them, providing encouragement and resources to help each other pursue their goals.

[00:39:00] Notice the key words in there each other. It’s not a one way street. You are pouring into their cup. They’re pouring into your cup. The purpose is to fill the cup. Both of y’all need to have full cups, so it’s not one way each other. Provide encouragement and resources to help each other pursue their goals, celebrate progress and growth no matter how small.

Me as a fitness professional, something as simple as. A person holding a plank for 10 seconds longer than they previously held it. I big up them. I don’t yell and scream and run all around the place, but I big up them. I’m like, look at what you come. Last time you did 10 seconds left. Today you did 10 seconds more.

[00:40:00] Look at you. Look at you and you know what they say to me? It’s all ‘cause of your help. You see the Michelangelo effect, even outside of romantic relationships, helping us both move to our ideal selves. Another. Practice that is important in the Michelangelo effect. The one that I’ve stressed over and over and over again is engaging in open conversations about aspiration, aspirations, and supporting each other’s authentic paths.

Here’s an example. If one partner dreams of becoming more sociable, the other might gently encourage social outings and celebrate small successes, helping them move towards their ideal self. It’s not hard, ladies and gentlemen. It’s not hard. So what is the Michaelangelo effect? The Michaelangelo effect is taking yourself outside of yourself, realizing that there’s another person, realizing that you also need to aspire to your ideal self.

[00:41:00] Figuring that out, talking to the other person, figuring out what their ideal self is, they need to figure that out, not you. They need to figure that out. And y’all talking and helping each other get to that ideal self. I just saved everybody’s marriage. I just saved everybody’s relationship because it’s not hard.

Like I said, this is one plus one equals two. That’s all this is. And so hopefully there are people out there that are hearing me, and this resonates because what you have in your head for your partner, your friend, your coworker, may not be what they have in their head. As what they want to be. Talk, communicate, have those tough conversations.

Don’t duck ‘em. Don’t say, I don’t wanna talk about this right now because I don’t wanna have to deal with that. Don’t duck ‘em. Have ‘em be uncomfortable. Get comfortable being uncomfortable. It’ll help you grow. That’ll help you become your ideal self, and that’ll help you help other people become their ideal self.

Bruce Anthony: Speaking of social media, learning new things, something came across my timeline. It was actually on YouTube. I was on YouTube just scanning YouTube and the Grand Theft Auto six trailer drops. Now, for those people who don’t know what Grand Theft Auto is, it’s a video game. I used to play Grand Theft Auto three and Grand Theft Auto four.

I never beat any one of ‘em. I didn’t like. I liked the games, but the fact that I couldn’t beat them just made me quit. But I’m watching this trailer for A-G-T-G-T-A six. It looks like a movie.

Bruce Anthony: [00:43:00] It looks like like a Dreamworks Pixar, but with better quality. It’s like a movie and, and just, it blew my mind because the evolution I talked about earlier on this show about how the eighties just expanded with products and evolution and technology.

And I’m watching this trailer and I’m just like, good God. I remember it when playing video games. It was stick figures. Just see the evolution over my lifetime. I’ve been playing video games for almost 40 years. Good God. I’m getting old. Ladies and gentlemen. I’m getting old. Almost 40 years, let’s say 35.

[00:44:00] I mean, they actually hire real actors to play these characters in the video game, and you’re playing the characters. With your controller, making them do stuff and the response from the act. Look, video games, it is crazy. I haven’t play, I didn’t play Grand Theft Auto five. They, they, they had a whole bunch of other stuff going on and, and different online things for Grand Theft Auto.

I’ve got to play Grand Theft Auto six, just because I just want to experience the next evolution of technology. I got me an Xbox what’s the newest, newest one? Xbox X, whatever it is. I got the newest Xbox. I got it last year for my birthday. I’m gonna go ahead and get it and hope that it’s on Xbox. Not on PlayStation.

[00:45:00] ‘cause then I had to go over to my sister’s house and play it over my dad’s house ‘cause they got the PlayStations. But I’m, I, I remember one time playing video games at my parents’ house. It had to be Christmas. ‘cause why was I an an adult at my parents’ house playing video games. So it had to be Christmas.

‘cause I always buy myself a video game for Christmas and I was downstairs playing NBA 2K. I don’t know what year it was. Probably 2009 or 10 or, or eight, some, somewhere like that. Okay. And my dad says, well, I didn’t know there was any games on right now. ‘cause it wasn’t it, it wasn’t like the time for games to be on, it was probably like nine or 10 o’clock in the morning.

Right. He was like, I didn’t know any games was on. I was like, dad, this isn’t a game. This isn’t actually the basketball game. This is a video game. He said, you gotta be me. I was like, no, that he was like, wow, it have come a long way since Dr. J versus Larry Bird. I’m like, yes, they absolutely have.

Bruce Anthony: [00:46:00] I mean, I’ve already done the story of how there’s been research done that shows that video games can actually help kids because of the thinking and the knowledge that they have to do to play some of these games and strategy and things of that nature.

Think of it as board games, but now. On television, right? Because back in the day, we would play these board games that were creating critical thinking strategy. Video games are now doing that, and video games are so in depth, so realistic. It might be a little scary. It might be a little scary because I remember my generation, and mind you, my generation was the first generation to really have at home video game systems.

That’s my generation, right? They were really scared that the kids wouldn’t go outside and play. Now, we still went outside and play. We played video games, and then we went outside and played. Because we like to go outside and play, but there is a realistic effect that’s been happening. Probably younger millennials, gen Zers of, you know, them not going outside.

[00:47:00] So part of the reason why some of us were healthy as kids is because. Went outside and played and ran around all day. And some of these kids, you know, there was definitely a, a, a issue in the two thousands about kids not going out and playing. That’s the reason why Michelle Obama created this, you know, campaign to get kids to go outside and play.

But I don’t blame ‘em for staying inside the house and playing these video games. Have you seen them? They look realistic. They look, they look so realistic. Now, like I said, I played grant theft Auto three and four and I saw this trailer and I was like, that’s not the grant theft auto. I remember granite grant theft Auto three had to be 20 years ago, right?

[00:48:00] I think it was 2002, so 23 years ago. It was a long time. Video games have definitely evolved. I don’t even think the PlayStation two and the Xbox. 360 were out yet. I think I was playing grad theft auto on PlayStation or Xbox, like the original, the first generations. And here we are now on PlayStation five, and I don’t know what iteration of this Xbox is.

Let’s see. We had Xbox, Xbox 360. It was a Xbox One, and then I guess the Xbox X or whatever I got right now that that’s what I got. I don’t think there was anything in between, but I’ve had ‘em all. I’ve had every single one of these Xbox. Yes, video games and the evolution of video games is amazing, but you kind of see that across all technology, right?

When we watch these Pixar movies or what used to be cartoon movies, go back and and watch The Lion King. And that was evolved for that time. ‘cause you go back and you watch transformers or GI Joe cartoons from the eighties or Thundercats, they look real. They look real elemental. You know, they look real pedestrian out here and everything is just more advanced.

[00:49:00] And so I think it’s dope. I really do. I really think it’s dope, that this video game and go check it out. It’s GTA six, it’s on YouTube. Go check out the trailer. It looks like a movie. And isn’t that the next great thing, right? Is anybody else like me When you watch a movie? And I might be the only one I’m not.

‘cause I’ve talked to other people. Other people do that. Do you pause if you’re at home? Do you pause and start acting out the scene, but the way that you would’ve responded to it? Right. Like, this is how, this is what I would’ve did. You know, that happens a lot during Scary movie. I this, I would do this, right?

[00:50:00] In the video games now that look like real life, that look like movies, you can, you can, there’s a script, right? There’s a story, but your actions dictate where the story goes. It’s different than Mario Brothers or Zelda or these video games that we had back in the day. It’s a whole world. I haven’t played Fortnite.

I don’t play Call of Duty. Those games are a little bit too advanced for me. You know, I’m pedestrian. I just like my, I like my Madden. They came out with the college football. I like my sports games. I don’t pretty much play action adventure games. Because I can’t ever beat ‘em. Right? It always gets to a point where you gotta drive a car to a certain point is at the time limit.

I done wrecked the car, or I done died, or the cops is chasing me. I don’t ever beat ‘em and it’s not fun for me. But these video games now, especially with GT six that has an online situation that just seems dope, where you can interact with other people. It’s, it’s a movie that you’re in. That has a framework of a story, but you’re dictating where the story goes.

[00:51:00] And yes, anybody would be fascinated by that. I’m waiting for the day that video games become so evolved that you could put on a suit. And then actually playing in the basketball game through the video game and the character mimics. I know they have kind of have stuff similar to that now, but I mean, you really feel like you’re in a basketball game and you really feel like you’re in a football game ‘cause you’re actually doing the movement.

You want to get kids out there being more active. That’ll definitely do it. Make their ass run around or something. Like we had the power pad back in the day and all my older millennials and Gen X know what I’m talking about. The power pad. When you got the Nintendo, you played track and field on it. You move your feet as fast as you can.

[00:52:00] If you was, if you was cheating, you was moving your hands. And we didn’t allow that in, in my household, when you came over to my house, you put your feet to those buttons and you move those feet. ‘cause we are playing hurdles. We are sprinting, we are going at it. That would be great to reintroduce those type of elements to video games, right?

They kind of devolved as far as that’s concerned, but these graphics and the way these things move, whew. Technology is cool, man. AI is cool. You know, we got everything in the palm of our hands. Makes life easier sometimes. Sometimes. But this video game, look, y’all go check it out. Y’all tell me, leave it calm man or something.

Y’all tell me that don’t look spectacular to you. That looks spectacular. And supposedly people have been waiting for years for this. I mean it is not like they dropped one every year. ‘cause we on Grand Theft Auto six and I remember playing Grand Theft Auto 3 23 years ago. So it’s not like they dropping ‘em every year.

People have been waiting for it, but it seems like the weight was worth it. ‘cause these graphics are on point. But on that note. Y’all tired of hearing me talk about video games? I don’t blame you. I’m just fascinated by technology.

Bruce Anthony: [00:53:00] Anyway, listen, aliens are out there. They don’t need to be coming to talk to us ‘cause we just gonna mess it up.

Learn to communicate with your partner and learn to fill their cup by using the Michelangelo effect. It’ll better your relationship. And check out that Grand Theft Auto six. Trailer because first of all, they got trailers for video games now, and the graphics are spectacular. That’s all I got to say. And on that note, I want to thank you for listening.

I want to thank you for watching, and until next time, as always, I’ll holler.

Woo. That was a hell of a show. Thank you for rocking with us here on Unsolicited Perspectives with Bruce Anthony. Now, before you go, don’t forget to follow, subscribe, like, comment, and share our podcast. Wherever you’re listening or watching it to it, pass it along to your friends. If you enjoy it, that means the people that you rock, we’ll enjoy it also.

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Audi 5,000 Peace.