Have You Noticed How Irrational You Can Be?
Behavioral economists have shown that most of us are far more irrational in our thinking and behavior than we care to acknowledge. Psychologists have shown that once we are aware of this irrationality there are things we can do to improve upon this.
There are many complex moving parts that play into how and why we think and behave the way we do. What is common among us all is the frequency at which we make the irrational decisions we make. Psychologists and neuroscientists have shown how malleable our thinking is. We can change the way we think by doing things like reframing experiences to change perspective, by experiencing new things, by meditating, and a handful of other exercises that all contribute to a more conscious and evolved way of thinking. Consciousness and awareness are important if we are to become more mindful, that is, to catch ourselves in the act. Only when we have a desire to do this will it be possible for us to do so. We can change how we think to modify our behavior, we can also modify our behavior to change how we think. The latter process is referred to embodied or enclothed cognition.
I frequently find myself thinking, then doing irrational things. Is buying a venti at Starbucks really worth the enjoyment I receive from it or would that money be better spent on a months worth of Folgers? The answer is no, then yes? So why do I do this? Because when I am entranced by the experience that I created in my mind when I enter a Starbucks I am not at all thinking rationally. By being able to be in the moment of irrationality and identifying it as such we can at least make better choices for ourselves as opposed to being on auto pilot and simply reacting to situations and then possibly regretting some of the actions we take. Buying a Starbucks once in a while may not be too big of a deal, but buying one everyday is.
#elliotyi
#paradigmleft
#habits
#mindset
There are many complex moving parts that play into how and why we think and behave the way we do. What is common among us all is the frequency at which we make the irrational decisions we make. Psychologists and neuroscientists have shown how malleable our thinking is. We can change the way we think by doing things like reframing experiences to change perspective, by experiencing new things, by meditating, and a handful of other exercises that all contribute to a more conscious and evolved way of thinking. Consciousness and awareness are important if we are to become more mindful, that is, to catch ourselves in the act. Only when we have a desire to do this will it be possible for us to do so. We can change how we think to modify our behavior, we can also modify our behavior to change how we think. The latter process is referred to embodied or enclothed cognition.
I frequently find myself thinking, then doing irrational things. Is buying a venti at Starbucks really worth the enjoyment I receive from it or would that money be better spent on a months worth of Folgers? The answer is no, then yes? So why do I do this? Because when I am entranced by the experience that I created in my mind when I enter a Starbucks I am not at all thinking rationally. By being able to be in the moment of irrationality and identifying it as such we can at least make better choices for ourselves as opposed to being on auto pilot and simply reacting to situations and then possibly regretting some of the actions we take. Buying a Starbucks once in a while may not be too big of a deal, but buying one everyday is.
#elliotyi
#paradigmleft
#habits
#mindset
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