“People Always Know Why They Behave the Way They Do”


We think that we are in control of what we do. That every decision we make is thought out. It makes sense. This idea gives us a sense of clarity and control over our lives. Our lives feel more predictable when we think we know what we are doing. Our minds are complicated. They are like puzzles that we do not fully understand. The mind is a thing.


~The Illusion of Self-Awareness

The idea that we know ourselves is not always true. People come up with reasons for what they do. They are not always right about why they do it. Sometimes we make up reasons after something happens to make it seem like it was an idea. This is related to the idea that we think we know more about what's going on in our minds than we really do. Our minds are tricky. The mind is tricky. We do not always know what is going on inside the mind.


~The Power of the Subconscious


The power of the mind is something to think about. A part of what we do is influenced by things that happen without us even realising it. In psychology this includes things like

* habits

* emotional triggers

* things we learnt from experiences. 

We might feel like we are in control. A lot of our decisions are made before we even think about them. The subconscious mind is like a partner that helps us make decisions. The subconscious mind is a thing.


~Why we do not understand ourselves 


This is a big question. There are reasons for this:

1. Making excuses is one reason. When we do not know the reason we did something, we often make up a reason after it happens. We come up with an explanation that sounds good. We fill in the gaps with things we're not really sure about. This is like trying to solve a puzzle with missing pieces. Making excuses is something we all do.

2. Biases we are not aware of are another reason. These biases work in the background, influencing things like what we think about people, what we like and do not like, and how we react to things. We rarely notice them in ourselves. They are like helpers that shape our thoughts and actions. Biases are a part of our lives.

3. Our emotions are in charge a lot of the time. We make decisions because of how we feel. Then we use logic to justify it. This is like letting our heart make decisions and then using our head to explain them. Emotions are a part of our decision-making process.


~Famous Insight


Something important to consider is that research by Daniel Kahneman in his book Thinking Fast and Slow shows us that our first reactions are usually what drive our decisions. We think carefully about them later. We come up with reasons why we made them. This is like a two-step process where our emotions come first and our logic comes second. Daniel Kahneman's research is important to consider.


~Why does this matter?


If we think we always know what we are doing, it can lead to being too confident in our decisions. We have trouble admitting when we are wrong. We judge people unfairly while making excuses for ourselves. Knowing ourselves is not something that just happens. It is something we have to work on. People do not always know why they do what they do. A lot of what we do is influenced by the mind, our emotions and biases we're not aware of.


~Conclusion


The truth is, we are not as aware of ourselves as we think. We can learn more about ourselves if we are willing to ask ourselves questions and think carefully about our actions. This is like being a detective who tries to solve the mystery of our minds. We can learn more about ourselves and make decisions if we take the time to think about what we do and why we do it. The mind is a thing, and we can learn more about it if we try.


For more content stay connected with Psychology: Myth vs Reality by 

Tanya Kakkar

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Debunking the 10% Brain Myth: What Science Says About How Our Brain Works

Image
​ For a time people have been fascinated by the idea that  humans only use 10% of their brain . This idea is really interesting. It makes us think that there is a lot of hidden potential in our brain just waiting to be used. Many movies, motivational speakers and self-help books have talked about the 10% brain myth much that a lot of people think it is true. The truth is, the 10% brain myth is not true. Let us break down the 10% brain myth and see where it came from. -Where Did the 10% Brain Myth Come From? Nobody knows for sure where the 10% brain myth started. Experts think it might have come from some research on the brain from a long time ago. Some psychologists said that people do not use their brain to its potential meaning we can learn and grow more. Over time people started to think that this meant we only use 10% of our brain. The 10% brain myth was repeated in magazines, talks and popular culture. It became one of the common myths about the brain. -What Science Actually S...
Read more

The Dangerous Stereotype of Linking Mental Illness to Violence

Image
When people hear the phrase 'illness', it is often paired with fear. This is not right. Movies, headlines and social media have painted a picture of illness that's not true. They show people with health issues as unpredictable or even dangerous.  This is not just wrong; it is also very hurtful.  -Where did this idea come from?   Popular culture has played a role in creating this misconception. We see it in crime dramas and news stories; they often link ill ness to violence. This creates a picture in people's minds that's not true. Over time people start to think that mental illness and violence go together. -The truth is very different Most people with illness are not violent. Research shows that most people with health issues are not violent. In fact, they are more likely to be misunderstood or treated unfairly. They are also more likely to be victims of violence. Mental health conditions like anxiety or depression do not make someone aggressive or dangerous. These...
Read more

Memory Does Not Work Like a Video Recorder

Image
​ A lot of people think that our brain records memories like a camera records a video. They think that when we remember something we just play it back exactly as it happened. This sounds like it makes sense. Sometimes memories feel really vivid. You might remember what you wore on a day or what someone said during a fight. You might even remember the moment you got some exciting news. Because these memories feel so real, it is easy to think that they are stored perfectly in our minds. The way psychology sees it is very different.     • Memory Is Like Rebuilding, Not Recording Our brain does not store memories like a video file. Instead it stores pieces of what happened, like how we felt, what we saw, what we heard and what it meant. When we remember something, our brain puts these pieces together to make the memory. So remembering is not like playing back a video; it is like rebuilding a scene from little parts. Because of this, memories can change over time. Each time we reme...
Read more