7 Ways Our Thoughts Deceive Us
published October 21, 2018
Photo by Kyle Broad on Unsplash
by Christine Fonseca, from her book Letting Go: A Girl's Guide to Breaking Free of Stress and Anxiety
Our brains work tirelessly to keep us safe. But it isn't just things out in the world that our brains protect us from, they protect us from our inner monsters as well. And these are often perceived as more threatening than anything outside the body.
The brain doesn't base decisions on Truth with a capital "T," but rather on our perception of reality at the moment. This perception is heavily influenced by our internal monsters.
How does our brain lie to us? It uses what I like to refer to as "cons," specific thoughts that lead our conscious mind to misperceptions and cognitive errors. There are seven cons that our brain regularly utilizes to convince us of the 'truth' of a particular cognition error.
Here's a look at the specific cons our brain uses to maintain our stress and anxiety. The chart below will help you to understand the different types of cons and how they influence your own thoughts.
Adapted from Letting Go: A Girl's Guide to Breaking Free of Stress and Anxiety, by Christine Fonseca. © Prufrock Press, 2017. Used with permission. www.prufrock.com
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