#7 You’re evolved to make errors when you think
There are people who only see half of what's in front of them. If you instructed them to draw a clock, they would only draw numbers on one side of the face. This condition is called hemispatial neglect, and those affected have no possibility of perceiving the things located on their damaged side of the visual space.
Though psychology is full of such weird and cool examples, it was not the fun-facts that made me study it in the first place; it was the way it improved my life.
Leap of faith + love of fate
Many of our limitations are self-imposed: we lie to ourselves, neglect the whole picture, and get tripped up by giving in to social pressure.
Because of this, we tend to make choices that leave us feeling stuck — stuck in a way of living that just doesn’t feel right: we choose a career path that’s safe, suppress our eccentricities, and fall into group-think way too often.
Still, it seems reasonable — like they’re the logical things to do. …
Chaos, worthlessness, lost
Everyone wants to live a meaningful life, but not everyone realizes they’re already living it — at least to a certain degree.
You see, it isn’t always obvious we have something when we’re in the middle of it. Sometimes, the only way to see things clearly is by having it taken away. So, what you characterize as normal living might actually be pretty meaningful. And you’ll realize that if meaninglessness comes your way.
Then, instead of feeling “nothing special” (normal), you might start to feel empty, indifferent, or lost; like life doesn’t matter, doesn’t make much sense, or doesn’t have…
What’s the meaning of it all?
The great psychologist Carl Jung once said:
“Meaninglessness inhibits fullness of life and is therefore equivalent to illness.”
I believe he’s right. I’ve experienced it. But it’s also worse than any other illness I’ve encountered. It’s an all-encompassing force, like an illness of one’s entirety. And of course, that inhibits life.
Looking back, I’m aware of some of the things that caused it for me: moving to a new place and not fitting in, quitting a long-time hobby and having nothing to replace it with, and spending too much time alone in a dimly lit apartment. These things tore me…
#2 Your self-esteem is determined through others
People used to think the earth was flat. It was an implicit theory, because indeed, it appeared to be so.
You too, might carry such implicit theories about the world. And it’s not unusual to have a few. Formed through interactions with your parents, peers, and experience, they’ve been conceived, updated, and gradually established to the point they inform what you think and do.
But just as the flat-earth theory turned out, they might not be correct. It might just be you haven’t encountered something that violates their assumptions yet.
Studying for my master’s degree in psychology, I’ve encountered plenty…
Bring your team from the creative to the concrete
It’s Monday morning, and you and your team meet up to discuss the week ahead. You identify a new problem, and you want a solution set in motion by the end of the week. What do you do?
If you’re short on time or antsy to get going, you’re likely to approach it the way you’ve always done. Who has time to explore new ways when you’re on a deadline anyways?
Now, although jumping right in brings a feeling of tackling the problem straight away, it might actually end up restricting you. …
“Nothing is more dangerous for a new truth than an old misconception.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Like happiness, meaning is one of those terms that everyone throws around. And asking, “what does meaning mean?”, highlights the potential for confusion.
Indeed, there’s something about it that seems hard to pinpoint and define. It’s elusive, used in different contexts, and yet paradoxically, most people not only seem to have an idea of what it is, but they want it in their lives.
Ok, but who cares? At face, this isn’t a big deal; you can live a meaningful life without knowing the technicalities. What’s concerning, however, are all the misconceptions that arise because of this. And so, without…
“When you have found that a certain wind sends you on a wrong course, adjust your sails to the Port of Right.”
— Adapted quote from Ella Wheeler Wilcox
I had been interested in writing a book long before I actually wrote one. But my problem was I never succeeded in developing it to a whole. I would typically start to write about a topic, work on it for a couple of weeks, but then get insecure and question myself. “Was this topic for me? Could it actually become a solid book? Was it worth my time?”
Based on the…
3 steps you and yourself can follow
Your mindset largely depends on how you talk to yourself. And the reason it’s so important is because your inner dialogue is the only conversation you can’t walk away from. What’s more, it affects everything you do. As Marcus Aurelius said:
“The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.”
Simply, positive self-talk leads to a positive mindset, while negative self-talk leads to a negative mindset. I know how it is.
When I was younger, I used to be a harsh coach. Not when I was coaching the kids in my sports club, but when I was coaching myself…
For when you’ve drifted and want to live better again
“Stop drifting… if your well-being matters to you, be your own savior while you can.”
This quote by Marcus Aurelius has been on my mind lately. It hit me hard — in the right place, at the right time.
When I first encountered the personal development scene four years ago, I was hooked. I was coming out of a depression, and getting in touch with this field helped me realize I could take control over my life and improve it. And in my view, I feel like I’ve succeeded in that.
Jonas Ressem
From Norway. Building onliving.life. Exploring life through psychology, philosophy and entrepreneurship. Come explore with me: http://eepurl.com/dAtfdv
