Thinking, called “self-talk,” by behavioral scientists, is placed high on the list of important human traits. Thinking clearly with few cognitive errors is challenging in the face of highly developed methods of today’s media to influence thinking, feelings, and behavior.
To the Rolling Stones 1969 song, “You Can’t Always have What You Want,” I hasten to caution, “You Can’t Always Believe What You Think.”
The term homo sapiens, coined by Carl Linnaeus, the “father of modern taxonomy”, in the 1750s referred to us in Latin as “wise,” intelligent, thinking human beings. Of all forms of life, we are meant to be thinking beings.
Let’s think about thinking . . . According to Shakespeare’s Hamlet, “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” Hamlet, Act II, Scene 2, 1599-1601. Was Shakespeare in a time machine propelling him to present day post-modern deconstructionism?
When asked about postmodernism by fellow fitness friends in the locker room, you can simply state, “It is a philosophy that rejects concepts of rationality, objectivity, and universal truth. Instead, it emphasizes the diversity of human experience and multiplicity of perspectives.”
If you are applying for the presidency of one of the Ivy League Universities recently vacated by those holding Hamlet’s view, you may want to refresh your thinking about postmodern deconstruction (note that “deconstruction” is considered unappealing by those doing the deconstructing). A highly recommended resource for your job interview on postmodernism is the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
I believe in the reality of universal truths. Truth can be battered, denied, defamed, and unsophisticated, but truth stands stalwart. As a forensic psychiatrist, in both civil and criminal judicial trials, over many years, I witnessed truth as undeniable as the brilliance of a sparkling diamond.
I’ve found countless universal truths emphasized in the Bible, truths that comfort me in despair, guide me in decisions, and inspire me to love God above all else and to love all others without exception. Isaiah for example (740-680 B.C.), prophesized about Jesus, saying, “Look to me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.” Isaiah 45:22. And the author of Proverbs urges us to: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.”
Norman Vincent Peale (1898-1993) published The Power of Positive Thinking in 1952. Five million copies were sold, indicating that people worldwide are searching for ways to improve their thinking.
Every athletic coach wants players like “Rudy,” a small man with a big determination to play football for Notre Dame. As depicted in one of my favorite movies, Rudy remains the last football player to be heroically carried off the field by his admiring teammates holding him high on their large, mighty arms and shoulders. Coaches know the significance of players’ thoughts.
“Thinking,” a Poem by Walter D. Wintle, 1905.
“If you think you are beaten, you are. If you think you dare not, you don’t. If you like to win but think you can’t it is almost certain you won’t.
If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost. For out of the world, we find success begins with a fellows’ will. It’s all in the state of mind.
If you think you are outclassed, you are. You’ve got to think high to rise; You’ve got to be sure of yourself before You can ever win a prize.
Life’s battles don’t always go to the stronger or faster man; but sooner or later the man who wins is the man who thinks he can.”
Clearly, there is a place for thinking positively and with confidence, but I prefer thinking rationally, honestly, and from the heart. Jonathan Swift, 1667-1745, a satirist, poet, and clergyman, was asked, “Who is the superior, the French or the English? Swift replied, “Which Frenchman? Which Englishman?” His 18th century thoughtful reply is no less rational, honest, and from the heart for the 21st century when we are tempted to commit the common fallacy of generalization.
The benefits of rational, honest thinking were proven by Dr. Aaron T. Beck, 1921-2021, founder of Cognitive Therapy (later called CBT or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). “Cognitive Therapy was an answer to Freudian analysis: a pragmatic, thought-monitoring approach to treating anxiety, depression and other mental disorders, and it changed psychiatry” (New York Times Obituary, 11/1/2021).
Beck focused on patients’ day-to-day thinking, not on deeply hidden childhood conflicts. He found “unexamined assumptions,” or “automatic thoughts” led to depression, anxiety, or other mental disorders. I was privileged to study under his tutelage and that of his daughter, Dr. Judy Beck, for 2 years. Dr. Beck explained that anxiety arises from two correctible cognitive errors: 1. The tendency to overestimate danger and 2. The tendency to underestimate one’s ability to manage danger.
“Automatic thoughts, like “I’m just unlucky in love” or “I’ve always been socially inept,” can give rise to self-criticism, despair and self-defeating attempts to compensate, like promiscuity or heavy drinking.”
The next time you are disturbed by something, try to identify your thoughts, not an easy task initially. Once the thought is identified, take it to the courtroom of your mind, asking yourself what the evidence is that your thought is either true, or false. Ask yourself, “what would you say to a friend having the thought?” Then reframe the thought as free of cognitive errors as possible.
For example: you misplace your car keys and become irritated, thinking, “I am stupid, always have been, and I am becoming demented.” You are an intelligent person, have many friends and a loving family, and have never been called “stupid.” Your best friend told you she lost her car keys last week and you told her, “everybody does that sometimes – don’t give it a second thought.” Now your reframed thought is less harsh and not as irritating: “I misplaced my car keys, but it is not the end of the world.”
I want to see “The Music Man” again because I also believe in Meredith Willson’s “think system.” I’ve always wanted to play the guitar and piano.
May I have my penny for your thoughts now?
Robert S. Brown, MD, PHD a retired Psychiatrist, Col (Ret) U.S. Army Medical Corps devoted the last decade of his career to treating soldiers at Fort Lee redeploying from combat. He was a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Professor of Education at UVA. His renowned Mental Health course taught the value of exercise for a sound mind.