Do you ever feel like you are not in control? Maybe you become irrational when you don't eat lunch. You should pour yourself a drink when you say you won't. You are not the only one. We all struggle to think clearly and understand our decisions. A little chaos in the brain is a trait.
There are many factors that affect how we think. Genes, personality, and fleeting states all play a part. We are more likely to be driven by them if we don't understand them.
Sometimes we think that our brains are biased, lazy and gullible because of how we conserve energy. We are swayed by friends and neighbours, by advertising and social media, and by the food, drinks and drugs we consume.
We're not powerless. By knowing how these factors hijack our minds, we can think more clearly and improve our relationships. The answers to these burning questions could change how you think.
Habits can make us more efficient, freeing up the brain’s processing power to focus on challenging tasks
Are you a Saturday morning person? It might be a lie-in with a newspaper and a coffee. A run through the park is recommended. Automatic actions, such as pouring yourself a stiff drink after work, are examples of routines. They are helpful and enjoyable, but they can cloud our thinking.
Some people rely on routine while others don't. If you agree with statements such as "I find comfort in regularity" or "When I go into the kitchen, I typically look in the fridge", you are likely to register high on the scale.
The brain's processing power can be used to focus on challenging tasks instead of deciding what to have for breakfast. People who have anxiety can be helped by their predictability.
Habituals have a darker side as well. We might struggle to think creatively if we are always on autopilot. It has been shown that creatures of habit may find it hard to manage their emotions and behavior.
You may crave new things if this is not you. It can help you to be more open minded. It can get in the way of the repetition needed to acquire skills or maintain rewarding relationships if you start craving change. It's possible that some people who are averse to routine will suddenly quit their job without a backup plan.
We need to know how our habits affect us. It is possible to create space for careful thinking if you add a little more routine. Useful habits can be encouraged by the use of cues, such as putting jogging bottoms by the bed at night to help get you started.
If you always seem to be on autopilot, try to break some habits and experience new things. Changing your environment can help, for example, if you always snack at your desk, you might be able to remove the snackingcue.
We should all avoid doing the same things and talking to the same people all the time. Look for new hobbies. People you wouldn't normally talk to. Rather than relying on the same old routines, habits and echo chambers, we can challenge our thinking when we encounter something new.
Terry was kidnapped in Lebanon in 1987 while he was an envoy for the archbishop. He spent a lot of time in total isolation.
He traveled deep into his past with an uncertain future. He remembers being in the hospital as a child and his first love. Taken on Trust was a book he wrote in his head while in prison.
We're all time travellers, we switch between past, present and future. The way we think is affected by this. It's possible to give life meaning by focusing on the past. We can be more conservative and less open to new ways of thinking if we focus too much on the past.
According to research, conservatives tend to use more past-oriented language than liberals, and that the slogan "Make America Great Again" and "Take Back Control" were used by Trump and the Leave campaign.
Life can be filled with rich, new experiences if you focus on the present. It comes with a possible cost. Most of us will choose a smaller immediate reward over a larger one further down the line because of our present bias. It could endanger us. Sex, drug use, and savings can seem riskier when we focus on the present.
To better appreciate and learn from the past, write down a memory a day
It's possible to boost our chances of a comfortable retirement by focusing on the future and paying into a pension instead of splurging today. It can trap us into forgetting the most meaningful moments of our lives. Don't try to think in one direction. Writing exercises can help. Write down a memory a day in order to appreciate the past. List the things you are thankful for now. A five-year plan is the best way to cultivate an eye to the future.
If you are afraid of change, look for new people, experiences and ideas. Slow down and think about the consequences of your actions. If you are always sacrificing for a goal, take a break and do what you enjoy. You only live one time.
There was a sense of security and meaning in the past. We need to balance the past, present and future in order to feel in control of our time.
All of us have a button. The character of Jane Tennison in the TV series Prime Suspect was inspired by a successful detective, who was also a mother. Malton pressed hers too frequently in the 1980's.
Police work was an antidote to the pressures of booze. She felt less vulnerable as a gay woman in the male-dominated, fixed-in-its-ways force of the late 20th century, and to overcome the feeling that she didn't "belong". It was part of the culture to drink after work.
Malton found it hard to cut down. She promised to leave the bar early but ended up saying "fuck it" and ordering more. One of the most flexible and brave minds in the police had become addicted to drugs.
We are all vulnerable to temptation when we don't pay attention, feel bad about ourselves, or prioritize present pleasures over the consequences. There is a point at which too many fuck its constitutes full-blown addiction.
There's more to addiction than a single choice. Mental health and genetics play a part in alcoholism, which is between 40% and 60% heritable. The nucleus accumbens is a primitive area of the brain that can cause addictive behavior. Malton discovered that our environment and self-worth played a part.
We can make changes. When Vietnam war veterans returned to the US, there was a reduction in the rates of addiction to drugs. Drugs might have been a warped proxy for belonging in a frightening, uncertain environment, which could apply to anyone who finds themselves cut off from positive relationships, meaning or " home".
Malton joined AA in 1992 and hasn't had a drink since. We might be drinking or gambling more to get the same high. Maybe we are letting commitments and relationships fall by the wayside. We might be justifying our actions on the grounds that we are not a stereotypical alcoholic.
Identifying and admitting the flaws in our thinking will allow us to overcome them. We may need to change our lifestyles. Malton says that one of the biggest obstacles to thinking clearly is to keep doing the same thing.
Twins in their late 30's have the same genes. Growing up in a loving home in London, they had similar temperaments, achieved the same grades in school and were involved in almost the same activities. Do they think the same way?
Helen scored higher on agreeableness and openness to experience than Alex. They were not surprised by the result. Alex thinks working in a conflict zone made her tougher. Helen believes attending a more liberal university taught her to question tradition more and that meeting her wife made her feel better.
We can change who we are and how we think if we continue to learn and have new experiences. Cognitive ability and personality are the main factors in determining thinking. It's possible that genes from our parents influence us. That's right, gulp!
50% of higher-level cognitive functions are heritable. High IQ can help us spot patterns in the world and solve problems, but it doesn't make us self-critical or aware of our biases.
There comes a point when too many ‘screw its’ constitute a full-blown addiction
Rational/critical thinking, creativity and emotional intelligence are some of the higher cognitive functions. Researchers have come up with exercises and training programmes that can boost critical thinking, creativity and emotional intelligence.
42% of our personality is heritable and changes over time. It is possible for high emotional stability and extraversion to make us gullible and over confident in our decisions. Flexibility, intellectual curiosity and creativity are all linked to openness to experience and conscientiousness.
Changing life circumstances can affect personality. You could become more conscientious if you take on a lot of responsibility. You may become more open if you try to understand and appreciate different cultures. People who live in diverse societies are less prejudiced against people who are different from them.
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Changes can be rapid. We were able to increase our scores on emotional stability and conscientiousness by using a four week research based programme. If you want to become more conscientious, you need to do things such as putting out your clothes the night before, proof-reading emails before sending them, or volunteering to organize something for a friend.
Genes are not the cause of thinking. New experiences and uncomfortable insights can expand the mind just as a tough work-out increases the body.
There are 29 reasons you aren't thinking clearly and what to do about it.
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