Is Your Mind Your Playful Enemy Or Good Ally?
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The human mind has been a subject of debate for generations across all fields ranging from religion to the metaphysical. This pursuit can be said to be quantitative. As humans, the endless search for knowledge is on the rise. Our understanding of the operations of things is as well. This search for knowledge involves the restructuring of our educational system, which leans towards a better understanding of this phenomenon. We cannot trace the mind to any part of the body.
The in-depth study of this phenomenon has led to several
perspectives that have argued for generations on the mind's location. A school
of thought put this cognitive functionality at the forefront of their argument
with its leading theory on the psychoanalytic theory. So, what is the human
mind, what does it entail, and is it your playful enemy or good ally?
There is an old saying, which goes: Idle hands do the
devil’s work or An idle mind is the devil’s playground. What does this mean? It
can mean that when one gets bored, nothing good may come of it, and it can
become tempting to do things that are not good.
It can be easy to allow your mind to wander and play tricks
on you, especially during stressful times or when your emotions run amok.
Thinking the worse can become normalized if back-to-back negative occurrences
happen in your life. If this happens, it may be for various reasons. Aside from
mental health issues, someone may be unconsciously or unknowingly creating
self-fulfilling prophecies, or they may be a target of others who don’t mean
them well. So, at what pivotal point in your thought process does positive or
negative thoughts form? At what pivotal moment in your thought process
transform those thoughts into positive or negative actions or inaction?
We can face life, work, or business decisions every day
that can affect us and others. If you are making unhealthy decisions and use
poor judgment, it may be necessary to gather more information to make the
best-informed decisions and use more self-control. These practices are good so
that you are not impulsively making adverse decisions that cause undue stress
or problems for yourself and others.
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Honestly ask yourself why you are doing what you do and keep asking
why for every answer until you get to the ultimate reason you are doing
something. Sometimes, you may find that what you are doing is self-serving,
selfish, harmful, and doesn’t make sense. Other times, it may be for (monetary)
gain or to prevent oneself from losing something that you falsely assign high value. One can simply do good deeds for others without bad intentions, or arguably, a reason.
Understanding The Human Mind
The human mind is a set of intricate functionalities. It
consists of several cognitive aspects, including intelligence, memory,
perception, consciousness, and other non-cognitive sectors. There are several
schools of thought with their theory on the location and function of the mind.
However, it has no specific place in the brain or body.
This theory has determined their beliefs. It has guided
their understanding of the human mind concerning the functionality,
accessibility, and location of the human mind. However, with endless years of
study, no one can place a specific locale for it. Some argue that it is a part
of the brain's functionality. Others postulate that it's a component of the
nervous system. Other theories include dualism and idealism, which postulated
that the mind is a non-physical part of the human essence.
As much as the human mind is not in a specific position, other functionalities of the mind, such as ideas and thoughts, can be linked to some parts of the human brain. The Cerebrum is a part of the brain that holds those functions, helps coordinate other similar psychomotor functions and even our emotions. The Cerebrum can be divided into two and is responsible for controlling the core functionality of human activity.
The Mind And Our Thought Process
From time immemorial, the human mind is like a deciding
factor for everything that goes through our mind, as it filters out thoughts
before we say them. Our minds decide and determine how we process negative and
positive information. However, the truth still lies in the fact that life is
full of circumstances that can shape how we think and view several happenings
in life.
There are several ways we can view life, and they classify
into three categories. These categories, which are the optimistic, pessimistic,
and realistic ways of viewing life, can determine how we handle happenings in
life, thereby deciding how those circumstances fare. These three categories are
paramount in developing a positive mindset towards things and people, leading
to a life filled with happiness.
Avoid the pessimistic approach to life at all costs. The
realistic way of viewing life should not be frowned upon negatively on how we
view the world or happenings. FYI, living without delusion does not mean that
someone is pessimistic or negative. A realist mindset is a tool that can help you
understand how you should do things while being rational and without making
cloudy or emotional decisions.
This approach to life is quite different from the pessimistic person who sees or expects only the bad things in life, without
seeking a solution to the lingering issue or impending doom. This negative way
of thinking is very harmful, especially when those involved do not seek help or
procure a solution.
Considering the happenings in the world, it's
understandable if someone decides to be negative. However, what this does is
pull forces of your mind and convert them into an enemy of your person. These
characteristics can be a product of socialization acquired from parents,
education, friends, the media, false ideologies, and the belief in the predestination of a human's life.
However, all these socialization tools do not necessarily
mean that they imbibe a negative effect on people, but they are tools for
acquiring life-changing experiences. Still, there are many positives to pick
from these social relationships as they can help you breed self-discipline,
self-control, foresight, and great intuition. We can have a mind prepared to
succeed in any social niche, either be it work or a relationship, with the
proper application of this informal education garnered from society.
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Good Ally or Playful Enemy?
It is imperative to settle the battle of your mind before
delving into toxicity with all its flashy lights and distractions to forge
forward in this world. An unsettled mind would barely thrive, as it is separate
between accessing the arsenal of their mind or being in a constant battle of
sovereignty with their mind.
Those who are in a situation of the latter find it hard to
be productive, as they are in a long battle of self-control and self-judgment.
So, since we cannot get rid of our minds, it is only smart for us to settle
issues. We should access the numerous benefits that come with the freedom of
the mind from self-condemnation or abashment. Have you ever thought the worst
before experiencing the outcome of a situation? Well, we may attribute this to a
subconscious part of us that looks to prepare for the worse, a habit we
developed from our negative past, or being downright pessimistic. The key is to
control and re-frame one’s thoughts, be willing to analyze all possible
outcomes, and never stop seeking positive solutions. Ultimately, acceptance and
making friends with peace are far better options than remaining mentally
unsettled when desired results are not (immediately) obtainable.
Another tool to winning in this battle of life is to rely
on a logical approach to circumstances rather than involving emotions, negative
assumptions, or paranoia. To find a way to bypass these emotional and default
settings that our body throws at us, we have to undertake a lot of research,
gathering of data, and understand the probability of some occurrences. The fact
behind all this is that a negative mindset naturally looks for the
unlikelihood, wrong assumptions, tragedy, and chaos that could happen to them
without searching for facts. A mindset based on logic and reality looks for
cause and effect, likelihood, probabilities, sound judgment, and reason.
Your mind or thoughts are more powerful than you realize.
Conscious and subconscious thoughts can create, build, and destroy your
imagination, hopes, dreams, happiness or unhappiness, success, or failure. Although
others who do not have your best interest at heart can play mind games, you
hold the ability and power to overcome when you stay in control and not allow
someone to game your mind. You can use your mind to learn, increase your
knowledge, and grow. Although things in life may get crazy and you may feel
like your thoughts are unhealthy and out of control, you have the power to
decline to allow people, places, and things in life to drive you crazy!
Conclusion
To thrive in this world, we must build thought processes we
gear towards positive and rational thinking, putting knowledge, facts, and
research into action. The mind is a great tool. It can be used wisely, depending
on how one makes decisions and processes emotions and information.
So, with good practice, you should be able to master the way you process thoughts and incoming information and convert them into an ally. Work on being conscious and in control of your thoughts that can birth positive and negative actions, associate or be around others who have a positive influence on your thoughts, and beware of allowing your mind to sabotage and play tricks on you.