Don’t Believe Everything You Think

This T-shirt is a great reminder, one which we all need. We need to remember to consider the source, and since the brain has a huge negativity bias, it’s natural that it produces negative thoughts. It’s simply doing its job.

This is because we evolve very slowly thru genetic mutations, and our brains have simply not been able to keep up with the rate progress humanity has made in society, technology, and safety over the past 1,000 years. You can’t change the rate of evolution unless you’re doing gene editing.

Therefore, our brains are still compelled to keep us on alert by looking for threats. The quality of our lives or reducing anxiety was not, and is not, the primary concern of our brain. This means the default state of the brain is spontaneous wondering, mostly speculating on things that could go wrong or triaging the biggest disaster which might befall us.

But much of what the brain creates and enters our consciousness is not only negative but inaccurate. It’s not factual or based in reality; it’s fake. Our brain deceives us. It’s convincing and presents things to us as if it’s truth, well-thought-out conclusions, and important news.

The problem isn’t that we have negative and ridiculous thoughts. We all do. The problem comes when we believe our thoughts are true and pay them attention. When we buy these stories and become fused or entangled with them. We don’t step back to get a better perspective.

Ask yourself, “To what extent am I encumbered by my survival brain?” Then resolve use your mind to keep your survival brain in check. Grasp that most of what the brain creates is not worthy of being on the front page of our lives. What makes it to the front page has to be vetted, fact-checked, or put on trial.