My mission is to help people with their mental health. Part of that comes with supporting them to see with clarity exactly where they are and helping them gain a vision of what they want in their lives.
At times we are bound to our past and informed by beliefs and values that come from a place where it either served us at the time or it was passed on to us during our formative years and we never questioned where they came from.
Either way, these beliefs and values color our world and how we live within it.
If we are to now consider that we have seen a rise in direct outside influence over the past 10 years then that starts to tell the story of how we are seeing a rise in stress and anxiety in people’s lives.
I realize that there have always been outside sources trying to influence us whether that was to sell us something or to have us consider someone’s point of view as the one and only credible view.
I have always been interested in learning about influence and I have studied it for over the past 25 years. Robert Cialdini, Kevin Hogan, Steven Hassan, et al.
Even NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming-which is the main modality I am trained in along with Hypnosis) has been used as a tool of influence. It is such an effective tool that Steven Hassan stepped away from the community when it was offered to the general public instead of keeping it to trained mental health professionals.
I don’t think it is the tool so much as the intent when it comes to the sources out there.
There are many contributing factors out there that have led us down this path. This is not to bring up anything negative and as I said, it isn’t the tool so much as its use that is the concern.
The amount of information we are exposed to on a daily basis is one of the biggest contributing factors. There is something called the critical faculty of the mind. The definition is “ability to make judgments about what is good or true”. These faculties include thought, imagination, memory, will, and sensation.
Hypnosis works on the basis of pulling down your critical faculty in order to allow the unconscious mind to learn new ways of seeing the world.
This is also true when you watch a movie. If you were to keep your critical faculty up most people wouldn’t believe that Superman exists and can fly and do all the things he does. (as one example). You go into the theater (or your TV or phone- it’s all coming together) and you make an agreement that for the next however long you are in there you will believe what they show you.
This article is not to condemn the internet or to get into politics or even to discuss the news outlets. I would ask that you look at your opinions on these and take a critical look at where your opinions or ideas (are they your own or something you heard?) about these things come from.
I would like to share some ideas on how we can use critical thinking skills as we go through our lives in order for us to be sure our ideas are our own and to look at why others would want us to think their way instead of thinking for ourselves.
Encourage open-mindedness: Keep an open mind and consider different perspectives, even if you don’t agree with them. Listen actively to others and seek out diverse sources of information.
Critical thinking skills: Think about how to evaluate evidence, distinguish fact from opinion, and assess arguments for logical fallacies or inconsistencies. Question assumptions and challenge your own beliefs.
Encourage skepticism: Be skeptical of claims that seem too good to be true or that don’t align with their own observations or experiences. Fact-check information before accepting it as true.
Promote independent research: Seek out multiple sources of information and conduct your own research when possible. Read books, articles, and research studies from a variety of perspectives.
Foster a sense of personal responsibility: Take responsibility for your own beliefs and decisions. Resist pressure from others to conform to certain ideas or beliefs.
Here are some simple things that we can all do in order to promote independent thinking and avoid being swayed by others.
- Fact-check information before sharing it: Before sharing news or information with others, take a few moments to verify that it’s accurate and comes from a reliable source. Encourage others to do the same.
- Encourage civil discourse: When discussing controversial topics, encourage others to listen actively, avoid personal attacks, and stay focused on the issues. Encourage them to seek out diverse perspectives and avoid echo chambers.
- Share resources for critical thinking: Share articles, videos, or other resources that promote critical thinking and skepticism. Encourage others to read books, watch documentaries, or attend lectures that challenge their assumptions.
- Practice active listening: When talking with others, practice active listening by paying attention to what they’re saying, asking questions, and seeking to understand their perspective. Encourage them to do the same.
One of the main ways that undue influence shows up is through the use of rhetoric and thoughts that challenge logical thinking.
If we were all to approach life with a mindset of curiosity and flexible thinking we could be living in a world that isn’t as polarized as it is right now.
We could also see that we are, in fact, one community and all connected.
