Unrecognized Self-Deception
Let’s look at the mind and some of its workings. Neuroscientists have discovered that the average adult conceptualizes approximately 60,000 thoughts daily. If that doesn’t shock you, this will. We think those same 60,000 thoughts day after day - with some new thoughts added into that number. Furthermore, only one thought out of every sixteen is positive. This statistic clearly shows that the majority of our thoughts are exaggerated imaginings that are not true representations of who we are, how well we fit into the world, our ability to handle what life serves up, and the countless misconception of others we believe to be factual when in reality most are not.
Beliefs
We commit a great disservice to ourselves when we allow the untrained meanderings of the fear-filled mind to take center stage. By allowing unquestioned negative, untrue, unreliable, and inaccurate thoughts and beliefs to take up so much of our time and attention is, needless to say, hazardous to our overall wellbeing and health. Habitually repeated thoughts harden into beliefs, which are a hell of a lot harder to change than mere thoughts themselves. Eventually those concretized beliefs begin defining who we are, as well as directing how we must behave in the world. Relationships are then created according to those self-deceptive beliefs. And lastly, based on our strongly held self-deceptive beliefs, we detach ourselves from the authentic person inside.
Our Truest Selves
Self-deception is the cause of a great deal of human suffering. Initially, we feel stunned at the notion that we may be inauthentic, and yet we present ourselves this way without realizing it. By diligently, and regularly, questioning the negative thoughts we’ve automatically come to believe as our reality, we undo the harm we’ve done to ourselves. We become authentic presentations of our truest and most sacred selves, and as a result become much more authentic with others.
“When our false perceptions are corrected, misery ends. ”