It is easy to convince ourselves of our rightness. There is confirmation bias, the echo chamber, memories and tribes and self-fulfilling prophesies—all which lock us in mental prison.
And these mental prisons are dangerous! They fill us with passionate vitriol that inhibit our ability to question ourselves or converse with those who have differing opinions. Just turn on the news in the morning and you’ll witness a plethora of mental prisons!
I’m not saying that we should deny our feelings. What I am saying is that we should question our feelings, investigate our convictions, read and read and read more. Read everything. And talk to so many types of people. And be open to the fact that you just might be wrong. Humility. Goodness, we could use some of that right now.
So as we head into the new year, explore your ideas and feelings, question, and seek mental freedom.
Tara Zafft, Ph.D. 