Do you view the glass as half-full or half-empty? I hope you said “neither” — it’s never good to see the world through a single filter. The fact is, every gear in your car does something different. What would happen if you got stuck in neutral? The same can be said of the way that you view things. How do you see the world?
How Do You See the World?
Unfortunately, we often fall victim to “thinking traps” that influence our feelings and impact our behavior. It’s not a matter of lacking intelligence, but rather of being blinded by a filter that distorts our thinking process. For example, if you wake up thinking that today’s going to be awesome, you’ll likely be happier and more productive than if you fear that problems are lurking around every corner. If you look for problems hard enough, you’re bound to find one.
The key is to know how you see the world and to manage it accordingly. Do these 20 behavioral filters sound familiar?
- Mental filter. Some folks have blinders on. They view situations from one perspective — they’re unable or unwilling to see other viewpoints.
- Black or white. Some people focus on extremes and exclude everything in-between. They see everything as good or bad, right or wrong, all or nothing.
- Overgeneralization. Some folks turn a single situation into a sweeping generalization. They assume that because “one teacher is lazy,” the whole school is terrible.
- Labeling. Some people label a group based on the behavior of a few members.
- Jumping to conclusions. Some folks reach a conclusion without any evidence to support their claim.
- Magnifying. Some people blow things out of proportion by magnifying the positive and minimizing the negative — or vice versa. This can be taken to extremes. “I made a mistake, so my life is over.”
- Half-truth. Some folks focus on one-half of the equation and ignore the other. For example, they focus on the discount and lose sight of the cost of a purchase.
- One way. Some people think it’s their way or the highway. They expect others to conform to their way of thinking. Period.
- Entitlement. Some folks believe rules that apply to others shouldn’t apply to them.
- Self-worth. Some people overstate the value of something simply because it’s theirs. “My kid is a superstar. She should play the whole game.”
- Emotional reasoning. Some folks make their feelings their reality. “I’m afraid, so it must be dangerous.”
- Victimization. Some people feel helpless. They believe life isn’t fair — the outcome is predetermined. “It doesn’t pay to try.”
- Fortune telling. Some folks think they can predict the future; they use that view as the basis for their actions and decisions.
- Mind reading. Some people believe they know what others are thinking — even if they don’t have evidence.
- Idealism. Some folks view the world through rose-colored glasses — the way it should be becomes their reality.
- Conformity. Some people jump on the bandwagon; they accept the views of others with little or no thought.
- Denial. Some folks feel so strongly about an issue that they wall themselves off from information that threatens their view.
- Blame. Some people blame others for their misfortune. Conversely, some others blame themselves for everything.
- Self-doubt. Some folks turn a positive experience into a negative one. If they win an award, they’re likely to say, “I didn’t really deserve it. I probably won because…”
- Righteous. Some people always have to be right.
Are any of these filters distorting your thinking process? When you see things through a rigid filter, it influences your mood, colors your decisions, and shades your outlook. In fact, it’ll impact the way you view the world. The truth is, your perception becomes your reality. How do you see the world?
How Do You View the World?
Please leave a comment and tell us what you think or share it with someone who can benefit from the information.
Additional Reading:
The Power of a Positive Attitude
Failing Doesn’t Make You a Failure
Seeing the World Through Rose-Colored Glasses
Do You Have a Victim Mentality?
15 Ways to Have a Fresh Perspective
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What an interesting and helpful article Frank! Sadly, I am guilty of seeing situations through these types of filters.
We are all susceptible to seeing the world through our preferred filters. These filters (cognitive biases) lead to bad choices, misunderstandings and unnecessary conflict with others.
Here is a fascinating infographic that lists 50 of the most common cognitive biases that affect us.http://wiseinsights.net/50-cognitive-biases-wrecking-your-decisions-infographic/
It is not until we become self aware of our own distorted perceptions and consciously choose to see a situation differently that we have a chance to interact with people and situations in a healthy way.
You’re absolutely right, Patrick, “These filters (cognitive biases) lead to bad choices, misunderstandings and unnecessary conflict with others…It is not until we become self aware of our own distorted perceptions and consciously choose to see a situation differently that we have a chance to interact with people and situations in a healthy way.”
On another note, thanks for sharing the infographic. I’ll check it out later today.
Best,
Frank
I see it through all those filters and sometimes none. Sometimes only 1 or4. It’s complicated being a human being sometimes. Here we are spinning on this giant planet surrounded by a giant vacuum and all we have to hold unto is each other.
I also would like to add that every one of those thinking errors you mentioned can be flipped to the opposite and they become thinking errors themselves. For instance the problem with thinking about Grey thinking is there no action from it
Hi Frank
Nobody on this earth is perfect. We all have our flaws. The key is to know how you see the world and to manage it accordingly.
Thanks for taking the time to write.
Best,
Frank