We ended the previous lesson with the statement that one of the most serious obstacles to the development of critical thinking is irrational thinking. But what is it? Why is this common to so many people? What impact does it have on human life and activity? How to get rid of it and is it necessary to do it? We will answer these and some other questions in the fifth lesson.

Irrational and its characteristics

If we try to explain the concept of “irrational” from the position of philosophy, then it can be characterized as a certain beginning of human nature, opposite to the property of rationality, i.e. understand this world intelligently. The irrational admits that there are areas of the worldview that the mind is not able to understand, but nevertheless they are acceptable thanks to faith, feelings, and intuition. Thus, the irrational is one of the characteristics of the special nature of reality. Over the years, issues of the irrational have been studied by such famous philosophers as Bergson, Delta, Nietzsche, Schopenhauer and many others.

So to speak, “free” individuals who do not think about the consequences can allow themselves to think irrationally. To act this way is to admit that reality cannot always be understood using scientific methods. Based on the views of supporters of irrational thinking, reality with all its components and derivatives, for example, life and psychological processes, is not subject to generally accepted laws.

Of course, such a position has its place, but in the case of critical thinking it is completely unsuitable. Irrational people strive to understand the laws of existence, violating all generally accepted laws, while rational people, on the contrary, think critically, not trusting what cannot be verified, relying only on reliable and confirmed facts. And, taking this into account, we must say that even if the irrational is characteristic of you, if you want to develop the ability to think critically, you must at least temporarily discard everything that may contradict it.

What exactly is to be discarded? Let's try to clarify this point, because irrational thoughts can be of different types.

Typology of irrational thoughts and their influence

Irrational thoughts are thoughts that interfere with an objective and adequate perception of the surrounding reality, and from the position of behavioral psychology, even serve as the cause of the appearance.

In total, we can distinguish three categories of irrational thinking and the corresponding types of thoughts:

• Exaggeration. This includes thoughts like: “She noticed that I was unsure of myself,” “They definitely thought something was wrong with me,” “He sees right through me,” etc.
• Overgeneralization. This includes thoughts like: “If I was chickening out then, then I’ll be chickening out now”, “He communicates with everyone like that - and he won’t ignore me”, “No one passed this exam - I have no chance”, etc.
• Mind reading. This includes thoughts like: “She thinks I’m angry and conflicted,” “I know what you think about me,” “He realized that I thought badly of him,” etc.

There are other types of similar thoughts, but to one degree or another they will belong to one of the categories of irrational train of thought. Their greatest danger is that they trigger catastrophic thinking: a person plunges headlong into groundless worry and panic, and his ability to make decisions and act is completely paralyzed. There can be no question of any critical thinking here.

You can find topical visual examples of irrational thinking in books devoted to working with it. Here are some options:

• Kahneman Daniel
• Goleman Daniel
• "Emotional Flexibility" David Susan
• “Problem Solving Using Intelligence Techniques” Jones Morgan
• Goldsmith Marshall and Reuter Mark

Here it would be logical to talk a little about how irrational thinking influences what a person does.

As has already become clear, irrational means illogical, unscientific and without any criticism. Irrational actions are aimed at obtaining a result, but the actions themselves are not thought out or evaluated in advance. There are no meaningful advance options for the development of events, resolution of issues or solutions to problems.

All this, as a rule, has a very direct connection with the spontaneous manifestation of feelings and emotions that irritate or calm thoughts. Irrational individuals can observe manifestations of reality beyond the limits of their logical explanations, and also tend to believe unconfirmed facts simply because they dominate others. Such people neglect to use the so-called life instructions, i.e. thoughtful behavioral strategies and action algorithms. The basis for this behavior in most cases is a person’s belief in a positive outcome, even if he completely does not understand the practical basis and reasons for success if it is achieved. Most often, success is explained by luck or favor of fate.

But from a practical and even more so from a critical position, either a child or a child can allow himself to behave this way. In addition, when thinking or drawing conclusions, it is effectively guided by the rule of conservation of energy, and thinking irrationally, simply relying on patterns and the first information received, is less expensive in terms of time and effort. But if knowledge based on upbringing or experience is irrational, nothing good will come of it.

Here is just a small list of factors that hinder effective thinking and correct actions - irrational thinking:

• Spontaneously and without reason
• Leads a person away from the right thoughts
• May interfere with a person's daily activities
• Reduces efficiency in professional and other areas
• Often activated when it is not needed
• Causes irritability, depression and anxiety
• Disrupts adaptation to the outside world
• Not flexible
• Causes development
• Produces
• Produces fear of communicating with authorities and more knowledgeable people
• Reduces motivation to achieve new results
• Can make a person feel lonely
• Causes problems in personal, social and professional life
• Creates dependence on other people and public opinion
• Promotes the development of bad habits

Behavioral psychology, and even banal everyday experience, suggest that the sooner a person realizes the irrationality and illogicality of his thoughts and actions, the faster favorable changes will begin to occur in his life: the number of negative events and mistakes will be reduced, his psyche will become stronger and his resistance to stress, personal productivity and efficiency will increase, and a critical approach to information processing will be formed.

It is wrong for a sane person to think irrationally. But this obstacle to the development of critical thinking can only be overcome when the reasons for its appearance are known. And it’s worth talking about them in more detail.

Causes of irrational thinking

To begin with, it is worth saying that behavioral stereotypes are often laid down in early childhood. They are necessary because not only save energy and time for making decisions, but also contribute to initial adaptation to life and society, ensuring the survival of the individual. But upon reaching adulthood, a person begins to encounter “failures”, i.e. with problems with irrational thinking. The main reasons for this are the following:

• Not all mental patterns and mechanisms formed in childhood turn out to be correct
• Not all thought patterns and mechanisms that are suitable for a child are suitable for an adult

Irrationalism is a disorder of thinking. Subsequently, this leads to problems of adaptation to the surrounding reality. In addition, destructive basic attitudes are formed in the human mind, namely:

• Excessive demands on oneself (I should do this, I shouldn’t do that)
• Excessive demands on the environment (they should do this, they shouldn’t do that)
• Catastrophization (if this happens, it’s the end, horror, death, catastrophe, everything is lost, etc.)
• Low frustration tolerance (I won’t be able to survive this, this is the end for me, etc.)

Adding up all the thoughts above, the output we get is something like: “In no case should I stumble during my speech. If I suddenly stumble, they should not make fun of me. But if this happens, it means the end for me, I won’t survive it.”

In reality, the variety of thoughts can be much wider, but if you discard all unnecessary things, you can always see the standard mechanism of irrational thinking, working each time in different situations in a modified form. By the way, such a scheme often causes all sorts of problems.

Any problem, any phenomenon or process, when confronted with which a person experiences psychological discomfort, can be disassembled into elements in order to find the main irrational scheme that causes fear, anxiety, panic and other manifestations and disrupts interaction with the outside world.

In simple terms, someone who is unable to distinguish between fiction and truth, as well as find cause-and-effect relationships, is using irrational thinking. It will never help you predict events or calculate the results of your actions, which is why spontaneous actions and unnecessary experiences arise.

But rational and critical thinking to some extent also includes an irrational, one might say spiritual, component. For example, people of art, creating unique works, often contradict logical laws, although they act deliberately. However, the irrational should not dominate the mind of a sane person, and its manifestations can and should be fought.

How to deal with irrational thinking

Overcoming irrationalism is not easy, but with due diligence and systematic training it is quite possible. It's just important to know what to do. There are many ways, and now we will introduce them to you.

Definition of irrational thoughts

Identifying irrational thoughts is difficult only at the first stage. Often they appear in the head very quickly and automatically, they appear as if out of nowhere, and it is almost impossible to catch them consciously. For this reason, the task can be simplified: get yourself a notebook, where throughout the day and every day you will write down thoughts that can cause you negative emotions, anxiety and worries. With practice, it will become easy to determine their appearance, because... your brain will be trained and adapted to it.

Establishing objectivity of thoughts

When you are calm, relaxed and nothing is bothering you, ask yourself the question: “How objective are my thoughts?” For example, today someone didn’t want to communicate with you, and you immediately started thinking up God knows what. But look at the situation critically: maybe he was just tired and out of sorts? And if you showed a little timidity when communicating with someone, will that someone really have a negative opinion of you?

To become more aware of the bias in your thoughts, use a simple technique: look at the situation from a new perspective. Those. if you see a person exhibiting the same timidity, do you immediately think badly of that person? And if you don’t want to communicate with someone at the moment, does that mean that you don’t like him? Most likely, this is not the case at all. Always evaluate the situation from several sides, and life will become much simpler and more interesting.

Replacing the irrational with the rational

Another method is the systematic replacement of irrational thoughts with rational, more objective ones. But you can expect tangible results only after some time. At the first steps, psychological discomfort may be felt, but it must be bravely overcome with daily training. Gradually he will enter your comfort zone.

Here is an example of good thoughts that can replace irrational ones: “It’s quite possible that he didn’t notice my timidity,” “It might have seemed to me that she didn’t want to communicate,” “Yes, they most likely didn’t even think about me,” etc. p.

If we summarize these three methods, we can draw the following conclusion: for example, in a few minutes you will have to make contact with an unfamiliar person. The time before the meeting is getting shorter, and your anxiety is getting stronger. And now is the time to ask yourself why you are scared. Most likely, the fear is due to the fact that your future interlocutor may notice some peculiarities in your behavior: a slightly hesitant voice, a slight trembling of your hands, etc., which is why he will have a negative image of you. This is where critical thinking skills come into play:

• The interlocutor’s thoughts may be occupied with something else at the time of communication
• The interlocutor may not notice the peculiarities of your behavior
• Even if the interlocutor notices something, he is unlikely to analyze it, and after a few minutes he will already forget about you

You can see for yourself that there is really nothing terrible. Irrational thinking plays a cruel joke. But with regular implementation of such a procedure, anxiety states will gradually begin to recede and lose strength.

Here are a few more good techniques for dealing with the irrational that behavioral psychology offers us:

Don't go to extremes

When assessing a situation, try to avoid extremes like “this is definitely bad”, “only this is good”, “this is the end”, “one way or not at all”, etc. There are several ways to overcome such thoughts:

• Eliminate extreme words such as “never” or “always” from your vocabulary. Stop using these terms to refer to yourself, the people around you, and the world in which you live.
• Accept the fact that there are no bad or good people, bad or good situations. In any person and in any situation, if you wish, you can find advantages and positive aspects.
• Give up categorical thinking. Sometimes it is better to accept yourself along with your shortcomings and weaknesses than to convince yourself and others of their absence. Often this helps justify your behavior and thinking.

Avoid catastrophic thoughts

By exaggerating the scale and significance of the problem, you make things worse for yourself. When talking about something unpleasant, you shouldn’t give “not very good” the form “nightmarish.” It’s easy to change your attitude towards problems and troubles:

• Think about the fact that the problematic situation, although not good, does not at all lead to inevitable death and the collapse of all hopes
• Try to compare the problematic situation with something truly terrible, for example, the death of someone close to you, or how homeless or unjustly imprisoned people feel

You can also try to calm yourself down:

• “In fact, there’s nothing wrong with it to worry so much.”
• “Yes, it’s unpleasant, but life doesn’t end there”
• “In any case, everything will work out”
• “No one has ever died from this”

Think objectively

If you notice that you are prone to exaggeration and irrationalism, and often imagine dire consequences for even minor problems, practice thinking objectively:

• Life presents not only trials, but also joyful events, and a black stripe will always be followed by a white one
• Even if the outcome of some situation may be bad, its probability is extremely low
• Why worry about something that didn't happen? Most likely, nothing bad will happen, and worrying is just a waste of energy
• Simulate different scenarios and then predict the probability of each of them occurring

Mentally relax

Many people often have the thought “I can’t do this anymore.” But this is typical of irrational and insecure people. To overcome irrational thoughts, you need to convince yourself that, despite the difficulties at the moment, after a while you will feel better and you will solve your problems.

And, summing up this section, all that remains to be said is that the most effective way to overcome irrationalism and negative experiences is a critical approach: question your feelings and sensations and analyze the illogical and irrational thoughts that underlie them.

Irrational thinking is generated by a person’s desire to believe in his fantasies. These are almost incoherent arguments that have no logical basis and are based on feelings and assumptions. Rational and critical thinking, on the contrary, consists in taking only facts and evidence justified by logic and cause-and-effect relationships as the basis for reflection and future actions. The benefits and effectiveness of this approach are obvious and undeniable, but we’ll still say a few words about it.

Benefits of Rational Thinking

Rational thinking helps to draw conclusions using logical chains for this. The desire to think critically and rationally helps to work on your shortcomings. When logical thinking is taken into account, a person stops performing spontaneous actions, and this minimizes the occurrence of unpleasant surprises.

When we think rationally, we begin to see things as they are, we can explain what previously seemed inexplicable, we become calmer and find the shortest and most effective ways to achieve our goals, and we are able to focus on the things that are of highest priority at the moment.

Learning to think rationally is not difficult. All you need to do is follow a small number of simple rules and tips:

• All thinking must begin with a search for reliable information. This is not always easy, but it is impossible to build logical chains leading to the right conclusions and actions without verified data.
• When thinking about something, always take into account that not only the position of another person, but also your own may be incorrect. Ask others what they think about the subject of your thoughts. This will allow you to look at the situation from different angles.
• Do not take only external manifestations as the basis for your judgments about the actions and behavior of others. Are you sure that the person does not want to communicate with you? What is this conclusion based on? Based on speculation or logic? Guessing doesn't mean anything. You must strive to find out the truth. When you want to be sure of something, look for facts that confirm it.
• Never think for a person and make decisions for him, do not try to read his thoughts. One of them is to listen carefully to your interlocutor and perceive only what he says.
• If, when communicating with a person, you have doubts about the sincerity of his actions and words, just ask him a few direct questions, express your thoughts that concern you and try to communicate confidentially.

The advantages of rational thinking can be clearly demonstrated with the following example: you talked with a person and he voiced his grievances and reproaches to you, explained that your views and actions are unacceptable to him. The first thing you want to do in response is to repay in the same coin. However, what will be the result, other than misunderstandings, quarrels and hostility? Perhaps even more emotional discomfort and a long-term break in the relationship.

It will be much more effective to try to maintain calm, balance and dignity. And rational thinking suggests doing a much simpler thing in this case: analyze your actions and words that caused criticism and dissatisfaction from your interlocutor, and accept a critical opinion from the outside. You need to come to a compromise - seek mutual understanding and agreement on an issue on which you have different views. At the same time, you should make it clear to the other person that problematic situations can be resolved without humiliation, scandals and offense, and this is acceptable for you.

A rational approach and the development of critical thinking will help you regain peace of mind and psychological comfort. In any situation when you find yourself in the grip of irrational thoughts caused by emotions, fatigue, overwork or stress, banish them from yourself as soon as possible.

It doesn’t matter who you are: a chemist, a physicist, a mathematician, a military man, a businessman, a simple company employee or a student, rational and critical thinking can be an effective means for you to achieve goals, solve everyday and professional problems, improve communication with people and interact with others world, and development of their abilities.

To increase your immunity to irrational thoughts, we recommend that you lead a healthy lifestyle, get more rest, sleep properly, and cultivate a good mood and positive attitude. And, of course, read the relevant literature: Daniel Kahneman “Think Slow, Decide Fast”, Kate Stanovich “Rational Thinking. What aptitude tests don’t measure”, Diana Halpern “The Psychology of Critical Thinking”, Robert Burton “Mind VS Brain. Conversation in different languages" and other books.

And in the final lesson of our course, we will touch on another important issue regarding critical thinking - working with information. This is what we have to deal with every day, and our conclusions and judgments, the effectiveness of our decisions and the competence of our actions depend on its reliability. In lesson six, you will learn how to search for information, how to analyze and store it, for what purposes information can be used, how to work with it, and how to make decisions based on it.

Want to test your knowledge?

If you want to test your theoretical knowledge on the topic of the course and understand how suitable it is for you, you can take our test. For each question, only 1 option can be correct. After you select one of the options, the system automatically moves on to the next question.

Learning to think rationally is quite possible. One of the best ways to do this is to expand your set of mental models. Blogger James Clear told us how to do this.

I first learned what a mental model is when I read a story about the famous physicist Richard Feynman. Feynman received his bachelor's degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his doctorate from Princeton. During this time, he managed to earn a good reputation among students and teachers - he could solve problems that brilliant graduate students could not solve.

Feynman believed that his secret weapon was not intelligence, but strategy, which he learned in school. One day, his physics teacher told him to stay after class.

“Feynman,” he said, “you talk too much and make too much noise. I know why. You're bored. So I'll give you the book. You will sit in the back desk, in the corner, and study this book. When you know everything that is written in it, you can talk again.”

So, in every physics lesson, Feynman did not pay the slightest attention to what the class was doing. He sat at the back desk with Woods's book, Differential and Integral Calculus. It was while reading that he began to develop his own set of mental models.

When kids at MIT or Princeton struggled with an integral, it was because they couldn't solve it using the standard methods they learned in school. And Feynman solved the integral thanks to a new prism and a set of tools that he learned from books.

What distinguished Feynman was not his intellect, but his vision of the problem. He had a wider range of mental models.

What is a mental model?

Mental models are ideas, strategies, ways of understanding based on previous experience that exist in a person’s mind and guide his actions. They are used to explain cause and effect and to give meaning to life experiences. Mental models explain how the world works.

For example, supply and demand is a mental model that helps us understand how the economy works. Game theory is a mental model that explains how relationships and trust work.

Mental models determine your behavior and perception of the world. These are the tools you use to understand life, make decisions, and solve problems. Each new model you learn will change the way you see the world. This happened to Richard Feynman when he learned a new mathematical technique.

Of course, mental models are far from perfect, but they are very useful. In physics or mathematics, for example, there is not a single model that perfectly and accurately explains the Universe, but thanks to the best mental models from these sciences, we have learned to build bridges and roads, develop new technologies, and even fly into space.

“All scientists agree that there is no one hundred percent correct theory. Therefore, the quality of knowledge is determined not by how true it is, but by how useful it is,” Yuval Noah Harari.

The best mental models are the most useful ideas. Understanding these concepts will help you make smart decisions. Therefore, it is important for anyone who wants to think rationally and effectively to expand their repertoire of these tools.

How to learn to think rationally?

We all have our favorite mental models—often the ones that help us understand why or why something happened. As we mature and gain experience in a particular area, we tend to use only those concepts that are most familiar to us.

Here's the problem: when a certain worldview dominates your mind, you try to explain every problem you encounter in terms of that worldview. It is especially easy for smart or talented people in a certain area to fall into such a trap.

The more you become proficient at one mental model, the more likely it is to become your biggest weakness because you start applying it to every problem. What appears to be an experience is actually a limitation.

Let's look at one example. Biologist Robert Sapolsky asks the question: “Why did the chicken cross the road?” He then assumes that different experts will answer.

An evolutionary biologist would most likely answer: “The chicken crossed the road because it saw a potential mating partner on the other side.”

A kinesiologist would most likely answer, “The chicken crossed the road because the muscles in its legs were contracting, causing it to move forward.”

A neuroscientist would most likely answer: “The chicken crossed the road because neurons in its brain fired that caused it to move.”

Essentially, they are all right. However, none of them sees the whole picture. The problems we face cannot be fully explained using just one model of thinking.

Relying on just one mental tool is like wearing a mental straitjacket. When your set of thinking patterns is limited, your decisions become limited. To reach your full potential, you must learn a wide range of mental models. This is the only way you will learn to think rationally.

How to expand your set of mental models?

Mental models tell us how the world works. We must regularly learn the basics of areas unfamiliar to us, communicate with people whose experiences are completely different from ours. Otherwise we will see only part of the whole picture.

Why is it important to identify connections between mental models?

At school we divide our knowledge into different categories - biology, economics, history, physics, philosophy. In the real world, everything should be the other way around.

The greatest minds of mankind rarely think in terms of categories. They do not look at life through the prism of one subject.

It is very important not only to learn new mental models, but also to understand how they are connected to each other. Creativity and creativity often occur at the intersection of ideas. By identifying connections between different mental models, you can find solutions that many have missed or overlooked.

Tools to help you think better

Good news:

You don't need to master every subject to perfection to become the greatest thinker. You only need to learn a few mental models to understand how the world works.

The key disciplines are biology, chemistry, physics, economics, mathematics, psychology and philosophy. In every field there are fundamental ideas that you need to know. For example, in economics these are incentive, scarcity and economies of scale.

If you understand the fundamentals of each discipline, you can build an accurate and useful picture of the world.

Being an adult is hard, but all the effort always pays off. It is impossible to live irresponsibly all your life, and from a certain age there is a need to think about yourself independently, take responsibility for your life, and strive for the best for yourself and your family. Everyone understands different things by the phrase “adult,” but in fact, to become an adult, a person must develop the qualities of a responsible person in both professional and personal life.

Steps

How to develop the qualities of an adult

Try to be a rational person. In youth it is acceptable to act recklessly or selfishly, but as an adult one must think more about one's actions and act rationally.

• To think rationally, you need to learn to separate thoughts from feelings.
• A rational person controls his emotions and bases his actions on thoughts rather than feelings.
• When a rational person makes decisions, he takes into account the interests of others and moral aspects.
• To become a more rational person, try to give yourself a break when you are struggling with your emotions. Make a decision later, when you calm down and can think soberly.
• Whenever you limit your impulses to thoughts or moral or ethical considerations, you are acting rationally. Gradually, it will become easier for you to make rational decisions.

1. Strive for meaningful, harmonious relationships. To become an adult, you should focus on building relationships with others. All your connections (friendships, family, romantic) should be meaningful, harmonious and useful for all participants. This will require some effort, but this is the only way you will feel calm, just like the people around you.

   • Strive for interactions where all participants behave as independent individuals.
   • Be prepared to make a compromise that suits everyone.
   • In any mature relationship, there is both giving and taking. It is important that the needs of all people are met.
   • In harmonious relationships, people give and receive love unconditionally. Your love should not depend on certain conditions or expectations.

2. Put your needs above your wants. Many people find it difficult to give up things they want and do what they should do. It's okay to spend money on entertainment if you have a spare, but you need to think about the basic needs first.

   Manage your life yourself. One of the key tasks of an adult is to manage his life independently. In childhood and adolescence, your parents and other relatives may help you, but in adulthood you need to learn to think about everything yourself.

   • If you are unhappy with any aspect of your life (or are told by others that there is a problem), be prepared to do something about it.
   • An adult is able to take responsibility for his life and change what does not allow him to enjoy life.
   • Seek help when needed, but remember that you must be able to provide for yourself and live independently.
   • Remember that only you can change your life. Circumstances may limit your ability to make changes, but you must know that you have the strength to adapt to circumstances and grow despite what happens.
   • Start setting goals for yourself and working towards them. Be an independent person, take responsibility for your actions and inactions.

   How to develop the qualities of an adult

   1. Be independent. Independence is a consequence of the ability to manage your life. You must be able to provide for yourself and take care of yourself in all areas. This includes self-care, keeping a tidy home, being punctual at work, being productive, and managing money.

      • Independence can take different forms at different ages. The most important thing is to be independent according to your age.
      • Independence may come with age-appropriate responsibilities. As you get older, your responsibilities may change and you will need to do what is expected of you.
      • A teenager has a different level of independence compared to someone in their twenties or thirties, and it is certainly different from the independence of someone who is 50 or 60 years old.
      • Analyze the behavior of your peers, pay attention to what they do to be independent, and take an example from them.
      • If you're having trouble achieving independence, work with a mental health coach or career counselor. Look for specialists on the Internet.

   2. Think about your goals and go towards them. An adult needs goals. Goals give life meaning and keep you moving forward. When a person achieves a goal, he has a reason to be proud of himself. Setting goals and working to achieve them requires prioritization, both in your personal and professional life. If you need to set a goal for yourself, use the S.M.A.R.T. The effectiveness of this technique has been scientifically proven. In accordance with the S.M.A.R.T. methodology, the goal should be::

      • S - Specific, that is, specific. Narrow your goal. It is better to set yourself not global goals with a streamlined formulation, but specific goals with a clear result.
      • M - Measurable, that is, measurable. Decide how you will measure success, both now and in the future. You must understand what will allow you to determine that the goal has been achieved and also monitor progress.
      • A - Attainable, that is, achievable. The goal should not be impossible. It’s worth striving for big things, but it’s more important to work within your capabilities and think through a strategy for the future.
      • R - Realistic, that is, significant. Think about whether you are ready and want to reach your goal. Of course, you need to push yourself forward all the time, but the goal should not be ephemeral.
      • T - Time-bound, that is, limited in time. Set a deadline for achieving the goal. You should have enough time to prepare. At the same time, you should not extend the deadlines indefinitely.

   3. Strive for the integrity of your personality and honesty. An adult must be able to tell the truth and have moral principles. This approach can be interpreted differently depending on the situation, but overall you should be proud of your decisions and what you do with your life.

   4. Take responsibility for your life. Anything that helps you become an adult helps you manage your life. Taking responsibility means not passing the buck to others when things go wrong, or abdicating responsibilities. A responsible adult is ready to take responsibility for all his decisions.

      • Responsibility includes many factors that depend on age and life situation.
      • A responsible attitude towards life remains with a person forever. It involves reacting to situations and circumstances, as well as a willingness to deal with any outcome.
      • Taking a responsible approach to life means thinking through all the little things, making decisions and being ready to take responsibility for the outcome of decisions, both positive and negative.
      • If you plan ahead and take into account possible problems, it will be easier for you to manage the situation in the future.
      • Remember that being responsible for your life also means being able to enjoy your successes. Don't brag or be arrogant, but at the same time be able to recognize your achievements.

   How to be a responsible employee

   1. Know how to manage your time. If you want to succeed at work, learn to manage your time. This means you may have to put off things you want to do in order to get your work done. You may also need to deliver projects on time, which means you'll need to keep track of time and deadlines.

      • Be punctual. Always show up to work on time (or even a little early) and stay until you finish everything.
      • Try to get as much done as possible every day. If a deadline is approaching on an important project, take the time to get everything done on time.
      • Keep track of deadlines using a calendar or planner.
      • Try to plan your day either the day before or in the morning. This way you can start the day knowing what you have to do.
      • If you find yourself procrastinating, remind yourself that things won't do themselves. Putting something off until later will make it harder for you to finish it.
      • Take care of one thing at a time. Keep a to-do list in your head, but focus on just one task at a time to be as productive as possible.
   2. It is important to have ambitions not only in your professional life, but also in your personal life. Try to be the best version of yourself, both in work and in your personal life.
   3. Don't come to work wanting to just get a bunch of things done. Strive to do more to show management that you are ready for more responsibility.
   4. Ambition and a mature approach to work may allow you to achieve promotion and salary growth.

3. Pay attention to detail. Paying attention to detail will allow you to get more done in less time. If you work carelessly, both you and your colleagues will have to redo a lot. Take your time and don't try to finish the job as quickly as possible - do it well.

   • It's important to be proud of your work. Don't go home until you've done everything you have to do.
   • Not a single detail should escape your attention. If a colleague missed something in his work, help him finish the work or show him what needs to be done.
   • Try to treat the little things like cleaning a cafe. First you need to wipe down the tables and then sweep the floor. You can only wash the floor at the very end.
   • Before moving on to the next task or going home, complete the current one.

4. Demonstrate leadership qualities. If you are a responsible employee, your management will notice your efforts. Over time, when the opportunity arises, you may be promoted. If you take responsibility for your work results, go above and beyond what is expected of you, and collaborate with your colleagues for the common good, your management will understand that you can be a leader.

   • To be a leader, you need to be able to complete your work on time and take responsibility for your actions.
   • Remember that a leader is responsible not only for his own actions, but also for the actions of his subordinates.
   • A leader must be confident and think about others. If you can delegate responsibilities, but also show a genuine interest in the problems of your colleagues, you can make a good leader.

As we finish analyzing the concept of self-discipline, let's first summarize what we know about thinking habits. This knowledge will be useful to you if you want to learn to think rationally.

1. Every thought strives for realization. And here it doesn’t matter at all what kind of thought this is - positive or negative, selfish or selfless, etc. Any thought goes through the following path:

thought-» target-» plan-» action.

Then, with the help of the universal law of habits, our thoughts themselves become habits. And only then the subconscious comes into action, which leads the thought to its logical conclusion - to its implementation.

Of course, we cannot talk about the materiality of such a concept as “thought,” but we can talk about the materiality of those objects and phenomena that appear as a result of the action of this thought.

In this case, we can assume that a person is a materialization of the thought of the Eternal Mind and that the thinking process is the emission of some rays invisible to the human eye that seek their realization in the material world.

And our thought is constantly at work, it is full of strength and energy, which is transmitted to it from the Eternal Mind.

2. Self-discipline will allow you to become a leader.

master of your thoughts, create them yourself, control them and direct them to achieve your own life goals. This cannot be done without certain habits that you will have to form if you want to receive the twelve treasures of life.

3. Huge potential lies in the power of human thought, which performs a huge amount of work. Firstly, it tirelessly monitors every cell of our body: it controls the replacement of old cells and the growth of new ones. Secondly, it monitors the functioning of all organs. Thirdly, it gives the body a command to resist all kinds of diseases. We can list endlessly everything that occupies our thoughts. She does much of this automatically. And if you make some specific efforts, then some other processes can be controlled automatically by thought.

4. Thought underlies all human achievements. Following the path already known to us (thought - "specifically formulated goal -" specific plan for achieving the goal - "actions in accordance with the plan), the thought becomes real, materially expressed. There are no actions without reasons and motives.

5. Our psyche consists of two large sections. The first is the conscious part, the second is the subconscious.

We can control our consciousness ourselves, but the subconscious controls the source of the Eternal Mind. The subconscious, as it were, connects our consciousness with the Eternal Mind.

The sixth sense is most closely connected with our subconscious. It acts independently of a person’s will, but with the help of self-discipline, each of us can influence the sixth sense through our consciousness.

6. All departments of the psyche - both conscious and subconscious - are directly dependent on our habits. By developing certain skills, abilities and habits, we thereby adapt our psyche to them.

7. If any of your thoughts is based on a subjective opinion, then it is not entirely correct. If the thought is based on a thorough study of the facts, then it is correct.

Imagine how incorrect and false thoughts based on fear, prejudice, uncertainty, and emotional arousal will be. Any thought that lacks rationality can be considered incorrect or deceptive.

8. To take your first step towards mastering rational thinking, you must first accustom

yourself to self-discipline. This will help you feel the difference between facts and gossip, fiction and rumors.

The second step requires you to be able to sort facts into important and unimportant. An important fact is considered to be one that can significantly help you on your path to achieving the twelve treasures of life. The rest can rightfully be considered not so significant.

Quite often in our lives we use information obtained from not very reliable sources, or operate with unimportant facts. This explains the fact that rarely does anyone manage to achieve that level of self-discipline that allows a person to make a correct analysis of the information received from the surrounding world.

9. If your desires are specifically formulated and based on serious reasons, then they will stimulate the thinking process and will definitely lead to success.

When your thoughts are constantly occupied with your desires, then the subconscious immediately comes into play. It is this that is the main adviser in choosing the right decisions.

If you really want something, then this desire will make your imagination work, which knows and can find the shortest path and the best means to fulfill this desire.

We have outlined the most important facts regarding the habits of rational thinking. But even from such a small amount of information it is very clear that without self-discipline it is not possible to achieve rational thinking. You, of course, have the right to ask where you should begin to cultivate the habit of self-discipline.

The first step is to concentrate all your thoughts on your main life goal. Without this step, it is impossible to achieve anything, let alone self-discipline.

Related information.

Instructions

Learn to control your emotions when communicating with people around you. If someone has offended or insulted you, do not rush to get into a fight. Count to ten, take a few deep breaths. Conduct the dialogue in a calm, business-like tone.

Try to give thoughtful answers. If you are faced with a difficult or uncomfortable question, ask the other person for time to think about it. In some cases, the most reasonable solution is to tactfully avoid the conversation.

Organize the phenomena you observe and look for cause-and-effect relationships in them. The ability to ask the right questions will help you with this. Questions themselves stimulate thinking and force you to look for an answer.

Don't take anything for granted. Subject all information that comes to you to careful critical analysis. Question stereotypes common in society.

Before you make any decision, think about the consequences it will have. Weigh all the pros and cons of this or that choice. Don't hesitate to ask more experienced people for advice.

When looking through newspapers and magazines, highlight key points and facts. Summarize messages, sum up what was said or read. Weed out unnecessary and unimportant information.

Plan your activities. Write down point by point everything you want to do. Evaluate the resources you have (time, money, knowledge, etc.). Allocate resources according to your priorities. It's wise to write down people's names and contacts - it's hard to predict whose help you might need.

Useful advice

Play chess, solve logical and mathematical problems, solve puzzles. Remember that reasonable people do not follow bad habits, but form new, useful ones. For example, running in the morning is a great habit that is good for efficient brain function.

Tip 2: How to learn to control your emotions and make smart decisions

The ability to put aside your emotions makes it possible to solve problems more productively, rather than dwell on worries and fears. By getting rid of panic, excessive emotionality and learning to react correctly to events, a person will be able to move through life more confidently.

The ability to control your emotions makes a person more successful and happier. Such people treat everything that happens calmer, concentrating not on negative emotions, but on solving the problems that have arisen.

By paying attention to your behavior in various situations, you can develop the necessary skills to maintain inner peace.

The mistake of an emotional person is hasty conclusions. It is necessary to concentrate on avoiding premature decisions, because they are the ones that most often turn out to be wrong. Give yourself time to think before making a decision. Take a deep breath and mentally count from ten to zero. This will help you discard everything unnecessary and make a decision, avoiding the influence of emotions.

If a life situation causes a lot of anxiety and the first exercise does not allow you to completely get rid of negative thoughts, you should try to simply throw out all the negative emotions before making decisions. You should not keep negative energy, anger, rage, or resentment within yourself. These feelings are very destructive. Recognize the emotion, live it, if necessary, shout, tear the paper, stomp your feet. You'll see, soon the negativity will go away.

Another common problem in making the right decisions is panic. A panic attack can occur in a variety of situations, most of which are not cause for concern. Panic only clouds the mind and prevents you from dealing with problems. If any business causes you a feeling of panic, then concentrating on the things that accompany your business will help you cope with it. For example, you should pay attention to what things you should take with you, what to wear, and what time to leave. This will distract from the general panic.

Constantly monitor your reactions to everything that happens. You can't make decisions based on emotions. First, calm down, and then start thinking about the situation. This way you will achieve better results.