“It ain't what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” Mark Twain
Sometimes we think we know the truth about something. Nobody can see the world in its entirety and there are always things beneath the surface that we can’t see. We interpret what we do see based on our beliefs and experiences; everyone looks at life thru their own filters. There are “influencers” who will try to get you to think (and purchase) like they do, and many species (ants for example) are dependent on “group think” to survive. Humans, however, have been gifted with the power of choice, although sometimes we are misinformed and often forgetful about this gift.
According to research done at Stanford University, we have up to 60,000 thoughts every day with 90% or more of our thoughts being repetitive, and 80% being negative or worrisome. From our first day of public school, we are taught to do as we are told and think the way our elders think. At home we have the family rules and belief systems ingrained in our minds. Imagination and creativity are the foundations of thinking new thoughts, and they are frequently deemed less important in traditional education, even though great thinkers like Einstein have told us that imagination is more important than knowledge (rumor has it he did not do well in school). Creativity and imagination are vital to thinking new thoughts and making desired changes, and in these interesting times we surely need some new thoughts and changes.
As a child it is easy to allow others' belief systems influence you to the point where you stop thinking your own thoughts. As an adult you have more choices and it is often necessary to let go of what you were told about yourself as a child by people who thought they knew better than you. As an adult you don’t have to believe what you are told by others but you may have been taught to allow yourself to be swayed by others' rhetoric. Mark Twain once wrote: “We define people by the questions we choose to ask and the answers we choose to believe.” If you choose to actively use your mind to think about what you want to know you can make informed decisions about what you believe rather than passively succumbing to propaganda. Choice and the responsibilities that come with our decisions is the true point of power in our lives so make empowering choices that move you in the directions you want to go.
Sometimes we think we know the truth about something. Nobody can see the world in its entirety and there are always things beneath the surface that we can’t see. We interpret what we do see based on our beliefs and experiences; everyone looks at life thru their own filters. There are “influencers” who will try to get you to think (and purchase) like they do, and many species (ants for example) are dependent on “group think” to survive. Humans, however, have been gifted with the power of choice, although sometimes we are misinformed and often forgetful about this gift.
According to research done at Stanford University, we have up to 60,000 thoughts every day with 90% or more of our thoughts being repetitive, and 80% being negative or worrisome. From our first day of public school, we are taught to do as we are told and think the way our elders think. At home we have the family rules and belief systems ingrained in our minds. Imagination and creativity are the foundations of thinking new thoughts, and they are frequently deemed less important in traditional education, even though great thinkers like Einstein have told us that imagination is more important than knowledge (rumor has it he did not do well in school). Creativity and imagination are vital to thinking new thoughts and making desired changes, and in these interesting times we surely need some new thoughts and changes.
As a child it is easy to allow others' belief systems influence you to the point where you stop thinking your own thoughts. As an adult you have more choices and it is often necessary to let go of what you were told about yourself as a child by people who thought they knew better than you. As an adult you don’t have to believe what you are told by others but you may have been taught to allow yourself to be swayed by others' rhetoric. Mark Twain once wrote: “We define people by the questions we choose to ask and the answers we choose to believe.” If you choose to actively use your mind to think about what you want to know you can make informed decisions about what you believe rather than passively succumbing to propaganda. Choice and the responsibilities that come with our decisions is the true point of power in our lives so make empowering choices that move you in the directions you want to go.
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