What is the Mind?

The human mind is full of fascinating contradictions that highlight its complexity and uniqueness. Here are a few intriguing examples:

1. Rationality vs. Emotionality: The mind can process logically and rationally, yet it is also deeply influenced by emotions, which can override rational thoughts in decision-making processes. This duality is central to behavioral economics, where emotional biases frequently sway logical economic decisions.
2. Change vs. Resistance to Change: While the human mind has an incredible capacity to adapt and change, it often exhibits a strong resistance to change. This contradiction is evident in how people can both seek new experiences and feel comfort in familiarity and routine.
3. Memory Reliability vs. Fallibility: The mind can store an astonishing amount of information and recall intricate details, yet it is also prone to errors, distortions, and forgetting. Memories are not static and can be reshaped over time, influenced by current emotions and other memories.
4. Conscious vs. Subconscious Processing: Much of our mental processing occurs subconsciously, without our awareness, yet we often think of our minds as governed by conscious thought. This leads to the illusion that we are fully in control of our thoughts, behaviors, and actions, even though much of what influences us remains hidden from our conscious mind.
5. Capacity for Learning vs. Cognitive Biases: The human mind has an amazing ability to learn and evolve, constantly adapting to new information. However, it is also subject to numerous cognitive biases that can skew reasoning and judgment, such as confirmation bias, where we favor information that confirms our preexisting beliefs.
6. Individual Perception vs. Social Influence: Each person perceives the world uniquely, shaped by individual experiences and internal cognition. Yet, our perceptions and beliefs are heavily influenced by societal norms and the views of others around us, demonstrating the tension between individuality and social conformity.
7. Self-Awareness vs. Self-Deception: Humans are capable of deep self-awareness, including the ability to reflect on one’s own thoughts and actions. At the same time, we are also skilled at self-deception, often justifying actions and beliefs in ways that align with our desired self-image rather than the objective truth.

These contradictions illustrate the complexity and depth of the human mind, making it a subject of endless fascination and study.

While David Goggins enjoys a 450-Mile run at 48, an adult cannot get himself to take a walk. What contradiction, and wonder!

Remember, it is you who decides what comes in the mind. The whole world tells you that thoughts arise, and you need to make them positive. It encourages positive thinking.

No one ever teaches you where thoughts arise from. Alter your very source of thought. When you meditate and go deep into a spiritual practice, you alter the very pool of thought source.

The call to actions that you can take after reading this is:

1) Enjoy the contradictions in your own mind. When you embrace them, in time they will disappear.

2) Learn every day. Read for at least 10–15 minutes a day. Watch a podcast.

3) Meditate. This is the most powerful tool in the world. Use it. 20 minutes, at least.

4) Breath work. Pranayama. 10 minutes of breathing can change your physiology massively.

5) Take silence. Go on a retreat. Or take moments of silence every day. It is the source of creativity.

6) Have fun! Challenge yourself. Know that the inner child in you continues to live on.