Negative feelings as viruses of the mind! (Part 1)

Hard to get the job if infected! 

There was a story of a boxer who lost his fight by knockout. Asked by interviewer after the fight why it happened he responded: “I had one bad thought!” – “Just one?” asked the reporter, and the boxer replied: “You don’t understand – one bad thought is all it takes to get knocked out in boxing!”

Meme is something defined as virus of the mind by Richard Dawkins in his work ‘Selfish Gene’.  He goes to apply it on thoughts that have no rationale for, in his belief something like faith and religion, and that these things nevertheless spread like infection regardless of lack of evidence.

There is one thing you need to know about me – I am practical and very active believer in God. So, when taking a shot on concept like memes / viruses of the mind you must know I don’t believe it is applicable for true faith e.g., since I have witnessed such faith bringing colossal positives in life of my friends, acquaintances, loved ones and mine. 

But I still think it is valid concept. Only, I look at it slightly differently. Because of minds neuroplasticity, I think single thought is rarely virus of the mind like an example of the boxer from beginning of the article. I do believe it takes bit more to bring us down to toxic behaviors that perpetuate onwards. I think it is toxic feeling based on constantly negative same or similar thoughts that shapes our brain more and more biased towards negative expectations, actions and behaviors.

Let’s move to job seeking example. I won’t approach it scientifically, simply because I do not have credentials, and even more so – knowledge to do so. But common logic tells us that if we send hundreds of applications, and not a single answer arrives – well, we will start to sink mentally just like Titanic. Because, it was not any single rejection that hits us like train composition. No. It is expectation that, not from one application, not from 10 applications, but maybe from 50 of them we will receive one positive answer for interview. And as we move along the time, and that doesn’t happen – we start to sink. What we believed to be truth has suddenly shown false in our mind. And then, I believe true virus of the mind or meme starts to create itself. And it infects us. “I am not good enough – even from more than 50 applications nobody called back!” “I don’t have the skills needed, otherwise somebody would call already!” “I worth nothing, I was wrong to ever believe I am capable and good!” “There is simply no hope for me, I am lost cause”.

(click here for part 2)