Negative feelings as viruses of the mind! (Part 2)

Fight to prevent infection!

In my view viruses of the mind create whole mental and psychic disease. But even as our brain is biased towards negative (I have read from Dr. Rick Hanson you need 5 positive thoughts to counter one negative thought), I still believe that except in rare occasions (like our boxer in the beginning of the story), it takes several bad thoughts that create bad feeling(s) in us to become virus of the mind, that can infect us in a way described in previous paragraph.

How can we counter this? Let’s stick with our job seeking example. If I have some writing skill, and apply to jobs that require them, and get rejected 100 times, have I lost my writing skills? Have I forgotten how to construct a sentence? How to make analogy? How to make a point in the end? I seriously doubt that is the case.

And here is where I - lay person - and Dr. Dawkins go in separate direction. I believe that viruses of the mind to exist. I believe they are toxic. And I believe that they can even be lethal mentally and consequently – physically. But, with faith that is proven – like in job seeking: in our abilities, skills and knowledge – with that kind of faith in something invisible, yet without a doubt there – it is possible to counter and cure viruses of the mind.

Just be aware it is a struggle. These are huge enemies not just in job seeking; they are also enemies of taking good advice and listening for critique (like described in this post about eating an elephant here); in believing that we are loved and worth to be loved. They are also enemies of our self-worth, killers of our confidence and stalkers of our happiness in sense that they want to make us fearful of feeling good and happy.

So, in conclusion – I declare war to viruses of the mind, pests that negate what is really good in us. I intend to fight with them with warm feelings of friendship, true love, appreciation of self and others; I will bleed for cause like gratitude for all the wonderful people in existence and all the great deeds that they did, and continue to do so.

Please, join me in only war I will ever participate – fight with me against viruses of the mind!

(click here for part 1)

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)