Sometimes we get so caught up in our own ways that we forget there may be other ways to do something.
I often find myself victim to "black and white thinking" which means I think about things in terms of being either right or wrong. But, I have to stop and remind myself that not everything can be categorized that way.
I think black and white thinking is as a result of the values imposed on us by our environment.
Whether you've been driving the same route to work everyday, you think uneducated people are stupid, or you've got a habit of pointing out someone else's flaws... this is all about black and white thinking to some degree.
1. Driving. I'm used to taking certain routes around the city and this is probably because I am not familiar with every option I could take. But often times, when someone else is doing the driving, I find myself questioning their judgement because they didn't take the same route I would and I might ask "why didn't you take XXX road instead?". For some reason, I instantly think we're going to get lost or take an abnormally long time to get to our destination. And that's an irrational thought caused by black and white thinking.
2. Education versus Intelligence. I was brought up to believe that education made you more valuable but I know now that this is not true. There are many people out there who have not had big opportunities in life and that doesn't make them less valuable. Some people are very smart without having a PHD and vice versa. Book smarts does not equate to life smarts. But thinking that someone is better in life because they've had more education means you're thinking, black or white, good or bad, and right or wrong. It's one thing to talk about skills, it's another to talk about intelligence.
3. Flaws. We all have flaws but why do some people insist on pointing them out? When people pick on flaws or the ways in which we do things, it is because of their thought process. In the moment, they see something they don't associate with and this could be translated to them as wrong. But if you can't accept someone and all their flaws, then you should ask yourself why that flaw threatens you so much.
If we become conscious of when we are victim to black and white thinking, we can open ourselves up to different possibilities. Beauty for example, should not be categorized as right or wrong. So, why do we think there's a right or wrong way to look? There are complete industries based on black and white thinking and it wasn't until I heard of this concept that I realized how much I do it.
Just another thing to consider, I guess...
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