12 Ways Your Brain May Be Tricking You

12 Ways Your Brain May Be Tricking You

Source: 1 "Weird" Mind Trick To Get Anything You Want

The human mind is a fascinating thing capable of many great feats. It is responsible for our growth as a species into something more than just another mammal living on the Earth's surface. We have the ability to perceive our surroundings and think about things in such fantastic ways. Our minds are so complex that even we, the people possessing those minds, don't always fully understand them. It is our greatest asset, and sometimes it is also our greatest enemy.

Your mind may be playing tricks on you in several ways, deceiving you into believing things are one way when they really aren't. Oftentimes when the mind does this it is a sort of defense mechanism to protect our own egos. Egos can be fragile things and there are many things that can put cracks into our feelings of confidence. Understanding your own flaws is important in life though, because in order to move forward and be successful you need to be able to learn from your mistakes. If you can learn to recognize these twelve tricks that your brain can play on you, then you can deal with the reality of a situation and come out a better person for it.

1. If I only had this one thing everything would be better!

Sometimes we can start to think that everything will fall into place once we get that one thing that has eluded. "If I could only get that promotion at work my life would be set and I would be so happy." Or you could be thinking that your life will feel so great when you finally get that new Mustang from the dealership that you have been eyeballing for months. Both having aspirations and wanting new things in life is completely normal, but we have to realize that a lot more goes into making someone truly happy.

Getting new things and reaching one more milestone are not where things should stop for you. Life goes on and you should always look to keep moving forward in life. Don't let your mind trick you into thinking you only need that one more thing for happiness. The truth is that happiness is more complicated than that, and it is decided by the sum of all parts of your life.

2. I wish I didn't have so much to do…

Most are guilty of thinking this one from time to time. Human minds tend to float to thinking about how great a leisurely life filled with relaxation would be. If you didn't have to work and take up all that time, you would be happier right? Honestly that probably wouldn't be the case. People need challenges and mountains to climb in life. If you just sit around all the time or have nothing to pursue in life then you will get bored quickly. Not having anything to do would make a person incredibly depressed after a while. You don't see the rich sitting on their butts all the time, just some of it. In order to maintain happiness humans need to live a somewhat busy lifestyle filled with work and recreation both.

3. I hope things never change.

You think you like things exactly the way that they are, and never want things to have to change. This could be true because some people have really good lives. It can be painful to know things aren't going to be exactly as they are in this moment forever. However you need to realize that one of the only true constants in this universe is change. Life and the world around you are going to constantly change.

Even you yourself are going to change over the years, with preferences and tastes evolving as you grow older and wiser. One needs to be prepared that thing are going to change, sometimes suddenly. In life the ability to adapt to change and roll with the punches is essential to being a successful and happy individual.

4. So and so is always screwing me up, it's all their fault!

The mind tries to shield our own egos sometimes by casting the blame off for things on others. This is a defense mechanism designed to keep us from feeling bad about ourselves when we make a mistake. It happens to a lot of people, but it really doesn't help anyone in the long run. When you blame others for your mistakes and avoid personal accountability you will never learn from those mistakes.

You need to fail sometimes to learn a valuable lesson in life, and to be able to better succeed moving forward. Casting the blame off on another is a coward's way out. Likewise, blaming others for your unhappiness in life is not beneficial. As a rule, the buck stops with you. You are the master of your destiny, and you decide the way your life is going to go. Others can influence, but ultimately everything is on you.

5. I need to figure out if there is some sort of secret to being successful.

Often times our minds think there has to be some trick to being successful. It seems like there must be a magic bullet out there that can turn people's lives from rags to riches. The fact of the matter is that there are no shortcuts to take on the road to success. You need to roll up your sleeves and get to work after formulating a good plan of attack. It is a journey when you want to become successful. You go through your trials and tribulations and always make the best decisions you can towards meeting your goals. There is no getting around that it is going to be a lot of work, so commit to the idea of putting in the work and you can be well on your way.

6. It's scary out there, so I think I'll stay inside.

This can be a common one, even though many do not want to admit it. The world is indeed a scary place. It is full of bad things that can harm a person and ruin their lives. You need to realize that there is also so much good in the world. Some do have these thoughts and just want to shut their selves in, avoiding the world because they are afraid they will get burned. Some courage is required in life, especially if you want to lead a happy life. You can't let the fear of what might happen prevent you from taking action.

7. I probably shouldn't do this, but it's only one more!

This line of thinking can lead to a lot of bad behavior in life. Learning to limit your intake of foods and other such things can be a difficult task for some. Many aren't good at the concept of moderation and do not have much willpower. But when your mind tries to aid you in your bad habit by convincing you that just one more snack cake isn't going to harm you, this isn't a good thing. Being healthy is a really important thing.

In order to live a long and full life one should take care of their body. You are only ever going to get one body, so you must be careful what you put into it. Thinking things like "I should eat what I want because I want to be happy" can be dangerous. People should eat foods they like, but they should do so responsibly and in moderation. Your health matters.

8. I'm going to avoid this because I don't like it.

Avoiding things that you do not like doing isn't a positive thing all the time. A lot of the times the things we want to avoid doing can be quite important. Whether it be studying for your college exams or getting in that hours of exercise you scheduled yourself to do today, there are things that need to be done. Procrastination is the enemy of success. When you try to avoid doing things just because you don't like them or they are too taxing, you are only harming yourself. Taking the attitude of getting things done that are important first before moving on to other activities would be a good way to be. You just have to avoid putting things off, and especially avoiding them entirely.

9. I'll decide on this later…

Putting off decision is a way our mind tries to deal with not wanting to make difficult decisions. When a difficult decision crosses your path it can be nerve wracking, but putting things off won't help you to avoid consequences. Sometimes it is best to deal with things expediently, ensuring that you take a firm stance one way or another. Usually sitting around stressing about what you are going to do doesn't help you anyways.

You should choose carefully and not flippantly of course. Careful thought doesn't mean putting a decision off for several weeks though. If you make the wrong choice and you fail it is not the end of the world. The sun will rise tomorrow and you will have another shot to do things right. Just show some courage and go for it.

10. It's too late! If it was going to happen then it should have happened by now.

This can be a common misconception our minds try to throw our way. Sometimes when you have been pursuing something for a long time and it hasn't happened yet you start to question yourself. You can begin to question whether going down the path you have was the right choice at all, or whether or not it was a complete waste of time. Perseverance is something that you need in order to achieve great things.

Nothing worth doing ever comes easy, or so they say. That at least seems to be true when it comes to the big things in life, and pursuing great success. Hardships are something you are going to go through. It can take a long time to finally reach your goal, but you shouldn't give up in the middle of the race. Just because something hasn't happened yet that doesn't mean that it can't. Success could be right around the corner. You need to maintain belief in yourself and your ideals.

11. You have to be lucky to fulfill your dreams.

This line of thinking can come from a bitter spirit. Luck usually has nothing to do with fulfilling a dream. The fact of the matter is that many dreams do go unfulfilled. So why is that? Well it is mostly because the people dreaming those dreams are not willing to do what it takes to make their dream a reality. It takes a lot of commitment when pursuing a dream, especially a lofty one, and sometimes that involves too much effort for some. You need to have a great amount of resolve to become a person who is living out his or her dreams. Once you reach the top everything will seem very much worth it. It's just about if you have the strength to undergo the journey.

12. There's no way I could ever do that.

Our final trick that our mind plays on us is probably the worst of them all. When we are afraid to give something a shot our minds will try to tell us ways that make something impossible for us to succeed at certain things. You could be thinking something like "there is no way I could ever run my own business" or "I do not have what it takes to get my Master's degree." The self-doubt that has been created in your mind serves only to hold you back.

Of course you will never be able to do those things if you don't believe in yourself! Confidence goes a long ways towards making difficult tasks seem doable. You need to cast aside the fear of failure if you intend to do great things. If you are committed to doing something, then you can find a way to get it done. You can better yourself as a human being until you have reached the point you need to be at. Don't let your mind trick you into thinking you are not able.

Those are the twelve ways that our minds can play tricks on us. Perhaps you notice yourself falling victim to one or several of the tricks on the list. Realizing what your mind is doing to you is the first step to making it stop. Use this list to your advantage and be vigilant. You will be more successful for it.

Edited by: Lawyer Asad