Is this Information still valid?

“To attain knowledge, add things every day. To attain wisdom, remove things every day.”
– Lao Tzu

Unlearning is as important as learning. Our brains favor the familiar and our repeated thought patterns become engrained. We’re also bombarded with propaganda, media, cultural influences, and societal and familial expectations.

Confirmation bias is the tendency for people to believe evidence that confirms their preexisting beliefs and discount information that counters those beliefs.

Motivated reasoning is when biased reasoning leads to a particular conclusion or decision, a process that often occurs outside of conscious awareness.

According to Psychology Today, “Studies by political psychologists highlight denial of climate change or discrediting its science as important examples of motivated reasoning; people process scientific information about climate shifts to conform to pre-existing feelings and beliefs. After all, accepting that climate change is real portends unpleasant environmental consequences and would require most people to head them off by making significant changes in lifestyle.”

If your cup is full, no more can be poured in. To fill the cup, we must first empty it.
We must make room for fresh ideas and to live our most authentic lives.

Some questions to ask ourselves:

• Is this information still valid?
• What evidence supports this?
• Where do these beliefs come from?
• Do these support my mental health?
• Is this in alignment with the life I want?
• What are the origins of my thoughts, attitudes, behaviors, feelings, and biases?

Here’s to stepping back to step forward.

Here’s to not doing business as usual.