Black and White Thinking: Finding the Space Between

You’ve heard it before: “Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater!” This is a frequently used saying, but what does it really mean? Picture it. Baby, covered in strained carrots, yogurt and dried cereal. I’ve been there. You put the little chubby giggle monster in the water, and it just gets gross. Things are floating around, and the water changes into this murky swamp of ick. Does that water make the baby less precious and snugly? Not at all. They are separate things. Gross water. Baby. Gross water does not make gross baby. We can put that together so easily with the baby metaphor, but not so easily with other situations. Everyone has been on a diet at some point. So you’re kicking butt with the boiled chicken and sweet potatoes. You have clocked about 8,000 steps on your Fitbit, and it’s only 3 p.m. You haven’t eaten sugar in three days, when boom. Someone brings donuts into the break room at work. You wrestle with it for a good 13 seconds before succumbing to the sugary goodness. One little donut won’t hurt. As soon as you have inhaled the last drop of glaze on your finger, regret sinks in. “Well,” you say, “I’ve already blown it. I might as well have another one.” There you have it. The relapse story of every diet in history. Baby-bathwater. Familiar? You, and a million patients I’ve worked with — oh, and me too. That’s just one of many examples. How about this one? ...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Brain and Behavior General Habits Motivation and Inspiration Psychology Psychotherapy Self-Help Absolutism black and white thinking Cognition Disgust mind Shades Of Gray Shame Thought Source Type: blogs