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Knee-jerk Thoughts & Half-Baked Ideas

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Automatic thought happens when the brain is switched ‘On’ and the mind is switched ‘Off’. Automatic thought has two forms: True/helpful Insights Knee-jerk Thoughts

Do you think thinking just happens automatically?

Do you think you think well?

Do you find your brain is prone to operate in knee-jerk mode?

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Sure, thinking does happen automatically. However, outside of the occasional gem of insight, automatic thinking is the lowest level of thinking.

One way of looking at automatic thought: automatic thought happens when the brain is switched ‘On’ and the mind is switched ‘Off’.

Automatic thought has two forms:

  • True/helpful Insights
  • Knee-jerk Thoughts

True/helpful Insights – we all receive them from time to time. However, they represent a very small portion of our thoughts…for most people true/helpful insights happen so rarely it is reasonable to forecast they make up perhaps 1% of automatic thoughts. The other 99% of automatic thoughts are knee-jerk thoughts.

Knee-jerk Thoughts come in two forms:

  • Automatic Negative Thoughts [Dr. Daniel Amen coined the term ‘ANTs’…link to Thought Posts about ANTs]…ANTs cover a full range of emotion-laced negative thoughts, which often lead to negative actions and inactions: fears, worries, anxieties, bad attitude, etc...and all the bad habits that stem from these negative states of mind
  • Half-baked Ideas…these take our thoughts and actions on wild goose chases, down rabbit holes and up pipe dreams 
Knee-jerk thoughts consume and waste much energy. While it is impossible [and therefore unwise] to try to remove all knee-jerk thoughts, attitudes and outlooks improve when ANTs are controlled and half-baked ideas are tested before they waste too much energy...half-baked ideas need to be 'oven tested'. ANTs respond well to cognitive behavioural therapies. Half-baked ideas respond well when tested under oven-approved recipes that blend in common sense [particularly, wisdom of the ages], open-mindedness, a sense of adventure, and a pinch of creativity.

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Is your brain prone to operate in knee-jerk mode?

...might want to work on that.

After all, knee jerks are much different than more sophisticated leg movements such as those involved in walking...let alone running in the right direction.