Why do we think the way we think?

Question

I mean, is there some external forces like Anger, Jealousy, Hatred etc. getting us under their control. Manytimes I have realized that I am under their influence even thogh I don't want to be under their influence.

Answer 1

History, as we know it, is the story of the wars, battles, and bloodshed of mankind. History is the space in which Cain's ax ultimately becomes machine guns and napalm, hydrogen explosions and guided missiles. Why is this? Why has humanity throughout the entire space of its history wrestled unendingly with this terrible problem of human hatred and bloodshed and yes even jealousy? There are many shallow answers which have been given, but these superficial answers -- economics, adventure, greed, power politics -- all have long since been shown to be insufficient, though you still hear them echoed from time to time. But Scripture says that the key to our 20th century dilemma lies in this story that took place at the dawn of history, the story of two brothers, Cain and Abel.

Answer 2

I am not sure if you believe in evolution. Life has evolved over a long period of time and humans are the latest form of evolution of life.

Its not that only humans can think, even animals think. This has been proved scientifically, by different studies. You might have heard about animals which save their food in secret locations for future, when it cannot go in search of food. This means that the animals also think about the future and act.

But what is special with us, humans is that, We are the only species, who "KNOW" that we are thinking. We humans can perceive what we are thinking, in a same way as we perceive the world with our five senses. We are given a free will to work with our thoughts as we wish. Thats why there is a BIG difference between animals and humans.

This is what made you ask such a question, why are we thinking the way we think?

Coming to your question....we can break the answer into 2 parts
1)Thoughts created by sensory inputs
This is common for both humans and animals. From the time we are born, all the sensory inputs we receive become as thoughts and based on the intensity of the incidences that happened we still remember and have access to those thoughts while we were small children. An simple example for this would be, a child learning that if it keeps the hands on fire it hurts, next time it would be afraid to touch the fire.

2)Thoughts by our free will or sixth sense or by some "X" through which we come to know that we are thinking.
Once we reach a particular age when we become aware of our thoughts that are accumulated, that is once we become aware of our free will, to a certain extent, we start creating likes/dislikes and form a layer above it which may be called personality, which is formed in our sub conscious mind.

Sigmund Freud the famous Pschologist says that this personality is created based on our childhood experiences and this forms the basic principles for why we think the way the think and why we react the way we react.

Once we become fully aware of our free will at a certain age and the likes and dislikes grow, we create another layer over it called "I-The Ego".

Using this "I=The Ego" what we do mostly is choose what to think about, mostly it would be about something that gives us pleasure and add our creativity to it, which is called as day dreaming :-)

There is actually no external force that is acting upon, It is "I-The Ego" which makes you to think about those things which creates emotions like Anger, Jealousy etc.

Its good that you have realized that you are under the control of their influence, which is nothing but "I-TheEgo". You can come out of it by proper pratice by creating positive thoughts and slowly eliminating "I-TheEgo" which is what many saints do.

On another article by Malcom Gladwell, he says our reponses and the way we behave is based on the above two layers. There is always a constant fight between the above two layers and we react based on whichever wins over the other. Mostly our immediate responses are based on our personality in the subconscious mind and if we are given some time to react then the response would be based on I-The Ego.

Answer 3

Your thoughts are a choice and the way you respond to jerk people or annoying situations is a choice. We have an effective way of handling outside unpleasantness if it is other people breaking the law, it is called the police. Harrassment is against the law in most states and in particular if you no longer want a friendship, a marriage or any other type of involvement with someone and you are still hounded by them, or stalked then a visit with the police is going to keep your emotions out of it and put it on the impersonal basis it needs to be in. Who is pulling your emotional chains by the way? Relatives? set them straight of what is tolerable or avoid them, school friends, the same advise. Don't allow yourself to become a time bomb ready to go off and then the world reads about you on the front pages of the paper because no matter what your issues, your violent response will make you look horrible even if the triggers were horrible. Avoid people you hate. Why be jealous when you have a choice to value the things you can get for yourself and ignore what others have?? Who makes you angry?? Nice people? Probably not, so avoid them or get the police involved if they get in your way. Confrontations aren't so easy for a bully when he has those handcuffs on and don't allow yourself to be lured into conflict. Consider the source, put an invisibility cloak on and walk away. For a time you might have to make books your best friends while looking for a more mature crowd but books are usually alot more interesting than people annoying us anyway. Good luck to you.

Answer 4

When you come to the point in your life to know who you are, you will than realize what makes you do the things you do when you do them. Until than take it easy to get to know who you are, and understand where you are coming from.
This is a crossing that everyone does some where along in there life. Time, place, and circumstance is different for everyone.

Answer 5

A complex and potent cocktail of nurture, nature, culture, belief systems (including religion), current environment, past traumas, et al... I bet I havent even scratched the surface!

Answer 6

We think the way we think because our mind is programmed to think that way. It is filled with the prejudices which are induced within us since childhood. All the patterns and colours that we see throughout our life are the reasons why we think like this.

Answer 7

Now you know a question like that is going to open the floodgates to a torrent of crap from religious fanatics. So why ask it?

Answer 8

It is part of our animal instinct. From the times we were fighting for food,water,sex... You can't control it totally,but you can reduce it, if you find what is reason of such emotion.

Answer 9

The devil did it!!!!!