Chapter 10 Taking Charge of Your Irrational Tendencies Maha AlSaif 200800420 Nada Bakhashwain 200800307 Fatima Albagshi 200800928

Outline What is egosentric thinking? Understanding egocentric thinking Understanding Egocentrism as a Mind Within the Mind Successful and unsuccessful egocentrism Rational thinking Two egocentric functions Dominating egocentrism Submissive Egocentrism Pathological Tendencies of the Human Mind Challenging the Pathological Tendencies of the Mind The Challenge of rationality

Egocentric Thinking Egocentric thinking Me do not naturally consider the rights and needs of others

Most commonly used psychological standards in human thinking: “It’s true because I believe it.” innate egocentrism. “It’s trues because we believe it.” Innate socio-centrism. “It’s true because I want to believe it.” Innate with fulfillment. “It’s true because I have always believed it.” Innate self-validation. “it’s true because it is in my selfish interest to believe it.” Innat selfishness.

Human minds has two potential ways of thinking: 1st emerges from innate egocentric, self-serving tendencies. The 2nd emerges from cultivated rational higher-order capacities

The logic of egocentrism: Point of view Information Implications and consequences Elements of reasoning Purpose Essential concepts Interpretation and inference Assumptions Key question

Understanding Egocentric Thinking Egocentric thinking: comes from our native human tendency to see the world from a narrow self-serving prespective. When we are operating from an egocentric prespective, we naturally assume that our thinking is rational. We naturally believe in our sense of who and what we are. Therfore, if we behave or think irrationally, we are, in a sense, victims of the beliefs and thought processes we have developed through life because egocentic thinking is commanding us.

As we age our rational capacities develop to some extent. Yet, we have to become clearly aware of the egocentric thinking in us. learn how to unermine it in some way.

Understanding Egocentrism as a Mind Within the Mind Egocentric thinking functions subconsciously, like a mind within us that we deny we have. What motivates egocentric thinking? To gain selfish interest To validate its current way of thinking

“Successful” Egocentrism Egocentric thinking can be successful in achiving what it is motivated to achive. Who are successful egocentric thinkers? Successful politicians, lawyers, businesspeople, and others.

“Unsuccessful” egocentric thinking Feelings that may occur:

Problems in thinking can be either :

Rational Thinking

Two Egocentric Functions * The art of dominating others * The art of submitting to others

Dominating Egocentrism

Submissive Egocentrism In this mode of thinking people gain power through subservience to those who have power. They submit to the will of others to get those powerful to act in their selfish interest. They learn the arts of flattery and personal manipulation.

The beliefs that drive the thinking of the submissive ego: “Since I’m not very smart, I must rely on others to think for me.” “For me to get what I want, I must submit to those who are powerful than I am.”

The submissive ego is enabled to do this through any number of self-protecting beliefs: “I’m too stupid to learn this.” “I’m not as smart as others.” “I’ll never be able to figure this out.”

Pathological Tendencies of the Human Mind Egocentric Memory: The natural tendency to forget evidence and information that do not support our thinking and to remember evidence that do. Egocentric Myopia: The natural tendency to think in an absolutist way within an overly narrow point of view. Egocentric Blindness: The natural tendency not to notice facts and evidence that contradict our favored beliefs or values.

Challenging the Pathological Tendencies of the Mind Correcting Egocentric Memory: By seeking evidence and information that do not support our thinking. Correcting Egocentric Myopia: By routinely thinking within points of view that conflict with our own. Correcting Egocentric Blindness: By seeking out the facts and evidence that contradicts our favored beliefs or values.

The Challenge of the Rationality We can counteract our natural tendency toward intellectual arrogance by developing our capacity for intellectual humility. We can counteract our tendency to jump to conclusions by learning how to test our conclusion for their validity and soundness. We can counteract our tendency to play roles of domination or submission by learning how to recognize when we are doing so.