Why People Visit Fortune Tellers

The basic psychology about visiting a fortune teller is that the mind is cognitively distorted and needs reassurance. When a fortune teller tells you that everything is going to be ok, the negative thoughts start to diminish.

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Fortunetelling, mind reading and jumping to conclusions

agileleanlife.com

Key Ideas

Jumping Into Conclusions

It is a form of cognitive distortion which generally gravitates towards the negative. This happens without any justifiable cause or reason and is not based on any fact.

It is like owning a crystal ball that only predicts misery.

Two Types Of Cognitive Distortion

Fortune Telling: When one believes that the negative outcome is already a confirmed fact. The baseless assumptions are a reality inside the mind of a fortune teller. In most cases, things that seem to be a big worry have nothing to do with reality.
Mind Reading: Instead of focusing on probable bad situations, a mind reader creates unverified negative assumptions about people. These can be about people not respecting you, or about not getting acceptance from someone.

Why People Visit Fortune Tellers

Stop The Negative Cognitive Distortion

Check the facts to see if the situation is all in your head or has some ground.
Be aware of the time the negative thought enters your mind, and place a barrier on the entry, saying to yourself ‘We don’t know that yet’.
Think of past events that were positive and understand that the mind can over analyse stuff. Understand that it serves no benefit to panic right now.
Trust yourself and life, believing that things are going to be okay, no matter what happens. Distrusting yourself leads one to rely on external crutches.

Unrealistic Expectations

An extreme of a cognitive distortion is believing that everything will happen according to the wishes, and would be perfect in every way.

But life can be miserable if a person is always having unrealistic expectations out of situations and people. Things are bound to go wrong too sometimes. Learn to be a realist.

EXPLORE MORE AROUND THESE TOPICS:

Jumping to Conclusions: When People Decide Based on Insufficient Information

effectiviology.com

Jumping to conclusions is a phenomenon where people reach a conclusion prematurely, on the basis of insufficient information. For example, a person jumping to conclusions might assume that someone they just met is angry at them, simply because that person wasn't smiling at them while they talked, even though there are many alternative explanations for that behavior.

Key Ideas

Jumping into Conclusions

Jumping to conclusions is a common phenomenon, where people prematurely decide and finalize something, without having sufficient information or choosing not to consider it.

Jumping into Conclusions: Examples

Inference-observation confusion: An assumption made that may or may not be correct. Example: Concluding that a guy is rich, based on the car he drives.
Fortune-Telling: Assumption of knowing exactly what will happen in the future.
Mind Reading: Assuming based on how to have read someone's mind and concluded something which may not be true.
Extreme Extrapolation: Finding a minor clue and making something major out of it.
Overgeneralization: Copy-pasting a piece of knowledge over something that you think is related, but is not.
Labeling: Stereotyping a set of people based on their likes and dislikes.

Why We Jump to Conclusions

The reason people jump to conclusions is the fact that they find it easy.

Fact-checking and 100 percent accuracy on everything they see or observe consume way too much time for a normal person.

Taking mental shortcuts is the path most people choose to jump to conclusions.

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7 Communication Mistakes You Should Avoid in Business

timedoctor.com

Effective communication is at the heart of every successful business, no matter the size or industry. In fact, everything in your business resolves around good communication, both internal (with your employees, associates, co-workers or team members) and external (with your clients and customers).

Key Ideas

Effective communication

... is imperative for every successful business. Poor communication inevitably causes misunderstandings, confusion and conflicts that hinder productivity and professi...

Effective Communication is vital in business

It helps to create effective brand messaging. It determines how your brand is perceived and also builds trust with customers.
Customer service relies on good communication. "60% of consumers have stopped doing business with a brand due to a poor customer service experience." Microsoft’s 2016 Global State of Customer Service Report.
It enables positive team relationships. Effective communication helps to unite teams and create a safe environment to express themselves.
It helps to prevent misunderstandings and conflicts. It can help to defuse a potentially explosive dispute while bad communication can set it off.

Worst Communication Mistakes

Using a One-Size-Fits-All Communication Approach. Tailor the communication style to the intended audience.
Speaking More and Listening Less. Listen to what is said, how it is said, and to what is not said.
Assuming Instead of Asking More Questions.
Using Negative Tone. Choose words carefully to eliminate negative reactions.
Avoiding Difficult Conversations.
Reacting, Not Responding.
Not Keeping an Open Mind. Accept and respect differences, listen without judgment and consider all sides of an issue.

The bright side: how to challenge negative beliefs

theguardian.com

At the core of cognitive behavioural theory is the idea that our thoughts can act as a block that prevents us seeing events or ourselves in a positive light. Instead, we distort reality and foster negative beliefs about our situation. However, once identified, these negative beliefs can be challenged.

Key Ideas

Examples of distorted thinking

Seeing the world in terms of black and white extremes.
A tendency to magnify our faults and minimize our achievements.
Taking an isolat...

Challenging beliefs

The first step is to become aware of which of these negative belief patterns you are susceptible to. Keep a journal and record your negative thoughts.

Ask yourself the following questions each time you experience negative beliefs.

What is my evidence for thinking this way?
Is there any evidence that doesn't support this belief?
Could there be other ways of interpreting this event?