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Counterfactual Thinking
Thinking in a counterfactual way is a non-mainstream mode of thinking about the alternatives of a present situation or turn of events.
It means imagining possible alternatives to events that have already happened; something that is contrary to what really occurred.
MORE IDEAS FROM THE ARTICLE
- Counterfactual thinking makes us look at the events from multiple angles, making us mentally experience it from a different spectrum.
- Thinking with a counterfactual bend of mind boosts creativity in solving future challenges.
- It helps the thinker store important information that could impact the analysis and solutions of future events.
- A non-linear, non-mainstream way of thinking avoids the usual pitfalls of anger, anxiety, fear and grief when things go wrong. This sort of action-oriented approach comes with a positive bend of mind and a desire to do something, instead of getting stuck in an endless loop of worry and anxiety.
RELATED IDEAS
Most people want more done during the course of the day, feeling productive if they have checked more boxes out of their to-do list. Time management has been a fad for a long time, equating productivity with the number of hours spent working.
The way we approach time management is proving to be a vicious circle of wasting time managing time, turning it into a problem rather than a solution towards productivity.
- It improve self-awareness.
- It allows you to understand and see things from a different point of view.
- It allows you to respond, not react.
- It facilitates a deeper level of learning.
- It improves confidence.
- It makes you challenge your assumptions.
Most people have habitual stories they tell in predictable circumstances as well.
Early life experiences that we perceived at the time to be threats to our safety and worth become encoded in our potent memories.
Reciting a specific script in moments of emotional provocation (e.g. “This can’t hurt me”) weakens trauma-induced reaction that is not relevant in the present moment.