I broke my Blackberry holster last week. As a result, I tried to look for the default pocket (that comes with all new Blackberries) to use as a replacement until I buy a new holster. For two days I tried to search for it without results. That left me exasperated and somewhat frustrated as I had to carry my ‘new’ Blackberry in my pocket without protection! On my third attempt, I found it… it was in the drawer near my bed, the same drawer that I open every morning when I get up and every evening when I come home from work. So why did I miss it?? Well, somehow, I made up my mind that it was in a brown box while in fact it was in a black box with a white cover. In retrospect, I don’t even think I noticed the box during my first two search attempts. I looked right through it. No… not like Superman!
It’s normal to have preconceived ideas. Our brain subconsciously rationalizes the information that comes our way every second of our existence and, in this case, led me to conclude that the fastest way for me to find what I was looking for was to search for a brown box. And the fact is that there is actually nothing wrong with that. It’s perfectly normal. But what if our preconceptions are wrong and lead us in the wrong direction?
That preconceived idea is bound to stick with us until we let go or until we hit a brick wall. Depending on the person and the circumstances, some preconceptions may stick for a long time or even forever. What to do to let go or, rather, should we let go (what if we’re right after all)? There is no easy answer, but to say that we should look at circumstances and people with a critical mind. Not in the sense of “criticizing,” but meaning that we should try to exercise good judgment and avoid jumping to conclusions too fast. Taking a step back once in a while can be helpful. All that to say that we should not be afraid to challenge ourselves in the way we think, the way we approach things or the way we perceive others.
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About John: John Sylo is one of the co-authors of this blog. |
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