Modes of Thought
Related: Wants
Modes of thought or phases or elements or mind represent any state of an individual, where the state of the individual is composed of any combination of modes of thought.
It is important for the individual to realize how different phases of mind are experienced. And that the external variables around you and the internal variables affect the phase of mind, for the average person. For one who becomes aware of how variables affect one’s phase of mind, may one then be able to develop a control of phase of mind – become conscious of phase of mind.
For example how does one experience anger? Where does it come from? Does it come from nowhere? No. There are variables which cause one to experience anger.
The bottom line is that one can control one’s phase of mind or one can let their phase of mind be directed by their internal and external variables.
Every individual fluctuates between different frames of mind or modes of thinking, depending on the effects of current internal and external variables such as hormones or peers, respectively. Each mode of thinking has associated with it a unique set of right and wrongs (← what does that mean?). The values of all modes of thinking can be compared against each other in terms of effectiveness in life. It is up to the individual to recognize the correct frame of mind, and to retain only the correct frame of mind at all times. A significant part of mastering oneself is learning to recognize the different modes of thought you experience in order to develop a better control over them. The concept of phase of mind must be explored. Because if one can learn to recognize phases of mind, and thus learn to remove the negative (inefficient) and welcome the positive (efficient) then one can master oneself.
An example of this concept is the following: One may have a certain frame of mind at a point in time where to them bad things are acceptable and good things are dismissed. Then that person goes through some sort of change, looks back on the behavior, and realizes that those bad things that just a short while ago were acceptable are now very wrong and the good things are in actuality right.
Real Life Example
What was I honestly thinking when I decided to drive back home intoxicated, under-age with three others of whom were also intoxicated, two of which I knew casually and one more formally, while my parents were home. From which we proceeded to drink more alcohol courtesy of my destabilized mind frame allowing me to provide beer that my parents had purchased. This situation just goes to show the alternative modes of thinking one can experience, each mode representing varied levels of clouded judgment. From all of these modes, which ones are beneficial, and which are detrimental? How does one make that decision? Obviously, that decision will depend on which mode of thinking one is in. Dreams, hopes, feelings, desires, emotions, and goals all change over time. How does one change one self's mental orientation? How does one prevent oneself from falling into negative self-deteriorating behaviors in the future? Behaviors that are uncharacteristic and foreign to one's current stable behavior.
If there is one thing to understand it is that the human mind traverses through many different phases of mind. Who you are changes over time. The way you feel – your emotions and feelings at any given point in time, define who you are at that time.
You have to realize that your brain chemically, undergoes changes in response to sensory inputs, music, faces, climate, color, communication, etc. Those changes tend to cause you to experience feelings and emotions in response to those sensory inputs. But one has the ability to control one's behavior. One has the ability to override those chemically induced tendencies. You must see the big picture, do not constrain your mind's capability by focusing on things that have a trivial value with respect to your ultimate goal.
Sometimes the way one perceives things is not the way they really are. Is it how the world really is? Or is it how you perceive the world?
But always question your surroundings; do not take them for what they appear.
Phases or Elements of Mind
Similar to how a group of people interact with each other, representing a larger entity, different phases of mind react and interact within an individual, which in turn reflect who the person is.
My father continually allows the "problem avoidance" phase of mind to control his actions, thus resulting in his lack of progress.
There are two primary constituents which govern the mental thought process morphology: Inborn (internal) and Cultural / Environmental (external).
There are two types of phases or elements of mind
Positive (efficient) and negative (inefficient)
Some examples below:
Positive (efficient)
---------
Focus
Willpower
Negative (inefficient)
-----------
Anger
Pessimism
Avoidance (problems)
Worry
Hunger
Insecurity
Sexual
Some examples of external variables which can cause change in phases of mind:
Discipline
Education
Brainwashing
Persuasion
Communication
Interaction with the environment
We are born with mental and physical qualities, or traits, which influence the way our phases of mind develop
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There are general modes of thinking, but human modes are made up of combinations of the general modes along with variances on them. Some examples of modes are: hunger, sexual desire, laziness, happiness, sadness, other emotions or feelings.
Others
GLUTTONY
ANGER
PRIDE
wrath
greed
lust
envy
pride
revenge
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Mindset Configuration Process
I know the correct way to think, conduct my thoughts
The problem is that incorrect or negative modes of thought all too frequently work their way into my mind and I have to struggle to deal with them
There are certain methods of which these modes of thought can be lessened.
• Through conversation / communication
• Physically / stimulation
• Through eating / drinking / indulgence / addiction
• By venting / exploding
• And the hardest – through sheer mental willpower
The hardest part is consciously forcing yourself to mentally constrain incorrect and negative thoughts
Big part – need to learn to recognize those negative thoughts when they occur
Develop step-by-step process on how to control negative thoughts every time
1. Learn to recognize negative thoughts when they occur
2. Mentally control those thoughts
How do you do those two things though?
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Base Behavior Characteristics
Aside from the typology test, and other tests, people tend to fall into few stereotypical categories, based on their personality traits, behaviors, etc.
There are certain base behaviors
An individual’s overall personality is composed of these base behaviors.
All base behaviors may all be related to each other in an interdependency spider matrix.
In other words, certain base behaviors will almost never be found with others in one’s personality. Other base behaviors will be regularly found with others.
The goal is to try to break down all human behaviors / mannerisms to their fundamental levels, then understand the complete relationships between them, and thus, to understand why the same stereotypical patterns consistently repeat throughout people.
It is said that we are all different. But with time, through observation, certain personalities repeatedly occur in individuals.
The question is: why do so many people have common personalities?
Certain base characteristics form to make stereotypical personalities
Different attributes
Flaky people tend to not be focused
Always think they are right
Can admit to someone else being right
Narrow in on an individual and agitate that one
Shows no concern for going into the boundaries of another’s space / invasive into others space without regard
Into oneself
Likes to play games
Looks for confrontation between a smaller / more inferior individual
Does things the norm does
Likes to watch shows like American Idol and Dancing with the Stars
Shows interest in Hollywood news
Has to be on the cell phone in most public situations if alone / no one in person to talk to
Finds oneself typically in the back of a group
Not very talkative in public situations
Reserved
Quick to anger / short temperament
Micromanager
Quickly forgets significant / considerable events, quick to forget
Selective hearing
Big ego
Outgoing
Talkative
Mild-mannered
Desires to fit in with the in crowd / group
Emotional
Cocky
Smart-ass
Anal
Strict adherence to the rules
Attitude
Inconsistent
Lack of willpower
Dresses differently
First / last in line
Walk fast / slow
Look at people as walk by yes / no
Human beings, through the course of time, experience different modes of thought. It is up to the individual to recognize when different modes of thought occur, and to differentiate between which ones are positive and which ones are non-positive. Different modes of thought occur when specific thoughts have more control than usual, when their effect is predominant. Modes of thought are witnessed and experienced every day through behaviors and actions that one would normally not conduct. But, a mode of thought represent any frame of mind which is unique unto any other.
Who are we?
Our phase of mind at any given instant determines who we are at that instant.
We experience fluctuations of thinking, based on our internal and external variables.
At times we are sad at times we are happy at times we are angry, crazy, depressed, ecstatic, etc…
Sometimes we do things we regret later on.
The person you want to be is the person you truly are?
What we think about, fantasize about
Sometimes we feel like something takes control of us
Conflicts arise because of conflicting wants. One may encounter personal internal problems within oneself, because of the way that wants vary according to phase of mind. People may encounter conflicts with each other because of conflicting wants, i.e. what one person wants, the other does not. Organizations encounter the same situation, at all levels, governments, nations.
There is variance in the mind, fluctuations of thought, mood, feeling, emotion. The more variance, the more unstable and volatile. The less variance, the more stable.
Mental stability can be influenced by outside factors as well as internal. One must not be influenced by anything, internal or external.
At any given time our thought is guided by the most dominant feelings or emotions being experienced at that time.
Adjusting frame of mind
See the positives
Not the negatives
Do not be blind to the positives
Do not isolate your views
What does the inner self want to do?
Clarity must be ever-present.
Clarity of thought must be ever-present.
Clarity of mind must be ever-present.
Everything is patterns.
Patterns are intertwined. There are relationships between patterns.
The future in general is so hard to predict because there are so many patterns and patterns react with each other.
In other words, one pattern may have an effect on another pattern.
The effect is dependent upon many factors.
Interesting thing about life is that with time, most everything fades.
But usually if one creates, the creation will outlive the creator.
Whether it is a child or art
One may live and die, but one’s creations may live on for a very long time.
Motivating Factors (in which our modes of thought tend to be dependent upon)
What determines what one does at any given moment in time?
What motivates? What drives? What compels people to do what they do?
What are the motivating factors? And their roots?
Why do the roots exist? What is the purpose of the roots? Where do the roots come from?
| some motivating factors | means for alleviating the motive
|
| care, concern, love | take time to care for another, spend time with another
|
| hunger | seek food, drink
|
| sexual desire | seek sexual gratification, engage in means that sexually stimulate the five senses
|
| nervousness, anxiety, stress | escapement through addictive behaviors
|
| wanting | get more of, and get that which is better than existing
|
| desire to live | seek adequate food, shelter, clothing
|
| desire to maintain order within your domain | cleaning, organizing
|
| desiring of pleasuring experiences | music, vacations, sex, eating
|
| desire to look good | exercise, make up
|
| desire to be healthy | exercise, eat right
|
| desire to be happy | (global)
|
| desire to have relationship with God | go to church, read Bible
|
And the following is in image that shows relations between some of these motivating factors:
And here are some more motivating factors
Motivations
Driving factors
Some people are driven towards
Sex
Money
Power
Food
Social status
Fame
There are extremes with which these things can be achieved
Sex – rape, hookers
Money – robbery, stealing
What Governs the Mind?
⋅ Internal (Within the body)
• Feelings and emotions
– Having to urinate or poop
– Desires
⋅ Sexual
⋅ Hunger
⋅ Sleep
⋅ Wanting to make money
⋅ Wanting to be successful
⋅ Wanting to learn
• About God
• The universe
• Existence
⋅ Wanting to help people
⋅ Wanting compassion
– Fear
– Greed
– Wanting love
⋅ External (Outside the body)
• People
– Work
– Family
– Friends
– People at work
• Media
• Environment
• Weather
| What Governs Your Mind | important
|
| Having to urinate or poop | yes
|
| Sexual | no
|
| Hunger | yes
|
| Sleep | yes
|
| Wanting to make money | yes
|
| Wanting to be successful | yes
|
| Wanting to learn | yes
|
| Wanting to help people | yes
|
| Wanting compassion | yes
|
| Fear | no
|
| Greed | no
|
| Wanting love | no
|
| Work | no
|
| Family | no
|
| Friends | no
|
| People at work | no
|
| Media | no
|
| Environment | no
|
| Weather | no
|
Internal (Genetic) and Internal (Environmental) Variables
You are already plugged into the matrix.
Your genetic code already predetermines many factors about who you will become, before you are even born.
Every question by man, which pertains to the physical world, has an answer. And yet, every answer opens up a door or doors to a new question or questions. Therefore, answers only branch out the questions, like a fractal, or tree.
How is it that certain elements of our behavior must be dictated by our genetic code and others by our environment?
Is it moving beyond oneself to will oneself or to overcome, or override inborn, ingrained, instinctual, or learned behaviors?
On what basis does one choose to do at any given moment in time?
If you commit an action, behavior, thought, and if you keep asking why, do all answers for every action, behavior, and though lead to the same point?
Seeking Peace
What I truly want is peace of mind.
There are certain modes of thinking that allude to a feeling of discontentment and make it hard to find peace of mind:
•Desires
•Making comparisons
•Searching for something we feel is missing
•Worrying
•Anger
Modes of Thought Analysis
How is it that our mind progresses through different modes of thought? And how is it that different modes of our thought may conflict with one another? For example, one may want to change a certain aspect of their lifestyle, or behavior, yet they keep acting in ways that allow that undesired pattern to continue (such as eating, drinking, drugs, abusive relationships, etc…). Which modes of thought truly represent who we are? The mode of thought you are in at any given moment represents the person you are at that moment, but not necessarily does it represent the person you are at another point in time, for at another point in time, you may be in a different mode of thought.
Does one drink alcohol, without first thinking about alcohol? While one is conscious, does one partake in an action without first thinking about it? Our thoughts lead us to our actions. Therefore, we have the ability to question our thoughts, before they lead us to corresponding actions. But, how does our reasoning, or logic, change with respect to the mode of thought we are in?
If you are in a mode of thought at one point in time, such as an aggressive, ill-tempered, destructive, angry temperament, and at another mode of thought at a later point in time, such as calm-minded and rational, and at this later point in time you absolutely despise the first mode of thought, and all of the destructive actions associated with it that were committed, is the first mode of thought representative of true self? Is not the person you want to be representative of true self, and the modes of thought you admonish not representative of true self? Even though, individuals may assess your complete character by all modes of thought they see you in, regardless of whether or not you accept those modes of thought. The person you may wish to be, emotionally and through thought, may not be the person you regularly are. This does not mean that you can not become the person you wish to be, or, your true self.
Our reasoning and logic vary, depending on the mode of thought we are in. As a result of this changing reasoning and logic, our goals and objectives may change accordingly. Different modes of thought may be brought on internally, by chemical changes in the body, or externally, by any number of environmental factors. Through this, we are allowing ourselves to be controlled, as these internal and external factors are affecting our current state of thinking at any given time.
And yet, do we not have the ability to question the effects these internal and external factors are having upon our thinking and current state of being?
I presume, this may be one thing that separates man from the other animals, as the other animals may not have the ability to question the effect that internal and external factors are having upon their thought, actions, and state of being.
You see, by questioning the effects that internal and external variables are having upon our thinking, and state of being, we may be able to better guide ourselves to the person we want to be, or our true self. How is this so? By questioning our thoughts, we can stop ourselves before those thoughts lead us to actions (or inaction). You can ask yourself, “what am I thinking?”, “why am I thinking this?”, “what is the significance of this that I am thinking about?”, and “why am I doing this?” And yet, depending on your mode of thought, you may give yourself different answers. The point of questioning your thinking is because you experience modes of thought that lead to actions (or inactions) that are later regretted.
An urge comes over you. Only when this urge is satisfied may you come back to normal. Where does this urge come from? I believe commonly, that the root of this urge is chemical, whereby this urge is satisfied only by some substance entering or exiting the body, or through chemical reaction, whether it be hunger, desire for sex, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, extreme aggression, mania, depression, and etc. These urges may have associated thought that takes precedence when the urge takes over. The associated thought then becomes a mode of thought, or phase of mind. Is it then possible for one to quell a mode of thought using thought, that is brought on by chemical changes in the body?
I believe that internal factors (chemical changes), and external factors (environmental influences) may react to produce actions directly, for the most part bypassing thought, where the reaction is made possible through the interface of the 5 senses: sight, sound, taste, touch, smell. For example, touching a hot stove will result in almost immediate retraction of the hand, avoiding any thought in between.
A lot of times, we may get into a mode of thought, for example depression, where we may think, feel, and act, without really questioning why we are doing so. And even if we know the questions to ask ourselves, the simple process of questioning may be extremely difficult!
1st: know what questions, what to ask yourself
2nd: do it! Question yourself!
3rd: come up with the right answers. (the logic part) how?
If you were to actually sit down, and write, or type the answers, you might be able to come up with logical answers to your questions, that can help guide you out of that negative mode of thought. Yet, a computer, or pencil and paper are not always readily available. If you find yourself transitioning into a negative mode of thought, you can look at the outcome that results every time you fall into this particular negative or undesired mode of thought.
Graphical Representation of Modes of Thought
A person can do three primary things (outputs): think (thought), speak (word), make actions (deeds). Actions are associated with the five senses: sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing. Actually, the five senses are the inputs. At any given time, our behavior is dominated by a goal, where that goal can range from the most complicated to the most mundane. There are also short term goals, long term goals, and all ranges between. Also, goals are either essential or non-essential. See the following graph:
The above graph is a crude representation of some different modes of thought that we experience throughout the day and how the precedence of each may vary over time for a typical working male adult.
The goal of the graph is to reflect the idea that we can have many goals at any one time, but the most prevalent one is the one that gets our attention at any given time. We may not want to do something, but we may realize that it needs to be done, such as working at a job, therefore, it may take precedence as a goal even though we may not necessarily want to do it. There are many goals that all win your time at some part of the day.
Case Study
How does a mind change over time?
When I was a child in grade school, I used to find enjoyment in causing chaos and disorder. I used to find it enjoyable to make fun of others. I used to find it enjoyable to damage things and vandalize things. Now, I find disgust in such people who like to do such things. I do not like to do such things anymore. When I was a child I was very talkative, in high school I became very withdrawn, and antisocial. From college years and onward, I am at a place in between, not very talkative, but also not withdrawn and antisocial. As a child, I was very outgoing, in high school, I was very nervous and timid. From college years and onward as I become older, I do not become nervous, yet I am not overly extroverted. In high school, I often got down on myself, and would get sad. Now, I no longer get down on myself, and rarely find myself in a sad state. I feel as though my mind has undergone drastic evolution since the beginning of my meta-conscious development, and is still undergoing dramatic evolution. How is it that one’s mind can reshape so much, that it is almost as if you are a completely different person than you were at another time? I find that very fascinating.
Pain and Pleasure Over Time
Pain and pleasure is a mechanism derived for the maintaining of physiological and psychological equilibrium. In our common activities: eating, peeing, pooping, sleeping, orgasm – pain and pleasure are involved. These are specific types of activities which can be classified as ‘corrective actions’. The typical pain/pleasure vs time curve for a given activity would be the following:
At 1 you are in equilibrium. At 2 your body will increasingly act on you with you feeling an increasing sense of discomfort until you give in. At 3 you give in and are eating, moving from discomfort to pleasure. At 4 you are done eating, your food is settling, and your pleasure is wearing off. At 5 you are back to equilibrium.
Shown in this way, it can be seen that pleasure and pain are mechanisms that help us achieve physiological and psychological equilibrium by giving in to these forces that act on us. There is a direct relationship between these forces and pleasure and pain. Other experiences can be described in a similar way, using the same graph.
Peeing. At 1 you are in equilibrium. At 2 your body increasingly acts on you with you feeling an increasing sense of discomfort until you give in. At 3 you give in and are peeing, relieving that uncomfortable feeling at your bladder, moving from discomfort to pleasure (relief). In this case, the pleasure occurs while you are peeing. After peeing, the pleasure is essentially gone. At 4 the curve is a lot steeper than for eating and you come back faster. At 5 you are back to equilibrium.
Orgasm. At 1 you are in equilibrium. At 2 your body increasingly acts on you with you feeling an increasing sense of discomfort until you give in. At 3 your sexual organ is being stimulated as you are sexually aroused and feeling pleasure. The peak of the pleasure curve is orgasm. At 4 you have reached orgasm, climaxed and the pleasure is now wearing off quickly. For men the pleasure curve drops off very quick after ejaculation. At 5 you are back at equilibrium.
This can apply to different areas in life as well in order to evoke change. For example: At 1 you are at equilibrium. At 2 you feel a more and more gradual increasing feeling of discomfort in regard to your job because of certain recurring events. At 3 some sort of trigger happens, you move on and find a better job. You find your job and you are happy. Or your project is finally successful. At 4 the pleasure of your new job or success of your project wears off as you get back in to your regular grind or something new. At 5, you are back at equilibrium again.