[Fitzgerald]

(12-15-2013 01:29 PM)Bill Wrote:  

Yes positive thinking was also critisized by the founder of positive psychology which is more scientifically based.

I tried affirmations it didn´t work well. There are some merits one can switch some thought patterns but cognitive dissonance will probably fuck the brain in the long run.

The cognitive dissonance IS what screws up most people in the long run. You can say to yourself over and over "I'm awesome, I kick ass", but your mind is supposed to question you about it. Our minds really are like computer software in many respects.

It's not a bad thing in and of itself, it's a survival mechanism from more savage times. You say "let's go over that hill where we've never gone before", and your mind says "Probably not a good idea, there could be bears or tigers, and you'll get eaten". Without the mind's ability to assess risks, criticize, and second guess your decisions, you could die.
Therefore, you say "I kick ass, I rule, all the ladies want me", and your mind says "No, you pussied out and didn't approach that hot girl earlier, and you failed to seize that opportunity last week to ask your boss for a raise". It's only doing what it's supposed to do.
However, your mind also functions like a search engine. You ask it a question, and it seeks an answer.

"What's 2+2?"
"4".
"What do I want for dinner tonight?"
"Tex-Mex food at the corner joint would be awesome!"

Now, I'll finally get to my point:

I've found that a handy way to use an affirmation is to frame it as a question to be answered rather than a statement that can be refuted.

"I kick ass"
"NO, you most certainly do not kick ass, here are examples a, b, and c"

"Why do I kick ass?"
"Searching... Oh, you totally crushed that sales presentation last week, and you broke 250 lbs. on your bench press at the gym today!"