12 Thought-Blocking Cliches That Should Be Forgotten
Miscellaneous / / April 03, 2023
Because of these phrases, we begin to think superficially and feel bad.
What are "thinking-blocking clichés"
The term was made popular by American psychiatrist Robert Lifton's book Brainwashing Technology: The Psychology of Totalitarianism. In it, he wrote that the language of the totalitarian environment is characterized by "thinking-blocking clichés," and gaveR. J. lifton. Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism: A Study of “brainwashing” in China definition: “The most serious and most complex of human problems condensed into concise, extremely debilitating, categorical-sounding phrases that are easy to remember and easy to expressed. They become the beginning and end of any ideological analysis.”
In other words, blocking clichés arise from our tendency to reduce complex feelings, concepts, and events to short ones. smart phrases. They are not necessarily true or completely reveal the picture of what is happening. These are stereotyped, hackneyed expressions that slow any conversation to a halt and prevent us from thinking about important issues at a deeper level.
What clichés block thoughts
Here are popular phrases that not only prevent us from understanding the essence of problems, but also do not have the best effect on our emotional state:
- It is what it is.
- It's nothing you can do.
- Could be worse.
- Time cures.
- Someone is doing worse than you.
- What doesn't kill makes you stronger.
- It's darkest just before dawn.
- This too shall pass.
- The main thing is balance.
- Try to look at things optimistically.
- Tomorrow the sun will come out.
- The only way to get out of a situation is to go through it.
If you find yourself relying too much on one or more of these clichés, it's worth working on your own. internal dialogue alone or with a specialist.
The most dangerous thought-blocking clichés can affect our mental well-being. For example, if you are experiencing anxiety or suffering from depression, the commonplace "Hold on!" can make you feel even worse.
As soon as you start paying attention to such phrases, you will hear them everywhere, most often in manifestations. toxic positivity. Even such a well-established expression as “Everything has its reasons” is technically the result of our desire to simplify everything.
Now that you've learned the terminology and examples, you'll be able to spot harmful thinking clichés, whether you're using them or others. This will help to reformulate your own thoughts and, if desired, explain to the interlocutor how such phrases lead to simplification and why they are useless.
Read also🧐
- 5 Irrational Thinking Patterns That Pull You Down
- What is magical thinking and why you should get rid of it
- 24 professional thinking tools to help solve any problem
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