Understanding Our Understanding

Dr. Steven Pinker writes, “People hold many beliefs that are at odds with their experience but were true in the environment in which we evolved, and they pursue goals that subvert their own well-being but were adaptive in that environment.” (How the Mind Works, p.32).  While, the context of this quote is Pinker beginning to frame an evolutionary explanation of the human mind, it seems equally applicable to the personal everyday process of psychotherapy.

That is, generally we seek therapeutic help when our way of doings things becomes too painful or stops making sense to us.  Through the therapeutic process we seek to understand the context in which beliefs and their corresponding actions have arisen.  These beliefs and actions were adaptive to the emotional and in many cases physical survival of childhood.   It worked.  We survived.  

Pain emotional or physical is information.  It tells us, “Something is wrong.”  By coming to understand the adaptive origins of our beliefs and actions, we can make sense when feelings or actions are not in proportion to our current situation.  There is an expression in the recovery community, “If it’s hysterical, it’s historical.”   Change is possible, but it demands awareness and action; awareness of the gravities of the old system of beliefs.  Action is the rediscovery of free will.  We can choose to follow the pulls of old gravities or we can choose to do something else.  With awareness everything becomes a conscious choice.