Do you think your friends or family would define you with the same words as you?Do you think the way you define yourself is real and objective or, on the contrary, has any distortion?Discovering these answers is easy: just play a simple game.
The experience is simple. The next time your friends or family meet, each will need to write down 3 features that you think are defined, and then 3 more for each person involved in the game.
- Do you think the characteristics you see in yourself or others see in you are real?This happens due to distortions.
Distortions, both positive and negative, lead us to a version of what we define, can be completely unrealistic or idealized if they are positive, or distorted and pessimistic if they are negative.
So, for example, when we think we drive better than we actually do, especially compared to others, we’re talking about positive distortion; on the other hand, when we think everyone is more beautiful than ours, we’re talking about negative distortion.
The important thing here is that the way we define ourselves conditions our mood and places us in front of the world.
Recent studies have shown that we tend to view reality with a positive distortion and adjust information to what is familiar to us, or less distant from what we know.
In addition, we tend to judge the way we act in the past as much better than it really was, as we think that our achievements are more unusual and our mistakes more frequent.
Is the way you define yourself real?
There are several types of distortions when it comes to capturing information, some of the most common ones that affect the way we define ourselves are:
How are we going to change something we don’t even recognize that’s wrong with us?How will we continue to grow and grow if we cannot see what we have failed or what we can improve?
We believe that others are to blame for our misfortune or that we know each other perfectly simply because we spend all day with us, but the thing is, we’re far from reality.
Whenever something goes wrong or doesn’t go as planned, instead of blaming yourself, imagine you’re wondering: what’s my share of responsibility?What can I improve or change to avoid the same consequences again?
Only then would we be closer to getting to know each other, closer to growth, closer to reality.
Distortions tend to give us a more positive view of ourselves, a distorted vision that will sometimes favor us, but at other times it will hurt us, for example, if we think we’re driving better than we are, we’ll probably be more assertive. , but also more uncompromising.
The important thing, in fact, is how these distortions work, identify their influence and manage their outcome in our favor.
Knowing and knowing how distortions work is critical to how they affect the way you define yourself.