Training the Mind

The mind of the average person is a complete mess. Endless thoughts where thoughts do not belong. A constant state of tripping over one’s own feet. Contrary to what many believe, the solution to this is not simply to stop thinking. Even if you could do so, you would be sacrificing the benefits of the mind in the process. There is no need.

The mind is unparalleled in its ability to learn. The miracle of evolution does not even come close unless given a head start of billions of years. And the mind can just as easily learn about itself as anything else. Its logic is opaque at first, its reasons obscure. But over time one can develop a deep understanding of why the mind works the way it does, why they think the way they do.

Because it is the mind that understands itself, that very understanding changes the way it thinks. When you burn your hand on  a hot stove, and you understand what caused it, the desire to touch the stove goes away. Not through some mysterious, esoteric process, but because you understand the consequences of your actions, and the benefits simply don’t outweigh the costs. Deeper issues like anxiety might be more opaque, but they follow the very same logic. If you really understood, the changes you want to make would happen effortlessly.