I’ve noticed recently that I’ve been bumping up against binary thinking – my own and others, and that awareness is having an interesting impact on me.
Right/wrong
Good/bad
light/darK
You get the idea.
In a world chock full of choice, why is it that our default belief systems have us (too) often limiting our options? For some of us, this thinking is subject specific, and for others it is a go-to. Unconsciously separating ideas and beliefs into two columns, when in reality, there are so few parts of our lives that follow the black/white construct.
We are living in a world where fluidity of thought and belief exist. We see it in gender expression. We experience it in tolerance. We marvel at it when we witness creativity. In an effort to better understand the hold that binary thinking can have on us, I dug a bit deeper and here is what my Google fingers discovered: cognitive distortions - specifically polarization.
In her article for Psychology Today entitled “The cognitive distortion that will alter your life blueprint”, author Audrey Sherman, Ph.D. explained that cognitive distortion[s] “are ways of thinking that aren’t quite processed correctly or are sometimes not based in reality, just in your fears or your perceptions.”
JUST IN YOUR FEARS OR YOUR PERCEPTIONS.
The author writes “...[this] doesn’t mean something is wrong with you or your brain, it means you have learned a way of processing information that doesn't necessarily serve you.” I think that’s what I’ve been experiencing. That feeling you get when you realize something no longer fits.
Cognitive distortions cover a lot of ground. I learned there are well over a dozen identified traits that fall under that heading. Polarized or all-or-nothing thinking is a term used to describe when we see things in terms of extremes. As you would expect, that comes with some drawbacks.
“Black and white thinking limits understanding and feedback, two necessary ingredients for successful resolution in creative conflict and successful understanding. ”
For clarity: I am not suggesting that all good/bad, black/white thinking is as sign of cognitive distortion or that you may be exhibiting polarized thinking. My goal is to create awareness that a variety of perspectives lands us in a better place.
I recently attended a webinar where one of the discussion points was ‘power skills of the future’, and it turns out that power skills are ones we are already familiar with: leadership, communication, strategic thinking and diversity of thought. Did you catch that?
Diversity of thought is a skill for the future.
In a world where repetitive tasks are at risk of being automated, that’s worth remembering. Thinking beyond black and white – exploring all of those magnificent shades in between. How do we get from here to there?
“To get real diversity of thought, you need to find the people who genuinely hold different views and invite them into the conversation.”
As noted above, actively seek out people with different views than yours. This is particularly helpful when you are ideating and problem solving. Different perspectives round out dialogue and generate richer discussion. Pay attention to any defensive feelings that might come up for you – creating space for someone else’s thoughts and opinions doesn’t mean you have to defend (or abandon) your own.
Put your coach hat on. Ask questions, not just for your benefit, for the benefit of the other person who, by sharing with you, may discover something different behind their own thinking. In addition to learning new information, you might discover some common ground.
Actively challenge yourself to think about something differently. If I were _____________ would I think the same way? How would someone who ____________ think about this?
Approach new ideas or ways of thinking as an additive exercise. I’ll use a salad bar as an example: you start by loading up your plate with familiar ingredients, the ones you know belong together. As you move further down the line, you begin to notice a few items that at first glance, you question if they belong on your plate, or anyone’s for that matter. Feeling adventuresome, you try a few, and in doing so create a different experience for yourself. One that shapes your thoughts and beliefs going forward.
So why is this important?
I’ll restate what I said earlier. Diversity of thought exists in our world. That’s where Uber, AirBnB and others got their disruptive start. Where creativity, and breakthroughs are seeded. Someone, or more likely a group of someones’ approached a situation differently - embracing the notion that there may just be something viable between black and white.
“Strength lies in differences, not in similarities”
The article referenced in this blog can be found on my Resources page.
