CYEAT: Chapter 1

Ah, belief systems! The first chapter explores how your beliefs about the world influence the way you perceive the world, and how your perceptions then reinforce those beliefs.

For example, if you believe knocking on wood will bring you good luck, you're going to notice every single time you knock on wood and then something good happens. This will reinforce your belief. You're less likely to notice/remember the times you knock on wood and something bad happens.

Or (for a more negative emetophobia-related example) if you assume you're going to feel "sick" any time you go out somewhere, you will tend to notice the times you go out and don't feel well while overlooking the times you go out and feel fine. This is definitely one of my beliefs. I will complain to my wife that this always happens, that I can't ever go anywhere without feeling "sick" from anxiety, and she will remind me this isn't true and point out specific examples. She can see the whole picture, whereas I only see the bad because I'm invested in my belief - probably because 1) I get extremely frustrated and want to be able to express it in an extreme way ("this always happens" instead of "I hate that this ever happens") and 2) knowing there is potential to experience anxiety makes me want to stay home and if I can believe going out will always result in a struggle, it's that much easier to talk myself out of doing things.

Today was one of those good days that defies this belief. I went to see the new movie Into the Woods, which is pretty long (about 2 hours), and I didn't feel "sick" once.

At the end of the chapter there were a couple exercises about identifying what beliefs you have that may be limiting you (nothing about how to change them yet) and also a quiz, which excited me because I love taking quizzes. But at the end of the quiz there was no scoring or commentary. The author just said to set it aside and the book would come back to it later. Intriguing.

Nothing ground-breaking yet. I already know I have many flawed and harmful beliefs. But of course, it never hurts to remind yourself of these things. Even knowing I have these beliefs, I still don't always realize when I am reinforcing them and behaving as if they are true.