Cognitive methods for self-control are based on faith

Mindfulness can allow us to get over bad habits without cognitive effort. Those who rely on cognitive methods for self-control have to rely on faith. Namely in faith in an abstract conceptual understanding that the outcomes of a certain behavior are negative, rather than the direct experience of those outcomes.

• what experts or society have told you is bad
• This is especially dangerous when it is used to enforce norms

If they truly believed that a behavior was a harmful one, then they would have no motivation to do it in the first place, and thus no need for inhibition or reappraisal techniques.

---

References

Metadata

Type: Tags: Status:⛅️