There is a lot of pop psychology around these days that centres around positivism. The essence of positivism is when life Deals you lemons, you make lemonade. The problem with lemonade is that it is loaded with sugar and that is poison to your body. In the same way, empty positivity can be a poison to your psyche and a distraction to self knowledge. By contrast, according to a new report, mindfulness can actually help you attain greater knowledge of your self.
The essence of mindfulness is paying attention to your current experience, your current thoughts and your current feelings. Not only do you pay attention to these things but you do it in a non-judgemental way, which is where the self knowledge begins.
According to the researcher from Washington University who wrote the paper, mindfulness is a legitimate strategy for self-knowledge as it overcomes two significant barriers to self awareness: lack of attention and self-criticism.
In the thrall of positivism, people can overestimate their own positive qualities in order to bolster self-esteem and avoid negative thoughts and feelings. Mindfulness, on the other hand, allows non-judgemental observation of your thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
Lack of information can also hinder self-knowledge. If you are not able to stop and observe yourself then it is highly likely that you will simply perpetuate both positive and negative traits. If those negative qualities relate to decision making or relationships, as just two examples, then your quality of life can suffer greatly from your lack of awareness. If you do not have other people who are close enough or insightful enough to reflect these qualities back to you, then self-reflection without judgement is necessary if you are to improve your quality of life.
Mindfulness, as a skill that allows you to focus your attention on current happenings in a non-judgemental way, is a path to knowing yourself better. Knowing yourself allows change, and that change is the kind of rebirth that it is worth thinking about at this time of year.
