Understanding thoughts

Take a moment before reading further and consider this: How would you explain to someone what a thought is?

Thoughts are an integral part of our daily lives. They guide our actions, influence our emotions, and shape our reality. But what exactly are thoughts, and how do they impact the way we experience the world?

Let's explore this together.

What is a Thought?

Imagine I asked you to close your eyes and picture a plate of spaghetti. You'd likely create a mental image of that delicious dish. This is an example of a thought, a visual representation in your mind.

Now, think back to the last time you had spaghetti. You might recall where you were, who you were with, and even the taste of the pasta. This is another type of thought, a memory, which can include a variety of sensory details.

But thoughts aren't just images or memories. Consider this: as you read these words, you might be wondering, “Why does this blog keep mentioning pasta?” That's a verbal thought, an internal dialogue you’re having with yourself.

Not all thoughts are created equal, some we believe more strongly than others. For instance, have you always had the same level of confidence in yourself? In Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), we often assess the believability of a thought by rating it from 0 to 100 percent.

Let's dig deeper into the types of verbal thoughts with an example.

Objective and subjective thoughts

Picture yourself walking on a beach and spotting a pelican. You might think, “That's a bird”, a simple statement of fact. It is unlikely that someone would argue with you, it's clear and objective.

But what if you thought, “The pelicans on this beach are dangerous”? Now, you're expressing an opinion. Can you imagine everyone around you agreeing with that? Probably not. Opinions are subjective and can vary widely from person to person.

Let's say after hearing many different perspectives, you decide to sit on a bench and observe the pelicans. You notice one approaching a swimmer with a sandwich and think, “That pelican is going to steal the sandwich.” This thought is a prediction, the only way to see if you were right would be to wait and see what happens.

We extrapolate information from our world and our past experiences to create predictions and perhaps you had a hypothesis or assumption that “if pelicans see food close to them, then they would try to eat it no matter what”, this thought may have been reinforced in time the more you saw that happening.

Maybe you have seen seagulls, sparrows, and crows snatch food before, so you had a more generalised assumption or thought such as “if birds see food, they will try to eat it no matter what”

Thoughts shape our perception of life

But what if, instead, you've spent years studying birds and are fascinated by their behaviours? You might think, “Birds are majestic creatures,” a belief you've developed over time through observation and learning, a thought that feels familiar and longstanding.

As you read this, you might be thinking, “Explanations should be more straightforward” or “This should be organized as a list”. These are examples of rules that you hold, thoughts about how things “should” or “must” or “have to be”.

These rules and assumptions shape how we see the world, others, and ourselves. They often dictate how we feel to different situations and influence our expectations, thoughts on how things should be.

Why understanding thoughts matters

Lastly, I don't know what your expectations where when you started reading this post, but thank you reaching the end. Now you might be wondering or questioning yourself with a thought “is that it?”. But in both science and life, there is always more to explore.

In therapy, we delve into thoughts, examining how they affect your daily life and how observing, distancing, challenging, or re-framing them can lead to feel differently about the past, the present and the future.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post!

I invite you to share your feedback or ask any questions you might have about thoughts in the comments below, I'd love to hear from you.

Ready to Explore Your Thoughts?

If you're curious about how your thoughts might be affecting your life, I invite you to explore this further. Therapy can offer a safe space to understand and work through your thoughts, leading to greater self-awareness and personal growth.

Let's take this journey together.