WE SUFFER BECAUSE OF OUR JUDGMENT AND THOUGHTS Without a shadow of a doubt, our best ally when it comes to living fully and being happy is our mind We have the capacity to think, a great evolutionary[.]
Trang 1WE SUFFER BECAUSE OF OUR JUDGMENT AND THOUGHTS
Without a shadow of a doubt, our best ally when it comes to living fully and being happy is our mind We have the capacity to think, a great evolutionary achievement, but we often think too little and badly, wasting the huge potential we have
I’ve heard it said more than once that thinking is exhausting and leads nowhere When I hear these kinds of statements, I usually ask my interlocutor whether what they mean is thinking or worrying, which are not the same thing We tend to invest a lot of time in worrying and
ruminating on a subject like a hamster on a wheel – but that has nothing to do with thinking
Thinking, when done right, is a productive, creative, or practical endeavor Few people know how to do it well, but contrary to what it might seem, learning to think is easy, and all it requires
is a bit of practice
When we talk about thinking properly, we should highlight the role of a mistake that is all too common when analyzing our reality, which leads to suffering: mistaking what is possible for what is likely This happens when we believe that anything can happen, without taking into consideration the likelihood or probability of it occurring The lottery is an example that
illustrates this well There is a possibility that we might win the lottery; of course there is But it’s not about whether we can win it; what should guide our conduct is how much of a probability there is that we will win it The truth is that the probability is low, and no matter how much effort you put into buying plenty of tickets to try and increase that probability, you should not entertain any illusions because the likelihood of you winning will continue to be low The possibility still exists, that’s true You can continue to dream, hoping for the possibility But if you want to be happy, stop waiting for a miracle to happen and start working to achieve your goals
When we don’t think things through or when our thinking is distorted, we can end up suffering a great deal Our judgments tend to be partial and rushed, which leads us to create partial views that are not focused on reality, which at the same time leads us to suffer Learn to think properly, and you will be happy.”
(Extracted from Kintsugi: The Japanese Art of Embracing the Imperfect and Loving Your Flaws
by Tomás Navarro)
1 Rewrite the following paragraph without changing its meaning
I’ve heard it said more than once that thinking is exhausting and leads nowhere When I hear these kinds of statements, I usually ask my interlocutor whether what they mean is thinking or worrying, which are not the same thing We tend to invest a lot of time in worrying and
ruminating on a subject like a hamster on a wheel – but that has nothing to do with thinking
2 According to the author, what is the difference between likelihood and possibility? Think
of an example that illustrates the difference Briefly present and explain your own example