Step 2: The Pitfall of Default Thinking: Why You Remain Stuck

In our journey to understand the subconscious mind’s influence, we’ve explored its dominance and tricks. Now, let’s delve into the default mindsets that shape our thinking patterns and reveal how the subconscious perpetuates them.

Our Default Mindsets

Without awareness, we operate through the lense of our default mindset:

Victim Mentality – This mindset blames external factors for outcomes, relinquishing personal power. For instance, one may attribute a lack of career success to upbringing rather than strategizing for change. 

Conformity – From familial expectations to societal norms, conformity shapes our identity from an early age. As we grow, conforming becomes the norm, stifling independent thinking and perpetuating societal limits

For example – Most problems in society and life are only complained about but rarely dealt with. 

Mediocre Thinking – Doubting our ability to achieve greatness stems from limited thinking patterns ingrained since childhood. This fixed mindset, as Carol Dweck’s research reveals, undermines potential by assuming brilliance as innate.

For example – Many assume that problems are beyond personal capability to solve.

The Formation of Beliefs

Beliefs, or attitudes, are formed through four key mechanisms:

1. Personal Experiences: Early interactions shape our belief systems. Negative experiences, like a dog bite, can create lifelong fears, while positive caregiver relationships foster trust.
   For Example: Imagine a child who suggests a new idea during a group project at school but is laughed at by peers and dismissed by the teacher. This negative experience can lead to a belief that thinking outside the norm and proposing innovative solutions will result in ridicule and rejection. 

2. Social Norms and Cultural Influences: Society and culture play crucial roles in shaping beliefs. Social norms, customs, language influence our comfort levels and interactions.
   For Example: In many societies, there is a strong emphasis on conforming to established norms and pursuing traditional career paths. Messages like “Get a stable job with good benefits” or “Don’t take unnecessary risks” are common. These social norms can create a belief that it is better to stay within the safety of the norm, avoiding the potential pitfalls of thinking big or pursuing entrepreneurial endeavors.

3. Classical and Operant Conditioning: Education systems, parenting styles, and societal reinforcements condition us to adopt certain behaviors. Rewarded behaviors are repeated, while punished behaviors are avoided. This can lead to conformity and stifle creativity.
   For Example: A child may be punished for asking too many questions. This might encourage him to always stay silent, believing that curiosity is bad. This kind of conditioning can lead to conformity, where people avoid behaviors that are not socially rewarded, potentially stifling creativity and innovation.

4. Observational Learning: We learn by observing others, especially those we consider successful. Seeing a successful person smoking a cigar can subconsciously associate success with smoking. Social media often portrays success through material wealth and appearance, influencing our beliefs about success.
   For Example:  A young professional who observes their parents working in stable, conventional jobs and expressing caution towards entrepreneurship may adopt similar beliefs. If their role models avoid risks and prioritize stability, they may learn to do the same. Additionally, media portrayals of successful entrepreneurs often focus on extreme success or failure, which can reinforce the idea that entrepreneurship is a high-risk, high-reward gamble, not suitable for the average person.

The Negative mental Diet

Our subconscious stores our life experiences, recalling them when relevant. Whenever trying do do something new, we use our previous negative experiences as justification for future failure. So, instead of taking action, we prefer to think small and stay safely stuck to our old self.

However, there is a way around this.

Step 3 – Understand How Change Can Happen

Step 4 – Understand Why Transforming Your Mindset is Necessarry And How to Do it