Brainwashing is a powerful way to get people to change their perceptions. But each one of us has a mechanism that constantly floods us with information affecting our view of reality.  The Reticular Activating System in our brain processes all incoming data and deletes information not congruent with our current beliefs, presuppositions and, assumptions.  In this way, our past reaches into our present and programs our future.

This internal dialogue continuously feeds our minds with commentary on how we are doing and what is going on around us.  This conversation:

  • Is Constant – 24X7
  • Happens in real time, at a normal conversational speed, like speaking in your ear.
  • Initiates physiological change (ever had sweaty palms and a dry mouth?)
  • Is heavily influenced by your locus of control; internalisers focus on their inability,  externalisers on who should rather be doing the work and what people are going say.
  • Drowns out all other inputs or perspectives including important signals from your environment
  • Shouts the loudest negative message when you need it the least when the pressure is on is when it gets the loudest.

In “The Jungle is Neutral”, Captain, F. Spencer Chapman tells a story of his capture and escape from Japanese troups in the Second World War.  Chapman, a British officer lived for two years in the jungle evading the Japanese.  He said when he was captured he knew that he was going to escape, he was just not sure when he would do it.  He made an interesting observation that the officers tended to survive in the jungle while the troops who escaped lost heart and succumbed more easily to hunger and disease.  This he said was due to the officers’ ability to adapt and self start.

The picture of  soldiers in captivity, I think is a fitting metaphor for our topic here.

Negative internal dialogue

A predominantly negative inner dialogue will extract devastating costs it will:

  • Rob you of great blocks of your abilities and effectiveness.
  • Weaken your immune system.
  • Extract an emotional cost.  Convinced of negative assumptions you stop looking for contrary data.
  • Hit home with high and immediate impact.  In public speaking,  an area where we often feel most exposed, if your inner dialogue is not stable and positive you can speak yourself into a mental black out.

With negative internal dialogue you will not see the solution staring you in the face.

Positive internal dialogue

Your internal dialogue can be rational and productive.  Olympic Athletes are taught self affirming thoughts.  Tennis players learn not to say “I must not double fault”.  They learn to say “Get it in”.  As a mountain biker I know that you need to look at where you want to go – not what you want to miss.  If you look at a rock you will hit it.

With positive internal dialogue you will create a solution from nothing.