CBT says cognition affect behavior? Do you agree that cognition is responsible for all bad actions we did in our life?

[Howlan]

Joseph_ngaruiya wrote:
> Chali wrote:
> > Yes I totally agree. Cognition is the beginning of everything. Our
> > behaviour is a manifestation of our thoughts. So yes changing our thought
> > patterns could greatly influence our behaviour.
>
> The fact that we can change our behaviors by changing our thoughts is a message that
> has been sent to the reader vividly.

Yes because at the end of the day, it is those actions that shape our behavior and that is why stress management, as mentioned in this book is quite effective.

[Howlan]

Joseph_ngaruiya wrote:
> Vine001 wrote:
> > Our mindset is what matters. We can chose to let external factors affect
> > our emotions. I sincerely believe that we rule over our emotions. That is
> > why when someone annoys you, you can choose to walk away.
>
> I've also found self-control to be a good gesture. If anger and stress don't control
> your emotions, you can easily turn away negative thoughts of depression.

Yes, but controlling anger and stress are the main things this book is about. Controlling these will help of course, but we need remedies and even medications if things do not work out using mind games or other natural remedies mentioned in this book.

[Howlan]

gatuguta2030 wrote:
> Our thoughts play a great role in influencing our behavior. However, there
> are other external factors that may determine bad behavior. I disagree that
> cognition influences all bad behaviors.

Yes, cognition has an effect on behavior but it is wrong to say that it is solely responsible for all-out bad behaviors. Bad behavior may result from many factors present in the moment rather than just thoughts.

[RachelEmmanuel]

As a Christian my faith helps me to understand that I may not always be able to control my thoughts but I can keep my thoughts from controlling me.

The Bible says in 1 Timothy 1:7 Living Translation
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

Knowing and understanding that God wants me to live without fear and anxiety and that He has given us the power by His Spirit to walk in that reality really helps me. As humans God has given us the power to overcome fear. We need His help and may need the help of others but unlike animals we can control our actions and be responsible for them.

[Melissa Breen]

I think they definitely have an influence on each other and shape each other. Cognition isn't the only thing that shapes behaviour but I do think it plays a big role and that new brain pathways can be built through cognitive change

[Laura Britos]

Christieee wrote:
> Changing the direction of your thoughts can definitely cause a big change I
> personality and behavior. But behavior and personality are really broad
> spectrums, and so many other things come to play. Biological changes for
> example; for women, during their period they may notice certain behavioral
> changes that they sometimes have no control over. There is a also
> environmental factors and so on. I really believe that everything is
> interrelated. While everyone should strive to steer their thoughts in
> positive directions, sometimes it is beyond their control.

I totally agree with you, even if you want to control your thoughts and emotions all the time there are factors that do not enable people to do so. It always depends on the situation that the person is living. Not only biological factors come to play, your environment is key on how you feel and react.

[Howlan]

Melissa Breen wrote:
> I think they definitely have an influence on each other and shape each
> other. Cognition isn't the only thing that shapes behaviour but I do think
> it plays a big role and that new brain pathways can be built through
> cognitive change

Yes, I agree with that. Cognition is not solely responsible for all bad actions. BAd action sare more based on our current situations and our life experiences.

[Howlan]

Ana Victoria2002 wrote:
> Christieee wrote:
> > Changing the direction of your thoughts can definitely cause a big change I
> > personality and behavior. But behavior and personality are really broad
> > spectrums, and so many other things come to play. Biological changes for
> > example; for women, during their period they may notice certain behavioral
> > changes that they sometimes have no control over. There is a also
> > environmental factors and so on. I really believe that everything is
> > interrelated. While everyone should strive to steer their thoughts in
> > positive directions, sometimes it is beyond their control.
>
> I totally agree with you, even if you want to control your thoughts and emotions all
> the time there are factors that do not enable people to do so. It always depends on
> the situation that the person is living. Not only biological factors come to play,
> your environment is key on how you feel and react.

Yes totally. For example, if some person is abused, they may become the abuser when they grows up. This is a trend used to study serial killers. Cognition cannot decide the bad actions alone. But it is the reult of all our accumulated life experiences.

[R Lefler]

One problem I've had with trying CBT in the past is that I don't always feel in full control over my thoughts. Some things are instinctive reactions to stimuli. Like how you can't help but think about food when you feel hungry because your body is signaling you that you should be hungry. I have PTSD, and I think traumatized people may find the CBT approach unhelpful, because when we are triggered by a negative stimulus, we can't just think better thoughts in order to not be triggered. Being triggered is a reflex beyond our control. However, I do think it's good to try and monitor your attitudes and beliefs about your situation. Ask yourself things like, am I making a small problem larger when it's actually easier to fix than I think? Should I act now, while my heart is thumping, or maybe I should stop and wait until I'm calmer before I send that email? Also, if you have a pessimistic attitude, you can't benefit from therapy. You have to believe in your own ability to get better. That may even be the hardest part of therapy, because mental illness can be a blow to your sense of self worth. So, changing cognition and monitoring thoughts can be useful sometimes, but I do not think all bad things we feel come from bad thoughts, nor do I think we always have control over our thoughts, emotions, actions, etc. So much that we do is reflexive, instinctive, or due to deeply ingrained learning. What helped me was EMDR, which uses your eye motions to retrain your brain and "unlearn" negative thoughts and beliefs that have come to be deeply ingrained. It's aimed at people who were traumatized, but I think people without PTSD, with depression, anxiety, and maybe other mental disorders, would also benefit from it. It is important to challenge negative beliefs you have about yourself and your abilities.

[anaplasticCerebrum]

As others have said, it's impossible to make a completely internal choice. There are factors outside of our control that we have to contend with daily. Coming to terms with this fact is important and an internal choice, but it is natural to feel emotions regarding conflicts. I think it's important to cultivate the mindset for yourself that you can change your behavior by changing your perception, but shouldn't force this view on others with different experiences.

[Joseph_ngaruiya]

I can't attribute cognition to all bad actions I did in my life. But I'd attest negative irrational beliefs had a role in it.

[Howlan]

Joseph_ngaruiya wrote:
> I can't attribute cognition to all bad actions I did in my life. But I'd
> attest negative irrational beliefs had a role in it.

Cognition definitely can influence your behavior but the thing is a lot of other things also affect your behavior along with your thoughts like the situation. So it is definitely not cognition alone that has a part to play in bad behavior.

[rahilshajahan]

Wy_Bertram wrote:
> A different mindset does go a long way, but there are too many external
> factors for any completely internalised solution.

Although there may be numerous external factors surrounding us, mindset, and personal interests play a bigger role in stress and anxiety.

If we are to make decisions when under stress, the teachings of CBT can actually hold true to a certain percentage. The actions needn't all be bad though.

[Joseph_ngaruiya]

Wy_Bertram wrote:
> A different mindset does go a long way, but there are too many external
> factors for any completely internalised solution.

Although there may be numerous external factors surrounding us, mindset, and personal interests play a bigger role in stress and anxiety.

If we are to make decisions when under stress, the teachings of CBT can actually hold true to a certain percentage. The actions needn't all be bad though.

Because CBT is focussed on changing the harmful and bad cognitive behavior, it's relatively has a higher possibility of preventing an individual from doing wrong.

[rahilshajahan]

Wy_Bertram wrote:
> A different mindset does go a long way, but there are too many external
> factors for any completely internalised solution.

Although there may be numerous external factors surrounding us, mindset, and personal interests play a bigger role in stress and anxiety.

If we are to make decisions when under stress, the teachings of CBT can actually hold true to a certain percentage. The actions needn't all be bad though.

Because CBT is focussed on changing the harmful and bad cognitive behavior, it's relatively has a higher possibility of preventing an individual from doing wrong.

I agree with you. CBT helps in reacting to first array of negative thoughts that barge in when facing a stressful situation. I really enjoyed reading that part of the book.