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noname223

Archangel
Aug 18, 2020
7,301
Sometimes I have the feeling my emotional reasoning when it comes to certain memories is so bad that they become distorted memories. I often analyze retrospectively what others might have thought about me. And the more I ruminate about that the likelier my conclusions feel. The meaning I assign to this memory reinforces itself while overinterpreting the situati due to the fact the feelings I have when thinking about it are very intense. Perceived probabilities change depending on how important that story is for my identity.

I think also people without psychosis have such biases. I often hear my friends complaining that everything was better when they were kids. I often tell them I think you fade out all the bad things about your life at that age. They also talk about gaming, entertainment and much more when it comes to declaring that in the past everything was better.. I think it is a very popular take online (and culturally) that the current cultural products have deteriorated in quality and that this development will continue without any doubt. One could write an essay alone about this topic. But it is not my main take on here.

I tend to over-analysis. And chatGPT rightfully points out that analyzing a topic from another perspective might feel like coming closer to the truth but that's an illusion. It feels like a progress and makes oneself more certain about an analysis. Though, I underestimate that sometimes the lack of data makes more analysis counterproductive. There no real benefit. Sometimes only time will tell. And many times in real life you have to deal with uncertainty for example why someone stopped responsding. I have the bias to form narratives when something difficult to process happens. Sometimes it is easier for me to let go of something if I integrate the story in my life and identity. I wish bad things that happen on me would help me to improve myself. But sometimes they just make everything even worse. Everything might be an overstatement. But it feels like that and that's the point of emotional reasoning.

I have the feeling many people tend to emotional reasoning when they think about their childhood. Or events that shaped them. I sometimes torment myself over situations that feel embarrassing to me but they happened many years ago. And I am actually the only person that can remember them. The memories you have of other peole especially strangers are far more fragmented. It is like you look through different lenses. When you adore someone and admire them you overestimate how much they might have thought about you.
I think this phenomenon has also to do with projection and insecurities.

I think in many cases I have to say it is not worth it to torment you over stories that happened a long time ago. Not in all. There are actions that have severe consequences for other people. But there good ways to deal with that and unhealthy approaches. For me it is often how I am perceived by others. And this is thinking is so suspectible to cognitive biases that it is often a waste of time. It also distracts me from things where I might should invest more time in. There are topics I barely can stop thinking about (like the abuse by my former therapist) whereas I barely think about the death of my grandma. I have a guilty conscience about that. But I have the feeling much of my behavior is pathological and I should not be too hard on myself.

One thing to add. I often take one single moment I have to a person and I assign a lot of meaning to it. Even though I fade out all the memories with that person that were less conflicted, intense, uncomfortable etc. Others might think he might have had a bad day usually he isn't like that. Or they simply forget it after a while The presence and perceived behavior over a long time is often more decisive than short awkward moments. I also have the bias that my thinking sometimes feels a little bit transparent towards my environment But that's often an illusion.
 
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webb&flow

webb&flow

dum spiro spero—take it as it comes
Nov 30, 2024
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What is emotional reasoning? I thought emotion and reasoning followed different paths and regions in the brain. (Of course they interact though, the brain overlaps pretty much everything from my understanding, hahah.)

One thing to add. I often take one single moment I have to a person and I assign a lot of meaning to it. […] Others might think he might have had a bad day usually he isn't like that.
I am confident this tendency may factor from BPD. I was once speaking with someone in real life about this very aspect, and they told me it comes from BPD; this phenomenon of just one terrible act being enough to make you no longer respect a person. That is just one person's experience. Feel free to share your own theories on it of course <3
 
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noname223

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Aug 18, 2020
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What is emotional reasoning? I thought emotion and reasoning followed different paths and regions in the brain. (Of course they interact though, the brain overlaps pretty much everything from my understanding, hahah.)


I am confident this tendency may factor from BPD. I was once speaking with someone in real life about this very aspect, and they told me it comes from BPD; this phenomenon of just one terrible act being enough to make you no longer respect a person. That is just one person's experience. Feel free to share your own theories on it of course <3

Emotional reasoning is a cognitive process by which an individual concludes that their emotional reaction proves something is true, despite contrary empirical evidence. Emotional reasoning creates an 'emotional truth', which may be in direct conflict with the inverse 'perceptional truth'.[1] It can create feelings of anxiety, fear, and apprehension in existing stressful situations, and as such, is often associated with or triggered by panic disorder or anxiety disorder.[2] For example, even though a spouse has shown only devotion, a person using emotional reasoning might conclude, "I know my spouse is being unfaithful because I feel jealous."

This process amplifies the effects of other cognitive distortions. For example, a student may feel insecure about their understanding of test material even though they are capable of answering the questions. If said student acts on their insecurity about failing the test, they might make the assumption that they misunderstand the material and therefore may guess answers randomly, causing their own failure in a self-fulfilling prophecy.[3]

Emotional reasoning is related to other similar concepts, such as: motivated reasoning, a type of reasoning wherein individuals reach conclusions from bias instead of empirical motivations;[4] emotional intelligence, which relates to the ways in which individuals use their emotions to understand situations or the information and reach conclusions;[5] and cognitive distortion or cognitive deficiency, wherein individuals misinterpret situations or make decisions without considering a range of consequences



To your second point:

Actually, when sharing my bias on here I had the feeling a woman with borderline personality disorder with whom I interacted might have had similar cognitive biases. I think she overanalyzed me and she was was right about a particular analysis of my behavior. Though, this was past behavior and in the meantime my relationship to this issue changed completely and her analysis seemingly considered that scenario as very unlikely or didn't consider that at all.
 
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webb&flow

webb&flow

dum spiro spero—take it as it comes
Nov 30, 2024
750
noname this is the second time (at least of what i can remember rn lol) you've dropped an absolutely key wikipedia article on my plate, haha; first the thomas theorem and now this!! x33
 
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