Researchers at Ohio State University have found that you can literally rip up and throw away unwanted thoughts. In a new study it was found that when people wrote down their thoughts on a piece of paper and then threw the paper away, they mentally discarded the thoughts as well.
“However you tag your thoughts -- as trash or as worthy of protection -- seems to make a difference in how you use those thoughts,” said Richard Petty, co-author of the study and professor of psychology at Ohio State University.
“At some level, it can sound silly. But we found that it really works -- by physically throwing away or protecting your thoughts, you influence how you end up using those thoughts. Merely imagining engaging in these actions has no effect.”
"The findings suggest that people can treat their thoughts as material, concrete objects", Petty said. "That is evident in the language we use."
“We talk about our thoughts as if we can visualize them. We hold our thoughts. We take stances on issues, we lean this way or that way. This all makes our thoughts more real to us.”
The results are published online in the journal Psychological Science and will appear in a future print edition.
Read more here.
“However you tag your thoughts -- as trash or as worthy of protection -- seems to make a difference in how you use those thoughts,” said Richard Petty, co-author of the study and professor of psychology at Ohio State University.
“At some level, it can sound silly. But we found that it really works -- by physically throwing away or protecting your thoughts, you influence how you end up using those thoughts. Merely imagining engaging in these actions has no effect.”
"The findings suggest that people can treat their thoughts as material, concrete objects", Petty said. "That is evident in the language we use."
“We talk about our thoughts as if we can visualize them. We hold our thoughts. We take stances on issues, we lean this way or that way. This all makes our thoughts more real to us.”
The results are published online in the journal Psychological Science and will appear in a future print edition.
Read more here.
No comments :
Post a Comment
Thanks for your comment