6 limiting beliefs, and how they harm us on a daily basis.

These types of thinking styles make us think in circles, not seeing beyond certain dogmas.

Much of what we do, think and feel on a day-to-day basis has less to do with supposed preferences, where we live or how others relate to us, and more to do with something much more subtle: our deepest beliefs..

And as much as some still believe in something akin to objectivity, the truth is that we all see life through glasses made up of ideas that have been with us for a long time and that, even if we don't pay attention, increase our propensity to think one way and not another.

Thus, having beliefs is irremediable, it is something we cannot avoid. This, of course, is not a bad thing, since it is impossible for all our knowledge to be based on objective and unquestionable truths; we need beliefs in order to have some clear ideas and not to be constantly doubting. However, when the limiting beliefs appear, the problems begin.. Let's see what they consist of.

What are limiting beliefs?

Sometimes, our convictions can become our worst enemies, and limiting beliefs are an example of this.

They are ideas that are deeply rooted in our way of thinking. ideas that are deeply rooted in our way of thinking. that, instead of allowing us to quickly reach conclusions that are usually right, make us fall into the same mistakes over and over again, usually based on staying within our comfort zone and preventing us from exposing ourselves to new ways of thinking that would allow us to develop as people.

Ultimately, these ideas make us more prone not only to make mistakes, but also to not being able to recognize the signs that the way we are thinking does not fit well with reality..

6 cases of limiting beliefs

Of course, the range of limiting beliefs is very wide, so the best thing to do to understand their scope and the way they can damage our lives is to look at very common examples of these. is to look at very common examples of these. Below you can see several of them.

1. If many people believe the same thing, it must be true.

It is one of the most common limiting beliefs, and in practice it can lead us to trust practically any kind of idea, no matter how crazy it may be, especially at a time when there are so many people living on the planet that every absurd idea has a good number of followers..

For example, according to this limiting belief one can "defend" the idea that the race of each person determines his or her level of intelligence, or that it is necessary to wear expensive clothes to please others. Whoever thinks this way is not taking into account that history shows to what extent it is possible for hundreds of thousands of people to be fundamentally wrong about reality.

2. If others reproach me for something, I must be guilty.

It is very common for people with some insecurity to believe that when others are angry with them about something or disappointed because they have not done something, there must always be a valid reason to justify that feeling.

It is true that many times the anger and disappointment are real and are manifested as authentic through the actions of the other person, but that does not mean that they have a reason to be. Many times, the lack of assertiveness and the tendency to say yes to everything makes the other person demand more things than the rest and, even without realizing it, apply other moral standards with those who do not know how to defend their point of view. But this is just one more one more reason why it is good to be suspicious of their point of viewinstead of just taking it for granted.

3. Each person has his or her better half

The myth of the better half is one of the limiting beliefs that can be the most damaging, since it leads us to think that we are incomplete people until we meet someone special. But the truth is that there is no reason why we should think that our happiness or ability to adapt to the world depends on whether or not we meet someone who, statistically speaking, should not even live on our continent.

It is a belief that only holds if we assume that there is someone who has already mapped out in advance all the stages through which our life will pass, making the world a kind of "theater stage" in which there are a series of elements conveniently placed especially for us.

4. Seeing things is better than doing things

This idea is so absurd that it is actually part of one of Homer Simpson's famous and humorous quotes, that is, it is used as part of the caricature of his character. However, there are many flesh-and-blood people who believe in it wholeheartedly.

Limiting beliefs based on passivity and sedentary lifestyles are responsible for much of the experiences we miss out on in our daily lives. are responsible for a large part of the experiences we miss out on in our daily lives, since they offer us stability and an absence of reasons to worry in exchange for leading monotonous and predictable lives in which each day resembles the previous one. Moreover, there is no possibility of living the same experience by seeing it or doing it: there are things that, if we don't do them, are not lived at all. Getting out of the comfort zone is essential to break the cycle of beliefs that confirm themselves due to the lack of new stimuli.

5. Sacrificing oneself for others always pays off.

The day to day shows that betting everything to please others does not have to serve us to obtain something in return, beyond that the rest gets used to that we assist them. This is one of the most frustrating limiting beliefs, since the sacrifices we have made in the past to satisfy others make us fervently believe that we are on the right path no matter what happens. make us fervently believe that we are on the right path no matter what happens, so that we don't have to face the idea that we have been striving for nothing.This is a phenomenon known as disillusionment. This is a phenomenon known as cognitive dissonance.

6. I am not talented enough to do something

The media, as well as the marketing bubbles through which we get the image of the most famous people, make us have an unrealistic idea of what talent is.. In the vast majority of cases it is not an aptitude that you are born with, but it basically depends on the practice and effort you put behind it.

It is clear that there are individual differences and that certain people have more facilities than others for reasons beyond the control of each one, such as genetics, but this is only relevant in relative terms, if what we want is to be in the world ranking in a certain discipline. If this is not the case, it is likely that the set of skills with which we were born is more than enough to develop an incredible talent; that is, if we have previously demonstrated the necessary willpower to do so.