The greatest wonder

When Yaksha asked Yudhistira: what is the greatest wonder in this world? Yudhistira replied that everyone sees each day dying so many and yet everyone believes that he will live eternally. I feel other than the physical reality, this question and its answer have a deep psychological meaning as well. All of us see the falsity of our ideas and opinions each day and yet we have such a strong fixation with our ideas and opinions. There are many occasions in our life when we realize that we were fixated and biased and yet we again become so certain about our ideas and opinions.

There is a very simple psychological reason for the same. Our brains can not live with uncertainty. If we are confused, we will not be able to take quick decisions which are necessary for survival. While driving on the road, we have to be certain of a few things like all drivers try to prevent accidents. If we start doubting these basic premises, we will not be able to drive on the road. Similarly, if the brain starts doubting in’s own thought process, it will not be able to function in this world.

Is there any solution to understanding our own biases? A biased mind can never come to realize its biases. The rational mind will provide enough logic for the justification of these biases. Ask a mother about the good things about her child. Ask a religiously orthodox person about the relevance of social rituals. Ask a habitual drinker about the reasons for taking the liquor. Ask a person who is habitual to get up late, about the reasons for getting up late. Ask a person having a fight with the other person about why he is right. Their rational mind can write an entire book about the same. It may provide a sea full of logic.

It's difficult to see our own biases. The stronger these biases and the more difficult it is to see them. It's because of a simple reason. All these biases are our defense mechanisms. They take control of the sensory inputs before these signals reach the rational mind and make the rational mind dance to their tune. It is required for survival. Suppose, we see physical or psychological danger from a person, our brain has to act quickly as soon as we see or hear that person saying anything. We can not wait to analyze the situation rationally because, in the meanwhile, we may get permanent damage. That is why in such situations, the mind works on approximations and take quick decisions. That is where the biases come into play. Biases help us make approximations and predict the behavior quickly to make us take fast decisions.

We can do one thing very easily. After the immediate threat is over, we can analyze our reactions as if they were the reactions of a third person. Little dissociation from our own emotions will help the rational mind to take control and the wisdom to act. We will get to know that many of our biases were in the first instance a result of our incorrect perception and many more are the result of mental stories, we have built after that. Further much water has flown since then in the river and therefore many of the biases no longer stand valid today. However, some of them may still hold valid. For example, we may be apprehensive about driving on an underlit highway during the night. Even after rational analysis, we may find that apprehension to be logical.

I don’t feel that anybody can ever be sure whether a particular opinion about anything or a person is emotional or rational. The dividing line between emotions and reason is very thin. Emotions are like stubborn child. The more you come under their pressure, the more they dance on your head. Emotions have their functional utility. They prepare the body for the fight. It’s good to keep the army ready all the time, but we can not put them on their toes all the time. They will burn out and will not be able to perform well when needed the most. That is the reason why we need to learn to relax. Come out of the stress.

We have to first take the attention away from such biases and fixations. Then connect to the true self internally through breath. Breath is the link between the unconscious and the conscious. Most of these biases and fixations are stored in the unconscious mind and get activated as soon as we get feel some associated sensation. They trigger the emotion and emotions again take over the control of our brain. 

As we practice awareness, the threshold of the sensations which trigger emotional reactions also increases. We do not get triggered by all the thoughts or instances or reactions. Even if we get triggered, we are soon able to take the attention away from the emotions to allow the reason to take over. This requires continuous observation of self. It has huge benefits in our day-to-day life. It adds great depth to our lives. We start diving deep into the sea rather than surfing on the waves.