Chapter 3 Avoid divergence between behavior and thinking

The fact that behaviors and ideas diverge and produce different results tells us that people's positive thinking must fundamentally control behaviors in order to succeed in winning the power to change the world. For years, psychologists have studied the relationship between what people say and what they actually do.Among them is a study by Leonard Beekman and colleagues at Smith University in Massachusetts. Beekman tried to study the connection between people's thoughts and behaviors through small things like throwing things around.He and his team came to a busy street and deliberately threw a few crumpled papers not far from the trash can; moreover, these waste papers were thrown on the sidewalk.Then, they went across the road and surreptitiously recorded the behavior of pedestrians to see how many pedestrians picked up waste paper and threw it in the trash can.It turned out that the residents of Massachusetts were not so clean, and only 2% of pedestrians picked up the garbage and threw it into the trash can.

In the second phase of the experiment, the experimenters stopped hundreds of pedestrians who had just walked through that street, and asked them a question: "When there is rubbish on the street, is it everyone's responsibility to pick it up? Should it be picked up by those who do the job?" How many pedestrians claim that everyone should pick up litter and keep the streets clean? 10%? 40%? 60%?In fact, a whopping 94 percent of pedestrians who just turned a blind eye to waste paper said they thought everyone should pick up litter. Beekman's research has shown that when it comes to picking up litter, people are so adept at Orwellian doublethink that they can do things that completely contradict their own thinking.

The experimenters wanted to explore whether this inconsistency between behavior and thinking existed in other areas of life as well.So they turned their attention to more important issues, such as ethics.Are you a very moral person?Do you generally do the right thing, resolve disputes fairly, and act civic-minded?When people are asked this question, almost all of them tick the "Yes, that's me" box repeatedly.But do people also behave ethically?Daniel Batson, a psychologist at the University of Kansas, decided to find out. Do people who claim to be moral do what they say?Or do people just like to act ethical but don't really want to pay the price?Batson was very interested in this.In one of the experiments, he first asked a group of experimental participants to answer several related questions to measure their own moral index.Do they believe in a just world?Overall, do they always do the right thing?Are they selfish, or do they care about the interests of others?

Even with something as important and ingrained as a sense of morality, we don't necessarily act the way we think.Through the above analysis of the phenomenon of inconsistency between thinking and behavior, we know that this situation generally exists in life.Some may not do much harm, while others have a detrimental effect on us. So, why does this phenomenon happen?I think that the inconsistency between thinking and behavior lies in people's lack of understanding.This gives us the first method to solve the difference between thinking and doing, that is to supplement knowledge.A person who is unable to recognize that he or she thinks differently may have fewer opportunities to improve himself.The continuous learning of knowledge can make a person more "self-aware", and it will be easier to make his behavior conform to his original ideas, instead of "thinking one thing and doing another".

In addition, another situation where ideas and behaviors cannot be consistent is due to the weakness of human nature, and the lack of execution is the main reason for the abortion of ideas.Laziness, sloppyness, jealousy, fear, greed, etc., all negative characteristics of people will greatly reduce people's execution ability.Improving execution is the only way to improve this situation.This requires fighting against all negative characteristics of people and constantly raising demands on ourselves. So, we might ask, is there any benefit in aligning thoughts and actions?The answer is yes.

A person who achieves a higher consistency of thought and behavior has greater personal charisma.One explanation for charisma is consistency, consistency.A person with consistency, whether from the inside or the outside, gives people a sense of harmony, balance, and coordination.A person with consistency, his behavior, speech, thought, behavior, and even the objects he uses, the living environment, and the occupation he engages in, all give people a kind of beauty enjoyment, and they all feel a kind of "gentleman". demeanor.We know that most of the people who can "stay famous" in history are people with consistency. It is their consistency in thinking and deeds and the same appearance and appearance that make people remember them and continue to pass them on.

People who have consistent thoughts and actions will have superhuman strength and are more likely to succeed.We know that it is because of harmony and balance that group human activities create the civilization and colorfulness of the world, and deduce the beauty we see every day and the beauty that can be touched everywhere.Consistency can make people's body and mind consistent, which makes a person more powerful, and naturally makes it easier for him to gain something in his career or life. By extension, achieving consistency in the group will also make the group more appealing and appealing, more cohesive and creative, and more likely to create wealth and miracles.If a nation or a country can agree on ideas and actions, it will organize social resources more efficiently and create social wealth more efficiently. The rise or revival of any country proves this.

For the whole world, reducing hostility, increasing friendship, and achieving a higher level of consistency in thinking and action means more peace and better development.The resolution of the entire human predicament itself depends on the continuous breakthrough and improvement of the entire human society in achieving consistency.