As humans
we live
in our
Minds
As humans we live in
our Minds
The mind is its own
place
And in itself
can make
a hell of heaven
or a heaven of hell
Milton
The Mind is its own place
Dimensions of the Mind
Cognitive
Dimension
Affective
Dimension
Dimensions of Mind – Thinking Feelings –
Desires
Thinking – Feeling – Wanting – Action
Cognition & Affect
If I think that I don’t need a college
degree to get a good job, I will feel
satisfied with a high school education.
Therefore I will not pursue higher
education.
If I feel humiliated in the classroom
because I think I have been treated
unfairly by the teacher, I will avoid
actively participating in group
discussions
Four Examples – Thinking – Feeling
– Action
If I think that learning should be easy,
I will feel frustrated when it is
difficult. Therefore I will avoid
difficult learning situations
If I value what I am learning, I think
that it is relevant to my life. Therefore
I will feel excited about learning
Four Examples – Thinking – Feeling
– Action
Think of something you
feel very strongly about.
The powerful emotion I feel
is…
The thinking that leads to
this powerful emotion
is…
As a result of the thinking
and emotion, I want to…
Something I feel strongly about
Thinking Feeling Wanting
Doing – arrows between them
Feelings – Desires  change through
thinking
Egocentric (as defined by
Webster’s Encyclopedic
Unabridged Dictionary):
Having little or no regard
for interests, beliefs or
attitudes other than one’s
own; self-centered.
Webster’s Definition of Egocentric
Egocentric Thinking
 Humans
do not naturally consider the
rights and needs of others.
 Humans do not naturally appreciate
the point of view of others.
 Humans become explicitly aware of
egocentric thinking only if specially
trained to do so.
“The world would be
a lot better place if
everyone else just
thought like me.”
Two Motives of Egocentric Thinking: Get what it
wants, Validate its thinking
Thoughts, Feelings, Desires –
Rational or Irrational Chart
The “Successful” Ego
 Though
egocentric thinking is
flawed, it can be successful in
achieving what it is motivated to
achieve.
 We see many persons of power and
status in the world – successful
politicians, lawyers, businesspeople,
and others that are skilled in getting
what they want and are able to
rationalize unethical behavior with
great sophistication.
Successful Ego Examples:
 Corporate
Executives ensure that
expected earnings of the company or
overstated
 Corporate Executives that spend
money frivolously
 Educators who justify practices by
saying “It is best for students.”
 “If I didn’t do it, someone else
would.”
 “Mine is better, because, because,
because…”
The “Unsuccessful” Ego







Defensiveness
Irritable
Anger
Depression
Resentment
Indifference
Alienation