Tunneling thinking: what is it and how to overcome it?

Can you see fifty shades of gray? No, it's not about the sensational film and not about the color of the asphalt as such. How varied our understanding of a situation is, how capable we are of overcoming difficulties. But when a “little worm” sits in my head called “tunnel thinking”, then if you don’t fall into the abyss, then a descent in a straight line to a person is practically guaranteed.

The term “tunnel thinking” came to psychology from ophthalmology. Optometrists call tunnel vision the vision of people in whom the peripheral region of the retina is poorly developed or does not work at all. Simply put, a person with such a diagnosis sees only what is right in front of his eyes. Everything else is beyond his perception.

If in order to see what is on the sides, it is enough just to turn your head, then in order to correctly perceive the surrounding reality, you need to think differently.

At first it seems that he is doing everything right, but if the situation is at least a little out of control, he stumbles and cripples his life. This is often found in "nerds", schoolchildren who are fully committed to study. Belief in unsurpassed instill in them not only their own successes, noted by the grades in the diary, but also the admiring speeches of their parents, and the praise of teachers.

In fact, children often hide behind their textbooks their complexes or unwillingness to see and understand what is happening around them. After school, they enter a prestigious university. And already there the first problems may arise. Indeed, in order to get a higher education, it is not enough to master one or another subject.

And what happens to our hero next? He either begins to expand the circle of interests, or slowly goes downstream into the pool of problems. He no longer thinks that his brain is outstanding, all-night vigil over books does not give the desired result, yesterday's medalist leaves the institute. He is already quite satisfied with the position of a janitor or plumber. But his main conviction remains unshakable. And it often sounds simple - "I'm the best."

Even after university, there can be difficulties. Any problem, the machinations of competitors, misunderstanding by the authorities or, conversely, subordinates will become an insurmountable obstacle. He just does not know how to get around it. His path is only forward in a straight line, he sweeps away everything that comes across him on the road. But because this very track itself begins to clear in front of him. First, buddies, colleagues, business partners go aside.

Then his wallet begins to fade, and since he was never capable of rich feelings, his wife (husband) leaves him. These people are also recorded in a journal called "enemies." He has new “friends”: alcohol, drugs, sects. Under their influence, he again feels himself the best of the best, the strongest of the most powerful, and already completely loses touch with reality. It just rolls down all along the same smooth path that until recently led it to the heights.

It can be difficult to see if a person has light at the end of the tunnel or is going nowhere. After all, in appearance they are usually successful, educated, purposeful people. There are a number of signs that say that all this hides problems.

• Man does not recognize his own mistakes. If something does not work out for him, he will never begin to look for a reason in himself. Such a citizen will immediately find the guilty: the situation, the weather, the people. The main thing is that he and his own shortcomings will never be on this list. Instead of struggling with problems, he starts a war with windmills. The former remain in their places, the latter twist it into a whirlpool of even greater ills.
• Tunneling thinking does not imply the presence of midtones. In a person with this way of life, everything is divided exclusively into black and white. Moreover, they never change places. Even if it has already been proven that his idol is a criminal, he will never turn his back on him. Such an act would mean that he himself was wrong. And this is unacceptable. As a result, once believing in a certain postulate, even if very dubious, letting him into his tunnel will never let him out of there.
• He does not need half the success, part of the prize, a piece of the common pie. His motto is all or nothing. He does not know how to be content with little, even if in the eyes of others it is quite a success. If this is an artist, then he doesn’t need a concert hall for 5,000 people, he will only perform in huge stadiums. In the end, all tickets will be sold, but not for his performance.
• "I am always right! If not, read paragraph one. ” For a person with tunnel thinking, there is only one true view of life - his own. Everything that contradicts him is the heresy of fools and loafers. He never hears advice, because he himself is "king and god."

All failures are the machinations of enemies or an unsuccessful combination of circumstances. As a result, he has been banging his head against the same wall for years. And all this time only his faith in the rigidity of the world increases. The fact that he himself has limited the space around him does not occur in his head.

All this leads to disappointment in life, but not in oneself. Grief and grievances are filled with wine, and from this the problems only grow. By the way, among alcoholics and drug addicts the greatest concentration of citizens with tunnel thinking. And they brought themselves into this state themselves, without any help. In their opinion, they do not need it. But you can still render it. Especially at the initial stage of leaving the “head tunnel”.

Of course, it is best to consult a specialist. The psychologist can conduct a correction and take the patient out of the tunnel, including in group trainings.

Sometimes a heart-to-heart talk with friends or relatives, which can help to see the situation from the outside, is quite enough. But for this, one who becomes dependent on his own straightforwardness must be aware of the problem. He needs to understand that his line will never lead him to the desired goal and it is time to look for workarounds. But, like any other disease, this is also easier to prevent than to treat.

To do this, you need to teach a person to think differently from childhood. The following tips will help you think properly.

• Read. And not tabloid magazines, but smart literature. Daria Dontsova, with all due respect to the author of hundreds of detectives, will not work. We need books that make you think and develop, offering not only immersion in a criminal history, but also empathy, in which a person can feel it, learn to empathize.
• Compose. Repeat what you saw, heard, or read more often. Even better - state your thoughts on a particular case, work, person on paper. It’s easier to understand how right you are in your judgment.
• Get creative. Classes in music, dancing, painting help not only broaden one's horizons, but also teach one to see what is hidden. Yes, not every one of us is a great creator, but to understand art is at least a little quite accessible to everyone. Look into the eyes of Monet Lise. Who really doesn’t have tunnel thinking is Leonardo da Vinci’s!
• Puzzles. Do logic exercises more often. Buy the cheapest task book and do at least one exercise per day. The brain will simply be forced to work in different directions.
• Analyze. Try to understand why this or that event began to unfold this way, and not otherwise. Why does the neighbor on the right succeed, and the one on the left can’t frankly cope. Put yourself in the place of another person. Try on other people's masks.

And do not be afraid to change either externally or internally. We create our own way of thinking. No one will help us get off the curve of the track until we ourselves want it. And remember the great eastern wisdom - if the mountain does not go to Mohammed, then Mohammed goes to the mountain.