When Haidt discusses how to change your mind he does it within the context of

reframing a person's natural pessimism into intentional optimism. The reason he states
this is needed for some people is because of their preconditioning to pessimism due to
differences in their brains. He claims this can be done in three ways. Using meditation,
cognitive therapy, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors like Prozac.

When considering how to respond to this chapter and apply Hiadt's methods in own life I
don't see much need. While I definitely have bad days, I feel as though am fortunate
enough to not experience the lack of serotonin or pessimism that he mentions some
people struggle with. I think a lot if it comes down to actively choosing to not dwell on
negative emotions when I can control the outcome, and when I can't to, for lack of a
better term, have a 'it is what it is' mindset.

While I recognize and affirm that sounds stupid and doesn't work for many, that
mentality to just accept my lack of control over a negative event and when I do have
control to seek positive outcomes allows me to feel whatever this world defines as
happiness or peace. The reason this works for me is because I think I am one of those
people who leans toward set A while still experiencing much of set B, as described on
page 34. My brain allows me to "just get over it" whenever I go through a tough time.

While I don't have to deal with negative emotions on a day-to-day basis, occasionally I
do go through what some would call a minor depressive episode where I just feel numb,
burnt out, demotivated, sad, and angry. When this happens I am curious to analyze how
I can deal with it according to Haidt's three suggestions.

I think this comes from being mentally overworked rather than a more substantial
chemical imbalance. Due to this being the case I don't believe using the SSRIs would
be the right thing for me. This is confirmed by Stephen Lawrie's article titled "How to
decide whether to take antidepressants", where he discusses the intended uses and
applications for these drugs. They are not for anyone but for more serious cases of
depression that I do not feel I meet the criteria for.

Cognitive therapy, while it could help break down past events that I've experienced and
analyze their long-term effects on my life, I don't think I would benefit from it in the case
of dealing with the little "depression" I've experienced in the past. This is due to the way
the therapy works in targeting thoughts that you may have and refocusing or reforming
those thoughts into something more positive as talked about in "Cognitive Behavioral
Therapy: What Is It and How Does It Work?". I also don't particularly think it'd be of use
to me as I don't like the idea of therapy anyway. I think this is because that forces me to
be vulnerable and re-deal things I'd rather not. I know that sounds toxic but I mean that
more in the sense of don't dwell on the past/ forgive and forget. I don't think this method
of "changing your mind" would have too much benefit to my life but I think if I had to
choose one it'd be meditation.

Sources

Lawrie, Stephen. “How to Decide Whether to Take Antidepressants: Psyche Guides.”

Psyche, Feb. 2022,
psyche.co/guides/how-to-decide-whether-to-start-taking-antidepressant-pills?utm_sourc
e=Psyche%2BMagazine&utm_campaign=f9e79b2baa-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2022_02_0
1_08_07&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_76a303a90a-f9e79b2baa-71806880.

Raypole, Crystal. “What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?” Healthline, Healthline Media,

10 Mar. 2023,
www.healthline.com/health/cognitive-behavioral-therapy#things-to-keep-in-mind

Links to an external site.