After reviewing Haidt’s thesis on the three ways to “change your mind” I find that

these all seem to be very effective styles. Depending on the person in focus, each of
these strategies can be effective when trying to tame the elephant. The chapter of this
book reminds me that change focusing on the mind is one that cannot be forced, but
rather needs to be gradually worked on. Meditation and cognitive therapy are effective
but can be extremely challenging to commit to for most people since these ideas need
to be practiced on a daily basis. However, SSRIs being an easier method still seem to
be very effective as the chapter shows almost the same results as meditation and
cognitive therapy but only requires taking a pill. Overall I believe that each of these
strategies can be great for a person, but depends on the person's beliefs and what they
are comfortable with.
For myself, I find that meditation can be most effective when trying to tame my
own elephant. Sitting down and focusing on one topic whether that is just my breathing
or a specific word is something that I can struggle with, but is a skill I need to work on. I
am one that believes in the idea of no pain no gain, and meditation is a commitment
within itself. I feel that if I can use this tool effectively I can create many benefits for
taming my own elephant, and even create some abilities that will help me with school
work.
When focusing on why meditation may be the most effective for myself is the
availability of when meditation can be used. Within the article “How to Meditate'' it is
described how meditation can be done almost anywhere, and doesn't take too much
time either. It is recommended for beginners to start with a shorter time period, which
can be understandable as a beginner, especially me who can have a hard time
focusing. It is also described that meditation can be used in various different forms for
different emotions. When struggling with yourself or a conflict between a loved one the
focus of a meditation can be changed to help with that specific topic.
Within chapter two of Haidt’s The Happiness Hypothesis the benefits of
meditation can be shown to have a great effect when trying to tame the elephant. This
can also be discovered within the video “Meditation, Mindfulness, and Spirituality” where
the topic of human condition is discussed. Human condition is described as that idea
that many people have and definitely myself, of what they NEED. For example, I
continuously focus on the ideas that I need more money, or I need to be successful
rather than focusing on what is in the moment. Allowing myself to zero in on this idea
rather than everything else around can create that anxious feeling that many of us
struggle with. Meditation is a way to understand and cancel out these thoughts that
cause so many of us negative feelings that we desire to get rid of.
In conclusion Haidt’s idea of the three tools used to “change our mind” is one that
makes a lot of sense to me. The use of these strategies have been proven to work in
many different ways, including the one I believe will help me the most which is
meditation. Sitting down and allowing myself to explore what's inside of me by focusing
on my breathing and thoughts is something that I do not do a lot. With the use of
meditation I may be able to do exactly that, and help myself tame my elephant and
focus on what's around me rather than what I think I may need.
(WORD COUNT: 620)
 Work Cited
Mindful. “How to Meditate.” Mindful, 13 Apr. 2019, www.mindful.org/how-to-meditate/.

““Meditation, Mindfulness, and Spirituality”: 202380-Fall 2023-Critical

Thinking_Combined.” Uncc.instructure.com, uncc.instructure.com /courses/20823

1/pages/ meditation -mindfulness-and-spirituality?module_item_id=5299073. Accessed 3

Sept. 2023.