Week #8-Free Post

Mindlessness Versus Mindfulness

A large part of communication is having interpretative competence. Interpreting the world around you, namely messages, appropriately is no easy task to achieve however. As people we carry around several biases, effecting our interpretive competence for good and bad. One main bias we hold is using mindless thought versus mindful thought. Knowing the difference, when to use, and how to appropriately do so can help with proper communication. 

Differences: 

Mindless 

• typically mindless thought
• not observing all info around you
• on 'auto-pilot' 
• use old categories of thought

Mindful

• focused
• alert
• never be fully mindful

When To Use:

Mindless

• everyday situations
• typical social interactions
• to generalize situations/people

Mindful

• when trying to learn
• when trying to remember specific instructions

Tips

1. Recognize what you're doing: be aware when you are on auto-pilot and that you have biases

2. Be aware of contextual trigger for our behaviors: watch for things that trigger bias

3. Examine thoughts/actions

4. Avoid self-censorship

After learning all this information in my communication lecture, I have been trying to be conscious and keep track of when I am being mindful and when I am being mindless. I've found that in almost every social situation, I am completely mindless. Being mindless allows me to not get overwhelmed. Mindlessness also helps me be lazy, and use preconceived notions to direct my social situations, which is not always a bad thing. I find that everyone's brain needs a little relaxation now and then. I am most mindful in class, specifically when listening to directions for an assignment. I slowly process the information, interpret it, evaluate it, note it as well as the professor emotions. This thought can get tiring however, and I typically revert back to mindless thought soon after being mindful.