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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy says that cognition and behavior are inter-related and have an influence on each other. If we want to modify behavior, we have to change our thoughts in the first place. Tensions, anxieties, depression arouses from our thoughts and perception of events. If our thought perceives an event traumatic, brain triggers such hormones that we become sad and tearful. It is true to some extent.

But do you accept this negotiation of external and internal factors in the direction of our behavior? Our behavior is not only directed by cognition. Our personality traits, our bonding and attachment (emotional factor) with our relations, environmental factors, genetic factors, and traumatic events all make us behave differently than we normally do.

Do you think that only changing thoughts changes behavior and everything? Share your prestigious views from your observations, personal experiences and everyday life?

I personally think that this is key to any measure of growth in life. The author speaks about meditation, and one of the goals in to have better control over your behavior. The book talks about exercise, also as a way to feel better about your self, what influences bahavior. It seems everything touches it.

Changing the direction of your thoughts can definitely cause a big change I personality and behavior. But behavior and personality are really broad spectrums, and so many other things come to play. Biological changes for example; for women, during their period they may notice certain behavioral changes that they sometimes have no control over. There is a also environmental factors and so on. I really believe that everything is interrelated. While everyone should strive to steer their thoughts in positive directions, sometimes it is beyond their control.

CBT says cognition affect behavior? Do you agree that cognition is responsible for all bad actions we did in our life?

All the bad - maybe not. I don't think that every action is conscious. Everyone has heard of a 'knee jerk reaction.' I think some of our bad actions, meaning bad for us in the long run, are due to drifting into situations because they are familiar, or snap decisions influenced by our circumstances of the moment. But I do believe that CBT is effective for nudging your personality in the direction you want it to go.

Christieee wrote:
> Changing the direction of your thoughts can definitely cause a big change I
> personality and behavior. But behavior and personality are really broad
> spectrums, and so many other things come to play. Biological changes for
> example; for women, during their period they may notice certain behavioral
> changes that they sometimes have no control over. There is a also
> environmental factors and so on. I really believe that everything is
> interrelated. While everyone should strive to steer their thoughts in
> positive directions, sometimes it is beyond their control.


Yes, absolutely. That's what I wanted to say. There are many factors other than cognition that alters our behavior.

Our actions are the fruits of our thoughts. Every move, be it emotionally, spiritually, or physically is in one way or another influenced by our thought processes. However, I don't agree that cognition is responsible for all the bad actions we do. The thoughts are influenced by other factors. It wouldn't be logical to attribute it to all shortcomings.

I definitely agree with the book that thoughts have a large impact on your behavior. Obviously there are other factors that can influence your behavior, the most immediately noticeable being hormonal changes, such as menstrual cycles and HRT, and substances such as alcohol and more serious drugs. But generally speaking I think the root of a person's behavior is their thinking since things like your perception, sense of morality and intentions are your main driving forces. So changes to those things will have an observable effect on your perception.

Changing thoughts- in other words, your mindset- could be one way to change behaviors but I think the reverse would work too. A real example of "fake it till you make it", I feel like with certain situations, if you already act the way the person you want to be like would act, that is half the battle. For example, I'm thinking specifically about gaining confidence. If you act in a way a "confident" person would act, like eliminating self-deprecating jokes from your daily dialogue or actively doing things out of your comfort zone, you will eventually get used to living like that and you will be a confident person. At least, that's the hope!

mondegreen wrote:
> Changing thoughts- in other words, your mindset- could be one way to change
> behaviors but I think the reverse would work too. A real example of
> "fake it till you make it", I feel like with certain situations,
> if you already act the way the person you want to be like would act, that
> is half the battle. For example, I'm thinking specifically about gaining
> confidence. If you act in a way a "confident" person would act,
> like eliminating self-deprecating jokes from your daily dialogue or
> actively doing things out of your comfort zone, you will eventually get
> used to living like that and you will be a confident person. At least,
> that's the hope!

When you think of it that way, things start to get cyclical. You're totally right in saying that faking it can affect the way you think, but if we abstract it a bit further, you can't start faking it until you think to do so. Not to diminish your point or anything, you just made me realize that thoughts and behavior can be cyclically linked.

They all affect our behaviour, but I don't think changing only my thoughts can make my behaviour totally different. Temperament, upbringing, genetics and previous experiences are what make humans decide to do whatever they do. However, changing one's thoughts will go a long way in changing behaviour but it won't go all the way.

If you can control your mind(cognition), you can definitely control your behavior and your emotions.Stress and anxiety are most of the time brought about by our reaction (perception)to stressors.CBT works wonders.

I'm of the opinion that every factor is interrelated to bring about someone's behavior. However, there are ones that are more predominant over others. An example is the subject matter, thoughts. Behaviors are basically one's reactions to circumstances. One's response comes from the manner he looks at things—his thoughts over the matter. His behavior stems from his thoughts.

Cognition affects behavior because actions are derived by thoughts. But saying that only actions are responsible is unjustified. Along with cognition, there are many other internal and external factors that are responsible.

A different mindset does go a long way, but there are too many external factors for any completely internalised solution.

Wy_Bertram wrote:
> A different mindset does go a long way, but there are too many external
> factors for any completely internalised solution.

Although there may be numerous external factors surrounding us, mindset, and personal interests play a bigger role in stress and anxiety.