Not yet gods

Abstract

Many people feel guilty for failing to act as they wish, for example, for failing to work until exhaustion every day or for failing to abandon unwanted behavioral patterns. This guilt stems from a miscalibrated sense of what one “could have” done. People tend to overestimate their control over their cognitive patterns, berating themselves for not instantly changing ingrained habits. This self-criticism arises from the unrealistic expectation of complete dominion over one’s thoughts and actions, as if they were separate from the individual’s own neural network. Instead of self-blame, one should focus on assisting their internal “monkey,” recognizing the inherent complexities of behavior change within a complex world. Self-compassion and a focus on training and environmental adjustments are crucial, rather than demanding immediate perfection. – AI-generated abstract.