I love those Snickers commercials that feature the byline, “You’re not you when you’re hungry.” This relates to a discussion at a recent Humanergy meeting about how people deal with difficult or stressful situations. Because we’re human, we have emotions about those disquieting events. Too often, faulty logic takes over and we create a story in our head to explain or justify our emotional reaction.
An example:
Sue storms up to my desk, demanding to see the latest draft of the report on which we’ve been collaborating. I am irritated by the interruption and the attitude, so I think, “She is such a demanding creep.” I hand her the report draft with barely a glance and try to get back to my work.
Sue thinks, “She is so moody!”
Just like the Snickers commercial, where a low-energy football player gets replaced by 90+-year-old Betty White, my assumptions and made-up story turned me into someone else. Here’s how the example would be different if I were in the right head space:
Sue storms up to my desk, demanding to see the latest draft of the report on which we’ve been collaborating. I say, “Sure, Sue. Are you okay? You seem stressed.” Sue says, “I’m so sorry. I just found out my mom is going to have open-heart surgery.” I say, “I’m so sorry. What can I do to help?”
See, I’m not moody! But I’m not me when I allow my own theories and suspicions to rule my brain.
How do you reign in assumptions and be the real you? Message us or comment below.
Photo from AdobeStock.