Think Of Yourself In The Third Person For Better Decisions


We often struggle with the choice between taking care of ourselves and making other people happy. Psychology Today notes that thinking of yourself in the third person — however silly — can keep you from ignoring your own needs.

Image by Johnny Sajem/Shutterstock.

When you think of yourself in the third person, you’re more conscious of your own needs. This is great for those of us that will often forsake ourselves to fulfil others’ expectations:

I find that often, [it] helps me to be realistic about myself. “Gretchen gets frantic when she’s really hungry, so she can’t wait too long for dinner.” “Gretchen needs some quiet time each day.” “Gretchen really feels the cold, so she can’t be outside for too long.”

Yes, I admit, this approach makes me sound a bit affected and self-important, but the thing is, it really works.

It’s silly, sure, but if it works, it can be a good habit to get into — you know, as long as you don’t start doing it out loud and in public. Hit the link to read more.

Think of Yourself in the Third Person [Psychology Today]


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