It is not just our bodies that are a result of evolution. Our minds and psychology have also been shaped by the world that we evolved in and that is where many of our most unusual behaviors come from.
When we were evolving, we were in far more dangerous scenarios than we are now and we couldn’t afford to take risks. Only the psychological traits that made us most likely to survive were passed on and that means that they’re the only ones that matter. This is why we are risk averse by nature.
The Danger of Ambiguity
Imagine that you were in the wild, looking at the silhouette of some kind of animal sitting on the horizon. You don’t know if that silhouette is of a lion or a kitten… what do you do?
The best solution for survival is to assume the worst. Assume it’s a lion and either freeze or run. The people who take chances will most likely get eaten and thus not pass on their personality traits!
But the problem is that we don’t see lions any more. This is not the biggest threat to your life right now. Instead, the biggest stressors are things like debt, illness, relationship problems and career issues. These are the threats we face in modern life and that we now must overcome if we’re going to be successful in life.
It’s All About Perspective
But here’s the thing: it’s actually all about perspective and mindset when it comes to our reaction to threats. If we think it’s a kitten, then we will be able to remain cool, calm and happy even if it is a metaphorical lion. In other words, it pays for us to reassess our situations and to take control of our anxiety and our stress. When we do that, we remove the chronic anxiety that makes us perform and feel worse.
How do you turn your situations into kittens? Simple: you assess exactly why you’re afraid and whether or not there is a good reason to be. Remember: it’s all just perspective. Change your mindset and you change the reality!
