The Metaphor Of The Math Teacher
Sometimes the thoughts we generate work against us. The problem is not the content or the reference of our thoughts, but the way we approach our ideas. Many cognitive errors and dysfunctional patterns lodge in our psyche and make our daily lives more difficult. The math teacher’s metaphor illustrates this.
An example of a dysfunctional cognitive schema that we before resort to is arbitrary inference (hasty decision). This process consists of drawing conclusions without basis to justify them or in the presence of opposing evidence. Arbitrary inference, while a useful experience-based strategy, can lead us to draw the wrong conclusions. Let’s dig deeper .
The usefulness of the conclusions
Drawing conclusions based on a feature or fact can save us a lot of time and effort.
If someone tells Alexandra that Guillaume takes care of the housework, Alexandra might think that Guillaume likes to cook. The next time they see each other, she will then offer him a dinner for which everyone will have to bring a dish. However, Guillaume may not have any cooking skills.
This mistake seems logical, but our view of the “normal” and our experience of different scenarios can cause us to think inappropriately.
MBCT, or mindfulness-based cognitive therapy
The MBCT is a blend of 2 models: Cognitive Therapy and the Kabatz-Zinn Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program (MBSR). The initial objective of this fusion of currents was to prevent multiple relapses occurring at the end of therapy aimed at treating depression. Many studies have analyzed the residual symptoms and relapses of patients with depression following their therapy.
The numbers are alarming: around 70% of people show cognitive symptoms of depression as a result of therapy. In addition, 75% of patients who responded positively to treatment had 5 or more residual symptoms. These residual symptoms generally consisted of problems concentrating, lack of attention, difficulty finding their words, mental retardation, and difficulty making decisions.
For this, the MBCT, developed by Segal, Williams and Teasdale in 2002, seems to respond perfectly to current clinical problems. This program was designed from group sessions in which we worked on meditation, feelings and emotions in order to avoid relapses.
MBCT involves the redirection of attention to forms of reasoning or cognitive approaches far removed from the depressive thoughts that may appear during a depressive episode.
The use of metaphors in the MBCT
In the context of MBCT, it is common to use metaphors to initiate cognitive change. In this way, individuals are taught to identify forms of irrational reasoning and to act accordingly to eradicate them.
One of the exercises offered by the MBCT uses the metaphor of the math teacher. In this exercise, the individual is asked to close their eyes and become aware of the different thoughts, sensations and emotions that go through them while listening to the story. These are the only instructions.
Awareness: metaphor of the math teacher
The story that is told is as follows:
After telling the story by pausing to let the individual think, we share what happened during the exercise. Usually, the individual realizes that by drawing hasty conclusions, he has made mistakes.
It is likely that at first, the individual thought that Clara was a student, then a teacher, before finally discovering that she was a janitor.
Rushing conclusions is dangerous
What this exercise illustrates is the tendency of individuals to draw conclusions as they gain information. In the case of the narrative, the conclusion was belied by the arrival of other information, but that will not always be the case. No one should have to solve or fix the mistakes we make by drawing the wrong conclusions. For this reason, correcting our way of thinking is our responsibility. It is better to change the action rather than requiring an external correction of the result.
While it is not dangerous to think of Clara as a teacher and not a janitor in itself, this story can be applied to many situations in our lives. For example, if Clara is actually Lucie, her lifelong friend, whom we see walking in the distance and who does not say hello to us, we can draw different conclusions.
We can end up thinking that Lucie is badly brought up, that Lucie is in the moonlight, that Lucie is angry, or even that Lucie no longer loves Clara. These deductions can have an impact on our moral state. But Lucie’s problem is not what we imagined. In fact, Lucie is simply short-sighted.
Another example: Beatrice announces that she will not be able to participate in Claudia’s gift when she had committed to it and the gift has already been purchased. The rest of the group of friends may think that Beatrice is shameless, that she is selfish, and that in fact, she does not particularly like Claudia.
However, these conclusions drawn by friends without additional information can also be wrong. Beatrice may be having money issues, having an argument, or having issues with Claudia without others knowing.
Impact on the rest: what is our responsibility?
This way of thinking is dangerous because it can strongly affect our moral state. In addition, our thoughts very often influence our behavior. The deductions we make can therefore lead us to act in one way or another.
This behavior is motivated by conclusions which, which may be wrong, will lead to inadequate treatment of the situation. If we stop talking to Lucie because “she ignored us” or if the group of friends is arguing with Beatrice accusing her of “selfishness” when she is not, we are making a mistake. . We are doing something that in reality we should not be doing because we are relying on reasons which result from the capricious endings of our mind.
For this reason, internalizing the metaphor of the math teacher is very helpful. We must remember this every time we draw conclusions. This will allow us to improve the logic of our rational reasoning and make fewer mistakes.
Our thoughts Aaron Beck is one of the greatest psychotherapists of our time and he continues to inspire us to change our negative thoughts on a daily basis.
