Brooke Guttenberg, M.S.
I never realized how many psychics and mind readers there are in New York City. I’m not talking about the advertisements you see while walking down the street for palm readings, but I’m referring to the people you interact with day-to-day who claim they have this special trait. I’m guilty of claiming to possess this talent too and trust me, with my current track record, I should not be adding mind reading to my resume any time soon.
How many times over the last week have you engaged in mind reading? I bet the number is greater than you think. Mind reading refers to those moments when you claim to know what other people are thinking, without any concrete evidence to support your suppositions. Thus, when we engage in mind reading we tend to make assumptions that may or may not be consistent with reality.
For instance, think about a time when your boss sent a vague e-mail. I’m sure your mind played many tricks on you and before the end of the e-mail you had been fired multiple times, lost a big account, and been passed up for promotion. While all of these may be a possibility, the what ifs many times are a lot more catastrophic than what is actually conveyed face-to-face. If you send yourself into a tizzy before even speaking to your boss, you are already at a disadvantage if the meeting requires you to remain calm and advocate for yourself.
Mind reading occurs frequently in close relationships. While we may be able to predict how those close to us may act or react, we can never be certain what is actually going on in their heads. Similarly, while we may try to read others’ minds, we may also expect those close to us to be able to read ours. Getting angry at a loved one without expressing our wants is setting that individual up to fail, because no matter how well the other person may know you, there is not a 100% guarantee they will be able to know exactly what you want at every moment.
Even though we may communicate our wants or feelings, we may not always receive the response or reaction from others that we would like. However, communicating these wants increases our chances of achieving our goal, or at the least, start a conversation. Next time you find yourself engaging in mind reading, try putting away your crystal ball, because the only mind that you can read is your own.
