Your New Superpower: Harnessing Empowering Assumptions

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Have you ever heard the notion that everyone has their own reality? Have you ever wondered what makes optimists so happy, or why some people are so self-assured and self-confident?

Psychologically speaking, the manner in which we experience life is greatly shaped by the preconceived assumptions we hold about ourselves, others, and the environment in which those experiences occur. These assumptions are worldviews and are the virtual lens through which we understand and interpret everything we encounter in life.

Worldviews consist of an inextricable and deeply seeded combination of thoughts and emotions. They can be different for different people, even for identical twins. That is why two people can experience a similar event and yet be affected very differently. Another word for these deterministic assumptions is Weltanschauung.

Though Immanuel Kant first wrote about them, it was the philosopher William James who popularized them in the 1890s. They greatly influenced his formulation of the nature of human psychology.

Assumptive worldviews play a critical role in determining your happiness, and possibly success. Optimists assume there is a silver lining in every cloud. They insist on seeing the positive side of life, even during and after failure. People with high self-esteem assume that they will be happy and successful, even if it takes a while to get there. They exude self-confidence.

Simply said, if you can change your assumptions, you can improve your life.

Harness Assumptive Worldviews

Worldviews can be valuable. They help us define success, failure, happiness, and disappointment. They determine how hard we will work at any given endeavor. Some worldviews are constructive, but others may be counterproductive.

Cognitive therapists argue that your assumptions and interpretations determine your mental health. Cognitive therapy often consists of discovering assumptions that are counter-productive. It also consists of identifying assumptions that can empower. You can unleash a new "superpower" by harnessing worldviews that empower. You can learn to do what people with optimism and self-confidence do naturally.

8 Empowering Worldviews

Listed below are eight empowering assumptive worldviews that I have seen recurring in my studies of highly resilient people (Everly, Strouse, & McCormack, 2015; Everly and Athey, 2023). Consider each to see how they might help you change your life.

1. Fortitude is more important than aptitude. Even if you were not born with great aptitude, strength of mind, magnitude of effort, and tenacity can shape your destiny.
2. The journey of life does not have to be planned. Your pursuit of a rewarding life is often a journey into the unknown. The most exciting part of that journey may be preparing yourself for the opportunities life is holding for you of which you are unaware and that might not even currently exist.
3. It's OK to be vulnerable. The attempt to control all things in your life is a fool’s errand. The psychological vulnerability that comes with being out of control can be a strength as it allows you to explore things outside of your limited span of control.
4. Divergent thoughts should be welcomed as they can instruct you in the wide varieties of “reality” and in doing so can stimulate innovation. Only listening to the voices that affirm your preconceived conclusions stifles your growth.
5. Psychological growth is best promoted through adversity. As a muscle grows stronger with challenge, so too does the human mind and spirit. Protecting people from challenge, stress, and all adversity stifles growth and happiness. The notion of inherent human fragility is a myth.
6. Beware of intuition; it can be wrong more times than it is correct. Intuition is recognition based. If your lived experiences are limited so too will be the accuracy of your intuition.
7. Who you know matters. Cultivate genuine friendships. Quality supersedes quantity. Supportive relationships are the best predictor of human resilience.
8. Identify your strengths, then identify your weaknesses. Then tenaciously turn strengths into extraordinary strengths. Do not waste time trying to turn weaknesses into mediocre strengths.

It has been said there is no such thing as reality absent your interpretation. Interpretations are based on assumptions. Change your assumptions and change your life.

© George S. Everly, Jr., Ph.D., 2023.