Monday, August 19, 2024

Pawn Star Proverbs (Part 4 of 4)

It was just an illusion! (2.0)

By Quentin Steen, Representative/BC Member Education Coordinator

What’s a pawn star proverb? And what does it have to do with our mental well-being?

A pawn star proverb is my little play on words to highlight the little tidbits of truth I picked up from the popular reality television show Pawn Stars and how these truths align with our mental well-being.

Part two of this series—even layups are points!—focused on how most of us live daily, running down the courts of our mental well-being, slowly winning the game with layups, not three-pointers.

Part three of the series—it was just an illusion!—alluded to the connection to our mental well-being resident in how we authenticate our experiences in life based against reality.

The final part of the series, and this month’s Mental Health Moment, unpacks how our biases influence the way we view life and in turn how they might keep us from discerning what is real and what is an illusion in the realm of our mental well-being.

For many, this can be a difficult task without seeking the perspective, support, or assistance of an expert (e.g., a therapist, support group, wise elder, etc.). It’s my humble opinion that everyone at some point—maybe many points—would benefit significantly from the help of an expert. Even the experts elicit the assistance of experts, and even therapists have a therapist.

There are usually many moving parts in our attempts to discern what is real and what is an illusion. After all, sometimes what’s an illusion for me might be a reality for you.

Into this potpourri of discernment is how we view the world around and within us. I can’t remember where or when I came across the following insight in the last five years of my journey, but it’s stuck with me, and I submit it to you for your consideration.

There are three baseline biases that influence and shape our worldview.

Confirmation bias – This bias is all about how we look for or seek out only the information and evidence that supports what we already believe, that supports our biases.
Dunning-Kruger effect – This bias exposes how we believe we know more than we do or grossly underestimate what we do know. In other words, we might be a mile wide but only an inch deep.
Cognitive dissonance – This bias is characterized by the discomfort we feel when two or more modes of thought contradict each other. These clashing cognitions may include ideas, beliefs, or the knowledge that one has behaved in a certain way. Literacy (or lack thereof) and misinformation also box us in.

It might be worth it for you to carve out some time to reflect on these biases and how they interact with your current state of mental well-being. But, again, enlisting the listening ear of someone you trust and respect is a great way to flesh out your findings and, perhaps in time, take the steps necessary to move beyond.

Great peace of mind comes when we can say with resilient confidence, but now I know it was just an illusion! This frees up the space we need to become a better, evolving version of ourselves.

Quentin Steen is a certified mental health first aid instructor for the Mental Health Commission of Canada.

Get your BRAIN right and your MIND will follow!

3 Mental Health Resources to Help You

If you or someone you know is struggling with a mental health issue, CLAC has a number of resources and interactive tools available to help you at My Health and Wellness.
Stronger Minds features videos and quick reads from mental health experts, activities to help you gain resilience, and ask-an-expert videos in response to questions.
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) provides accessible, reliable, and professionally produced resources on an array of health topics including (but not limited to): addictions, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, depression, etc.

Pawn Star Proverbs (Part 4 of 4)

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