Stop the ‘good’ vs ‘bad’ snap judgments and watch your world become more interesting

How many times have you used the words “good” or “bad” today?

From checking your weather app to tracking the progress you’ve made on your to-do list to scrolling through social media, opportunities to make instant assessments abound. And the more you put things into these categories, the more instinctive these judgments become. You might find yourself filtering everything that happens to you in terms of “good” or “bad.”

A dark cloud triggers “bad,” a social media post of baby animals triggers “good,” a report on a political fight triggers “bad.” Whether you think something is good or bad, whether it deserves to be liked or not, is important information. But if this categorization is the only thing on your mind, the only lens through which you interpret the world, you will miss a lot.

I am a philosopher specializing in happiness, well-being and the good life. I study how a person’s state of mind influences their experiences of the world.

In my recent book “The Art of the Interesting,” I explore how the evaluative perspective crushes your ability to experience psychological richness and other positive dimensions of life. The more you react instinctively with “good” or “bad,” the less you absorb the world. You’ll be less likely to engage your mind, show curiosity, and have interesting experiences.

Evaluation narrows your mind

When you instinctively label something good or bad, you focus only on the characteristics that make that thing good or bad.

You look outside and all you see is the darkness of the clouds, threatening your plans for the day. You don’t notice the cooling shadow these clouds create, nor the spectacular way the wind causes them to transform. We don’t notice the flowers unfolding, nor the child passing by and also looking at the clouds, but with big, amazed eyes.

When instant evaluations reign, you effectively cut yourself off from a wide range of possible experiences. When everything around you is good or bad, nothing can be confusing, mysterious or intriguing. Nothing can be just new, or just challenging, or just stimulating. Nothing is interesting because your mind has filtered out these possible sources of cognitive engagement. He sees what he expects and nothing else.

Open your mind for more psychological wealth

Instantaneous evaluations narrow your perspective and limit your mind’s potential to connect and engage with other aspects of your experiences. But you can unlock this potential simply by resisting any judgmental instincts and looking at the world without trying to evaluate what you see.

Right away, you’ll start to notice more and activate your mind’s internal drives of curiosity and exploration.

Freed from dead-end judgments of good and evil, you can explore the new, be challenged, and address the complexities inherent in human experiences. Traffic jams can become a source of intrigue rather than just a bad way to start the day. Delicious meals not only taste good, they pique your curiosity and spark your creativity. You will go from being a difficult and irritating colleague to an individual with human imperfections who deserves your compassion.

You will also feel the pains, struggles, and rewards that come from these mental commitments. You will experience rich and intense moments and a greater range of emotions. You will find your life full of unusual and unique experiences with very few instances of boredom and monotony.

Over time, your mind will become better able to find connections, exercise creativity, and operate from a place of cognitive complexity. You will begin to see the world more holistically, as full of connections to discover.

All these signs indicate that your life has become psychologically richer.

Expand your mind, develop your self-esteem

Psychological richness and, more generally, experiences of novelty and interest are valuable in themselves. But there is evidence that they are also important because of their effects on your self-esteem. When you engage in new and interesting activities, you not only broaden your horizons and develop new perspectives, but you also become more confident in your ability to do whatever comes next. In this way, you develop your self-esteem.

The connection between psychological wealth and self-expansion is intuitive. New and interesting activities stimulate the mind, challenging it to engage and explore. This process can increase your confidence in your abilities and give you a greater sense of control over your environment. As a sense of self develops, our very presence in the world changes.

A recent study explored the influence of psychological wealth on pro-environmental behaviors. While it is common to feel sad, anxious, angry, helpless and helpless in the face of climate change, developing psychological wealth can transform these negative attitudes.

Researchers found that people who experienced psychological wealth were more willing to engage in sustainable activities. They believe this correlation is mediated by self-expansion, which helps subjects feel more confident that their actions will have an impact on the daunting problem of climate change.

Eliminate the good and the bad, opt for the interesting instead

Everyone has the capacity to develop a sense of presence and action in the world that enhances the very experience of life. The habit of instant evaluations inhibits this ability, but you can train your mind to be better able to engage and explore.

The easiest way to do this?

Stop saying or thinking “good” and “bad”. When you feel inclined to do so, force yourself to say something else. Get started now and begin your journey to engage with the world in a more enriching way.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent, nonprofit news organization that brings you trusted facts and analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Lorraine Besser, Middlebury College

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Lorraine Besser does not work for, consult, own shares in, or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond her academic appointment.