Growth-Based Autobiography (Essay Sample)

In the modern world, having a “developing mindset” continues to prove essential, with the globe transforming at an extremely fast pace and there being new challenges to tackle day-to-day. Typically, the cultural aspect continues to change, norms continue to transform and as humans, we ought to appropriately adjust to this vital transformation. These reasons essentially pin-point the significance of having a progressive mentality. Further, having a growth mindset is extremely pivotal as it aids in overcoming obstacles we encounter while improving our knowledge on certain aspects. Through transforming our thinking technique, we also transform our learning mode. This paper provides my profound developmental autobiography, elucidating crucial life encounters that helped shape my way of thinking presently. It is essential to note that while there are general types of thinking, this paper narrows down to precise examples with supporting evidences.
My way of thinking has generally been a progressive journey, with changes occurring within different phases, triggered by certain life encounters. Perceptual thinking was essentially the basis of my thinking at a young age. Growing up, cognitive distortions primarily manifested in forms of inaccurate assumptions, improbable personal-criticisms, and at some instances denying realism. Reflecting back to this young phase, it is evident that my thinking method essentially shaped the way I acted at numerous occasions. Further, determining the primary cause of my way of thinking is basically impossible. Sage Neuroscience Center (2021) surmised that the chief catalyst of a negative thought pattern varies vastly based on the individual involved in the negative thinking, their past, triggers, and mental condition. Despite me not having a noteworthy mental condition, it is fair to state that my way of thinking was not precisely efficient.
Dichotomous way of thinking was one of my typical ways of thinking in my earlier life. This thinking way essentially refers to a state where complex concerns get oversimplified in that they are made white or black, good against bad matters. This thinking method made my way of approaching matters extremely tough with the assumption that there was “no room of second place.” A typical example was at kindergarten and high-school level. I basically considered every curriculum or extra-curriculum activity that I engaged in as a competition where I or the team I was in, had to be the absolute best regardless of the magnitude of the event to be considered a success. In group discussions for instance, it was mandatory that I produce the best ideas, with second-best significantly negatively impacting my self-morale. Such a thinking method also pressured my way of acting. I mostly approached every situation with enormous pressure and expectations, with this increasing stress levels and decreasing the fun aspect in most events.
Alternatively, emotional reasoning also shaped a certain phase of my life. Emotional thinking refers to a situation where an individual insists that an aspect is factually accurate regardless of their personal feelings being their only evidence (Sage Neuroscience Center, 2021). An individual with this form of reasoning commences with the premise that their negative feelings are accurate and justifiable because they are present and establishes a supporting narrative. This way of thinking made my engagement with peers or adults difficult and unproductive. One recurrent example was that since I was anxious to go to the movies at night hours, it certainly had to be dangerous. This form of reasoning made me often act in a paranoid way, with although it may be regarded as safe, denies certain necessary aspects of life primarily at a young age.
Furthermore, overgeneralization way of thinking was also present at my earlier life. This mode of thinking essentially refers to fixating on a specific negative aspect or encounter and assigning it an exaggerated importance in one’s entire existence. Overgeneralization was primarily on school performances. Whenever I did not attain my desired grades, I got trouble by the perception “I am the most useless student in existence.” Reflecting back, such a despondent conception was not equivalent to the event that caused it. Rather, it was only by simplifying my entire academic life in the context of one undesired performance that concluded in such a way. This method of thinking also clouded my way of acting in that I spent an enormous amount of time studying, aiming not to be “the most useless student in existence.”
Correspondingly, overgeneralization was accompanied by mental filtering. The latter, unlike the former, refers to a situation where on only selects to remember the negative aspects of a circumstance. Mental filtering was primarily evident in school during group discussion. Regardless of the magnitude of a mistake, I would mostly forget the numerous excellent ideas and rather rant on a single mistake and the impact I had on the entire team. As a teenager, I was also challenged by magnification way of thinking, which refers to blowing a matter out of proportion. One slight issue, such as a terrible uber ride or an argument with a fried, could easily ruin my entire day and result in acting in an inappropriate way.
While I am yet to attain my desired thinking and acting ways, huge strides have been made in the present date. Currently, reflective thinking, and critical thinking typically shape how I think. I have progressively turned negative thinking into positive thinking, a simple but time-consuming process. Typically, such a transformation has essentially been like creating a new habit. Then again, it is essential to consider that positive thinking does not necessarily entail evading bad things, but rather maximizing the possibly bad scenarios, seeing the best in other individuals, and viewing personal abilities positively (Ackerman, 2018). Based on these descriptions, a positive mindset can therefore be described as the tendency to base on the good side, anticipate good outcomes, and approaching issues with a positive viewpoint.