The most popular episode of the Mary Tyler Moore Show (and my favorite) was titled Chuckles Bites the Dust. The main character (Mary Richards) of the sitcom worked as a news producer at a TV station where a TV show host named Chuckles the Clown was serving as grand marshal of a parade when he was attached and killed by an rogue elephant. Throughout the episode, Mary complained about everyone in the office making jokes at the poor man’s expense. She took his death seriously.. until the start of the funeral. Everyone’s role reserved. Mary tried but couldn’t suppress her urge to giggle at the clown’s comedic demise during the eulogy. The scene is considered one of the most memorable in TV sitcom history.
Ever tried NOT to laugh at church? The more you fight it, the stronger the urge becomes. Ever had a crazy thought pop in your head about disrupting a meeting? Ever wondered what would happen if you stood up in a restaurant and started yelling? Or started a food fight? Or thought about what it would be like if you jumped out of a window in front of you and fell ten stories?
That contrary thought can become an outright urge. Suddenly, you are wondering if you can prevent yourself from doing something completely outrageous and inappropriate. The more you try to avoid the idea, the stronger the desire becomes to do it. Anyone who’s tried to quit smoking or stop drinking knows the feeling.
A new paper in the Journal Science tries to explain the phenomenon. Harvard psychologist Daniel Wegner says if you keep ruminating on the idea of something bad happening, it can actually make it more likely to occur.
That’s because our brains are busy suppressing impulses all the time. We use a great deal of energy keep inclinations in check. The effort usually takes place without conscience thought. But when we focus intensely on avoiding errors and taboos, the impulse can be strengthened because the brain is conscience and locked on the event.
Just try not thinking of a blue goat. Are you not thinking of it?
In sports, a player may be told not to swing his bat or golf club a certain way. Soon, he can barely avoid doing it and feels obsessed and distracted. Especially under pressure.
Once the idea has been consciously suggested to us, it’s hard to lose it until something new shoves it out of the way. And therein lies the key for moving away from unwanted thoughts. Instead of trying to keep it down, put something else in its place. Ball players are more successful when they focus on visualizing the ball going through the hoop and the process that works to get it there. Thoughts of suicide may be squeezed out by changing our focus to taking care of someone.
Just don’t forget about the blue goat.
Stephen Goforth
