How to Stop Being Fatalistic
Take responsibility for failure., Think back on changes you brought about., Try not thinking about it., Counteract your hindsight biases.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Take responsibility for failure.
Fatalism approaches situations by assuming they were inevitable, and nothing could have been done to change them.
This belief often happens when you don't feel like you have any power in a situation.Studies show that re-framing failures as being due to a lack of effort (changeable) versus a lack of ability (unchangeable) lead to better performance in the future.This is likely because viewing a mistake as the result of actions that you and others took, as opposed to fate, allows you to feel more empowered about learning from the situation.
To own up to your failure, think back on different ways that your lack of effort may have contributed to your failing to achieve something.
Then think about how you might change in the future; if you found yourself forgetting to work on a task, for example, you might try putting it into your calendar to help remind you. -
Step 2: Think back on changes you brought about.
Help ditch old ways of thinking by reflecting on your life and on parts of it that you did not like but that you worked to change.
Engaging in this exercise will remind you that if you worked to change things before, you can do so again.
As an example of a change you might have caused, maybe you were dissatisfied with your monthly income and you worked hard to find a job with a higher salary. , Although easier said than done, try not to think about whether things are determined or not, and just try your best; see where you land, you may be pleasantly surprised at what hard and smart work can lead to!There are several steps you can test out to get your fatalistic views off your mind:
Think about an interesting distractor thought instead.
It is tough to entertain multiple thoughts at once; use this to your advantage.
For example, if you're procrastinating on your math work because you think everything is predetermined so what's the point in trying, try thinking instead about the rewards you might obtain from finishing your math degree.Try exposure.
Give yourself 20 minutes a day to think about determinism and your fatalistic views.
Although this may be painful at the time, by letting your thoughts air, you may find yourself not thinking about them for the rest of the day.Try postponing the thought.
If fatalistic thoughts come to mind, try telling yourself that you will get back to those thoughts next week, but for now you won't think about them., Sometimes, things can seem determined because of a hindsight bias: the idea that outcomes seem obvious after they have occurred.
In other words, the hindsight bias occurs when people feel that they "knew it all along" despite the fact that they didn't.
You can reduce the hindsight bias by identifying and dealing with its causes:
Need for closure.
This refers to the idea that one motivation some people have is to view the world as a predictable place.
After something happens, holding the belief that it all makes sense and was predictable lets the issue be put to rest.
Try to reduce your need for closure by accepting that many things are just unknown and that so far, things have still gone mostly OK.Processing fluency.
When it is easy to come to a conclusion about something, it can seem as if the outcome was inevitable.
For example, you might view a driver who cuts you off on the road as being a jerk.
This may lead to the belief that his behavior was inevitable because that's just who he is as a person.
You can combat processing fluency by imagining all the different ways that might have caused him to change lanes abruptly.
Maybe the driver was in an emergency situation; maybe his wife was pregnant and he was rushing her to the hospital.
Maybe he cut you off accidentally and didn't see you at all.
Or, what if he spilled coffee on his pants and swerved into the other lane? All of these possibilities make the outcome seem less inevitable. -
Step 3: Try not thinking about it.
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Step 4: Counteract your hindsight biases.
Detailed Guide
Fatalism approaches situations by assuming they were inevitable, and nothing could have been done to change them.
This belief often happens when you don't feel like you have any power in a situation.Studies show that re-framing failures as being due to a lack of effort (changeable) versus a lack of ability (unchangeable) lead to better performance in the future.This is likely because viewing a mistake as the result of actions that you and others took, as opposed to fate, allows you to feel more empowered about learning from the situation.
To own up to your failure, think back on different ways that your lack of effort may have contributed to your failing to achieve something.
Then think about how you might change in the future; if you found yourself forgetting to work on a task, for example, you might try putting it into your calendar to help remind you.
Help ditch old ways of thinking by reflecting on your life and on parts of it that you did not like but that you worked to change.
Engaging in this exercise will remind you that if you worked to change things before, you can do so again.
As an example of a change you might have caused, maybe you were dissatisfied with your monthly income and you worked hard to find a job with a higher salary. , Although easier said than done, try not to think about whether things are determined or not, and just try your best; see where you land, you may be pleasantly surprised at what hard and smart work can lead to!There are several steps you can test out to get your fatalistic views off your mind:
Think about an interesting distractor thought instead.
It is tough to entertain multiple thoughts at once; use this to your advantage.
For example, if you're procrastinating on your math work because you think everything is predetermined so what's the point in trying, try thinking instead about the rewards you might obtain from finishing your math degree.Try exposure.
Give yourself 20 minutes a day to think about determinism and your fatalistic views.
Although this may be painful at the time, by letting your thoughts air, you may find yourself not thinking about them for the rest of the day.Try postponing the thought.
If fatalistic thoughts come to mind, try telling yourself that you will get back to those thoughts next week, but for now you won't think about them., Sometimes, things can seem determined because of a hindsight bias: the idea that outcomes seem obvious after they have occurred.
In other words, the hindsight bias occurs when people feel that they "knew it all along" despite the fact that they didn't.
You can reduce the hindsight bias by identifying and dealing with its causes:
Need for closure.
This refers to the idea that one motivation some people have is to view the world as a predictable place.
After something happens, holding the belief that it all makes sense and was predictable lets the issue be put to rest.
Try to reduce your need for closure by accepting that many things are just unknown and that so far, things have still gone mostly OK.Processing fluency.
When it is easy to come to a conclusion about something, it can seem as if the outcome was inevitable.
For example, you might view a driver who cuts you off on the road as being a jerk.
This may lead to the belief that his behavior was inevitable because that's just who he is as a person.
You can combat processing fluency by imagining all the different ways that might have caused him to change lanes abruptly.
Maybe the driver was in an emergency situation; maybe his wife was pregnant and he was rushing her to the hospital.
Maybe he cut you off accidentally and didn't see you at all.
Or, what if he spilled coffee on his pants and swerved into the other lane? All of these possibilities make the outcome seem less inevitable.
About the Author
Barbara Morales
A seasoned expert in education and learning, Barbara Morales combines 11 years of experience with a passion for teaching. Barbara's guides are known for their clarity and practical value.
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