White bear syndrome expresses a paradox where trying to suppress certain thoughts actually leads us to focus on them more. This situation is explored in a play by Tolstoy and in the works of Dostoevsky. For instance, in Tolstoy’s play, a character tells his brother not to think about a white bear, but this causes the brother to think about the white bear constantly. Similarly, in Dostoevsky’s ‘Winter Notes on Summer Impressions,’ the reader is asked not to think about a polar bear, but this request has the opposite effect. Analyzing these situations reveals how trying not to think about something creates a contradiction in the mind.
The Paradox of Trying Not to Think
Psychologist Daniel Wegner, after deeply investigating this subject, coined the term ‘white bear syndrome.’ Wegner and other psychologists observed that when people try to avoid a particular thought, it actually becomes stronger and gets stuck in their minds. While the mind tries to suppress a thought, this effort puts the mind in an even more complicated state and creates a vicious cycle.
The Paradoxical Effect of Trying to Control the Mind
The underlying reason behind this syndrome can be explained as the paradoxical effect of trying to exert control over the mind. A person, while trying to overcome an unwanted thought, causes this thought to become more prominent.
Breaking the Vicious Cycle by Focusing on a Single Task
To break this vicious cycle, focusing on a single thing or consciously thinking about and controlling the thought can be beneficial. Changing the focus and thinking less about unwanted thoughts are steps that can be taken to escape the effects of the syndrome.
Source: GulfNews, Simply Psychology