Be Careful

 

“So, if you think that you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” – 1 Corinthians 10:12

We know that thinking negative thoughts have a negative impact on your actions and behaviour. But there is another type of thinking that is also dangerous for a persons’ emotional health and long-term wellbeing. The type of thinking I’m referring to is the people who think they know-it-all. Also called the “Intellectual Arrogant” people - a trait where someone overestimates their knowledge and dismisses the input of others.

We know the real reason for this type of behaviour is normally a sign of a very low self-esteem and lack of confidence (which the person subconsciously tries to hide). Be that as it may, but coaching or counselling these individuals can be very challenging.

“Intellectual arrogant” people act with pride and a sense of “superiority” as if they are above an emotional “crash” or temptation or hopelessness. Like all behaviour, this “I know it all” behaviour starts in the mind and most of the time it happens sub-consciously. The human mind has the capacity to create all sorts of false beliefs, unrealistic pictures of future events and misguided illusions.
That is why the core principle of CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Theory) states that thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected and influence each other all the time, as is shown below:

The human mind has the ability to create entire fictional ideas and experiences out of nothing and that is why it is so easy for some people to create and imagine this “know it all” behaviour even if their knowledge about something is minimal or non-existent.

I have seen in my career so many “Intellectually Arrogant” people who eventually falls into depression or comes “crashing down” because of a sudden, catastrophic failure, loss, or downfall.

No matter where we go or what we do, we will never be able to outrun our minds (our subconscious thinking). However, we can disrupt and change the process of destructive thinking by starting to listen to others or seeking the help of a professional coach.