‘Don’t Believe Everything You Think’ by Joseph Nguyen

By Himanshu dev Sharma on August 23, 2023 • ( 1 )

“The root cause of our suffering is our own thinking.”

In his book, ‘Don’t Believe in everything you think’, Joseph Nguyen has established this with various examples and experimental questions. One of them is to observe yourself and your family while watching an entertaining show on TV. Do all of them and you experience the same level of entertainment? No, and that is because we perceive our environment through our own thinking, and the author makes the point that our thinking is the beginning and end of our suffering.

The author further differentiates between thoughts and thinking. Thought is something that comes to us naturally, a kind of God’s gift, and doesn’t require energy or action, whereas thinking is not natural and requires tremendous energy and time to initiate and retain. That’s why continuous thinking makes us tired. Based on the nature of our thinking, we may associate pain with anxiety, depression, or negative emotions in general that make us suffer.

Thinking is an action that we do all the time. Our minds are naturally designed to keep us safe and are therefore more aligned with perceived dangers, which are irrelevant most of the time in modern times. That explains why the fear of losing a loved one or meeting an accident is the predominant feeling.

The author suggests that thoughts are neither positive nor negative. Similar is the case with reality. It is our thinking that gives it a positive or negative shade. Our feelings are just the result of our thinking. For example, all the employees think differently about their jobs. For the same role, some employees feel good and motivated, whereas others may feel bad. Reality is the same for all employees, but it is their thinking that is making all the difference in their perception.

The author feels that the less we think, the better we will be. Though we can’t stop thinking completely, we can reduce the amount of thinking drastically. If we practice non-thinking, we can achieve constant bliss, harmony, and joy, our balanced state. The ancient practices of meditation, yoga, and samadhi are practical tools for getting into non-thinking.

When we are totally immersed in doing something or having an intense feeling of love and joy, we stop thinking. As soon as such a moment ends, we start thinking and analyzing. This corroborates the author’s point that we can remain in a state of joy, love, and bliss if we stop thinking.

Being aware of the fact that our thinking is the genesis of all our suffering will help us reduce our thinking. Certain morning rituals of saints and yogis also depict the disciplined practice of non-thinking.

The language is easy, flowing, and soulful. The author claims that if you read the book, you will not remain the same. I agree with the author completely. I really feel changed and contented.

Thanks, Joseph Nguyen, for writing such a life-defining book.