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Key points
- Learning to control negative emotions is one important way to avoid our dark side.
- Critical thinking is another important key to avoiding dark-side thinking and acting.
- A wariness of people who are unfamiliar or different, for example, is ingrained in us. Don’t fall prey to it.
Psychology tells us that there is the potential for good and bad behavior in all of us. Research has determined some of the reasons why we may be inclined to behave badly, or to give in to our dark side. Here are some of the origins of our bad behavior, and strategies to avoid them.
- Fearing Different Others. Ingrained in us from our evolutionary history is a fear of anything different and out of the ordinary. This can include unfamiliar people. As a result, we are wary of strangers, particularly those who look and act differently. This is the psychological foundation of prejudice and discrimination. When we allow our fear of others who are different from us — because of the color of their skin, their language, or even their political views — we are giving into our psychological dark side.
- Dealing With Our Anger. Actions by others, such as a driver cutting us off in traffic, or even poor service from a store employee, can trigger over-the-top outbursts of anger. Controlling our negative emotions is sometimes a challenge. Cultivating empathy is a way to combat our dark-side emotions. Remember that the target of our anger might be an over-stressed mother temporarily distracted by her crying infant or a first-day worker still learning the job. Imagining that a loved one was the target of your potential emotional outburst could help you rein it in.
- Cognitive Auto-Pilot. All too often, we put our brains on auto-pilot and don’t critically evaluate what we hear or read. We may accept an unsubstantiated rumor as the truth and compound the problem by spreading the rumor. Or we might fall victim to some outrageous conspiracy theory, without checking the facts. We need to avoid cognitive laziness and engage in critical thinking. Learn how to investigate trusted and legitimate sources before acting on some false premise. Moreover, investing the time to check out that too-good-to-be-true offer can prevent you from getting duped.
- Blind Conformity. When we blindly follow the crowd, without asking ourselves why, we may be headed toward our dark side. Take the January 6, 2021 insurrection in Washington, DC. Many of the protesters, I’m sure, did not intend to actually storm the Capitol, but they got caught up in the emotions and simply followed the lead of others. What are other ways that we blindly conform?
By avoiding falling prey to our dark side, and by nurturing our “bright side,” we can truly make the world a better place. How can we exercise our good side? Practice acts of kindness. Hold the door open for someone. Remember to say “thank you.” Let someone go ahead of you in line. Donate to a trusted charity. Volunteer your time. Help a stranger.
