Cognitive schema
A cognitive schema is a fixed pattern of organizing information that influences the interpretation of oneself, other people and situations.
Definition
Cognitive schemas help you quickly understand the world because they organize experiences and give them meaning. At the same time, they may distort the perception of reality if they are too rigid, outdated or based on painful experiences. Development work is not about removing all patterns, but about recognizing which ones support action and which ones automatically narrow the interpretation.
Key ideas
- Organization of information
- Automatic interpretation
- Possibility to update diagrams
Practice and life
After a strong reaction, write down: the situation, my first interpretation, evidence for and against, possible pattern that could have been triggered.
Common misconceptions
It is a mistake to treat patterns as an immutable judgment. It is also a mistake to confuse a pattern with a fact.
> What once helped us understand the world now often requires updating.
> — Guru Element
Questions for self-reflection
- What pattern of interpretation repeats itself most often?
- Does this pattern still fit the current situation?
- What alternative interpretation can I test?