#counterfactual-thinking

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fromPsychology Today
16 hours ago

Harnessing the Power of 'If'

Unlike humans, most animals experience a fight-or-flight response when faced with a stressor but immediately return to their resting state when the danger abates. In contrast, humans spend significant amounts of time replaying what happened, assessing the choices they made, and worrying about future threats and challenges.
Psychology
Philosophy
fromPsychology Today
2 months ago

Can You Be Grateful for a Life You Didn't Live?

Gratitude can arise from appreciating beneficial absences and near-misses, fostering thankfulness for what did not happen as much as for positive events.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
3 months ago

Lives Unlived: Stealing Back the Future After Trauma and Loss

Trauma survivors often live simultaneously in actual lives and imagined alternate lives, with dissociative 'might-have-been' realities shaping identity and recovery.
fromPsychology Today
4 months ago

Why You Should Stop "What If?" Thinking

As we get older, we must choose between different options in life again and again. Once we decide on one option, the others often disappear forever. If later in life someone is unhappy with the choices they made, it is common for them to start thinking 'What if?' thoughts. One important question is: Is 'What if?' thinking harmless, or does it make people feel unhappy about the choices they made and their lives in general?
Mental health
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