Explore why we choose our struggles in Internal Maps. Learn how self-criticism and habits act as behavioral solutions to deeper problems rather than random flaws.

People don't actually come to you with their problems—they come to you with their solutions. What we call a 'problem' is often a necessary survival strategy that was once the best tool we had to stay safe.
https://youtube.com/shorts/hlDUfBT5G-A?si=nlQpolkycliRX9p4


In the Internal Maps podcast, we explore the perspective that behaviors like rage, overeating, or harsh self-criticism aren't just random flaws or problems to be fixed. Instead, these emotional struggles often serve as necessary solutions to deeper issues a person faced at some point in their life. By flipping the script, we can see these habits as resourceful attempts by our brains to navigate difficult circumstances rather than seeing ourselves as broken machinery.
The first step in addressing self-criticism and negative habits is moving away from judgment and toward curiosity. Instead of asking what is wrong with you, the Internal Maps approach suggests asking what problem the behavior was originally trying to solve. This psychological insight shifts the focus from fixing a flaw to understanding the internal maps that guided your behavioral solutions, fostering a more compassionate path toward self-improvement and lasting change.
According to the insights discussed by Lena and Miles, people don't actually have problems; they have solutions that no longer serve them. A habit like self-criticism or a rage problem often develops as a necessary response to a specific challenge in one's past. These behavioral solutions are part of our internal maps, representing the brain's resourceful way of protecting us or solving a deeper conflict, even if the habit feels destructive in the present day.
Criado por ex-alunos da Universidade de Columbia em San Francisco
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Criado por ex-alunos da Universidade de Columbia em San Francisco
