Probably, by explaining the external-internal interplay, we got the answer of the key question: how do we think? It is important because it defines the content of our thoughts. It tells us what we think. The mechanism of thinking is clear now. If we seriously want to change the content of our thinking, we have to start with breaking off the pseudo-harmony between the internal and external. And, that can be done through dehabitualisation. Dehabitualisation entails not just breaking the habitual thinking but transforming it. In a simplest statement, dehabitualisation is to think before we think what we think. The process is: when we think; manifested through a thought, judgement or decision, we have to take a pause and consciously question our “thinking process” in order to invigorate the “assessment agency”. The “assessment agency” differentiates human thinking from machine thinking. The so-called intelligent machines, for example computers, also do some sort of assessment but in a fixed pattern. They don’t have agency to change the pattern. Humans are blessed with a far superior conscious “assessment agency”. It can accept or reject even if the whole world does the otherwise. It has been blessed with the power to create, recreate and manipulate “thinking patterns”. External factors can affect its function but it can’t be fixed. Nevertheless, when the “thinking process” gets habitualised, the “assessment agency” too becomes habitual of its function. Its function is reduced to “repeat” button. Therefore, to stop the repetitive functioning, it is important to press the “stop” button. Pressing the “stop” button is a conscious act. Humans can do that conscious act but machines can’t.
Let me explain it further by way of analogy. We all are familiar with the driving rule sign-boards. We all know that green is for “go and safe”. Now imagine, you are driving on highway and you saw a green sign-board. Since you are habitual with green indicates “go and safe”, you don’t pay “conscious” attention on the inscribed SIGN. The board had STOP sign but you continued driving and ended up paying fine for breaking the rule. This hypothetical incident exemplifies habitualisation; pseudo-harmony between internal-external. What happened actually, your habitualised experience overpassed the “assessment agency” and distorted the nature of reality. It is exactly like “judging a book by its cover”. Similarly, in the journey of “thinking process”, we come across different sign-boards in the form of “thinking patterns”. Before we accept or reject them, we have to let them pass through our conscious “assessment agency”. This is a moment to moment activity and needs your conscious presence at every moment. The loss of conscious presence at any moment means impeding the function of “assessment agency” and beginning of habitualisation process. When we pause and read the SIGN, otherwise overshadowed by the colour, we trigger the conscious “assessment agency” to guide our decision making. We will stop the car, which is exercising positive decision. The positive decision has positive implications. Simply, we followed the rule and avoided fine.
