Do you see triangles in the picture?
Of course there are no triangles. Why do we still see one? This is due to our compelling need to weave a story if there is any crack in the information gathered by our senses. When there is a lack of evidence, our brain will instantly fill the gap with a ready-to-use explanation.
Our brains are designed for survival. In a prehistoric context, this meant reacting fast if you wanted to save your head. Our brains will not search far and wide for a sophisticated solution , but will resort to the most common and accessible explanation, based on previous experiences. This is habitual knee-jerk reaction, rather than a conscious choice.
You need not look far, storytelling of all sorts is a constant pastime of the mind. A popular one is stereotyping. Another is assuming we know the reason behind someone´s behavior, or the delightful stories we tell about ourselves; “I´m not getting it right, so I must be stupid”,… “I didn´t get the project so I must be a failure”… “I didn´t get the job because I´m xyz…”. Feel free to add your own ;-). This takes on a terrible toll when it comes to progress, since the underlying assumption is we have no power to change.
How do we avoid that our brain takes you on the well ridden path of assumption? Instead ask yourself question if what you assumed is really true. Pause for a second before jumping in with yet another story. What is it like to be for just a second without internal chatter? …enjoy the gap…
Another way is to create target confusion by feeding your curious brain with several stories that preferably contradict each other. I´m not asking you to believe them, just tease your assumptions by offering a few possible scenarios.
And lastly delaying the desire to come up instantly with a solution can open up the space for an even better one. If you cannot live without a story…at least make it one that serves you…it´s yours anyway!