Doubt

The brain is a mysterious, exceedingly complex thing. That it controls our every movement, enables us to think -- a marvel unto itself -- and creates our every emotion makes it among the most astonishing devices known. (Yes, even more amazing than the iPhone and Siri combined.) It is, without exaggeration, an awe-inspiring organ, one we likely take for granted all too often.

And yet, we have a bone to pick with it.

One common product of our brain is doubt, that feeling of uncertainty, that dread that often leads to self-questioning and, in turn, inaction. All in all, an uncomfortable emotion, one that has the power to undermine our self-concept and in the process weaken the very foundation of our identity. (Sorry if that sounded excessively psychological. It's the training. Given the years spent in graduate school, I've got to let it out of the bag every so often. I'll try not to let it happen again anytime soon.)

Said another way, doubt messes with your head, and not in a good way.

So, what is this thing called doubt and what good does it do? If you subscribe to the belief that evolution exists and that evolutionary processes have refined the human animal to increase its odds of survival, doubt must play an important role in our ongoing ability to withstand forces that might otherwise have taken us down. (You might want to reread that sentence; it's a mouthful.)

Like any emotion, doubt has its upsides and downsides. On the upside, doubt may have been a significant contributor to many of us still being alive, or at least being able to walk. To wit:

• Should I try to jump from the top of this building to the next one? After all, I'm only 10 stories up.

• Can I ski down this quadruple black diamond run? Looks like there's only one cliff to traverse.
  

• I wonder if I should eat this wild mushroom I just found in the forest? It looks okay.
  

• Hey, if he can do a backwards flip on his bike, shouldn't I be able to?
  

• Think she'll like a clock radio for her birthday?
  

If doubt made you think twice, question your sanity, protect you from physical danger, and/or cause you to choose another course of action -- and you lived to tell about it -- there's something good to be said for the emotion. There's also something good to be said for doubt if it kicked up your game and helped you perform to or beyond your capabilities. Either way, give doubt appropriate props if it contributed in any way to you still being alive and in full control of your bodily functions.

On the downside, doubt has an insidious way of causing uncertainty at our very core. And not in a good way. Often after receiving 'feedback' at work, or from a friend or from a family member, resulting in some potentially foundation-weakening thoughts:

• I thought I was doing this job well. Why doesn't my boss think so?

• Aren't I smart enough to understand what's needed?

• I used to be successful. What happened?

• Is there something wrong with me?

• I thought I had what it takes. Now, I'm not so sure.

While we applaud questioning and believe self-reflection to be a very good thing, the idea that doubt can cause you to undermine your self-concept, your sense of purpose -- change who you are -- is that bone we have to pick with the brain. Question, yes. Self-reflect, sure. But we urge you not to allow doubt to lessen your belief in yourself. There's nothing like a diminished sense of self to ruin your whole day or, for that matter, the rest of your life.

There's an effective way to combat doubt, especially that caused by negative feedback. Consider this 3-step approach:

1. First seek understanding. Why did the person provide that feedback? What can I learn from it? What can I do to improve? And, importantly, did I show appreciation to the person for having the courage to share the information with me?

2. Seek to grow. Take the most useful input to heart. Attempt to modify your behavior to demonstrate a capacity to learn and to honor the person who provided the feedback. Try to adapt. Despite the old adage, you are never too old to learn new tricks. Remember, evolution is an on-going process, something the dinosaurs didn't understand.

3. Then seek more feedback. After you've attempted to incorporate the feedback, ask the person who provided it: How am I doing? Have you seen improvement? Have any suggestions to help me improve further?

By doing these things, you'll have eliminated the nasty side of doubt, demonstrated the capacity to learn, likely improved yourself, and gained or bolstered the respect of others. You'll have also elevated yourself above the vast majority of those who would have reacted with scorn and resentment upon receiving negative feedback.

All in all, a very good day. Don't doubt it.