DBT - Wise Mind: Balancing Emotion and Reason (Part-5)

DBT - Wise Mind: Balancing Emotion and Reason - Are there times where you make impulsive decisions based on how you’re feeling in the moment? What about other times where you convince yourself that your feelings don’t matter and make decisions purely based on facts, what you “should do” or what is “right?” Who is the wisest person you know?

Think for a moment…. This is the person that you would go to for advice about a situation. The person who would help you balance the cold, hard fact with your feelings & the things that are most important to you as a person. What advice has this person given you in the past about things? What is it about them that makes you think they are “wise? Is this different than if they were “smart? What is “Wise Mind?” 

 In short, in DBT “Emotion Mind” refers to a state of mind where you make decisions based purely on your feelings and emotions. This may be yelling something hurtful out of anger, binging or purging food to change feelings of sadness and aloneness, or quitting something because you’re afraid of failure just to name a few examples. 

On the other hand, “Reasonable Mind” is the complete opposite. Many people believe they should operate in this state of mind where all decisions are made devoid of emotion and based purely on reason and logic. This mind state considers facts, rigid ideals and self judgments. For instance, you may ignore your feelings of anger at a friend who hurts you or reschedule your day because you “should” say yes when your mom asks you to do something. Wise Mind is the synthesis of these two opposites. Wise Mind means acting in a rational way that helps you accomplish your goals while still acknowledging and honoring your feelings.