It’s finals day. Imagine having just 3 more questions to go before you’re off for break. Your heart is racing, palms sweating as you make the most important decision in your life: whether to pick a, b, or c. In this moment of panic, you have placed your cognitive behavior in the driver’s seat, steering your behavior and emotions toward your final destination. Humans use their cognitive skills in everyday tasks. It includes the capacity to “reason, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, comprehend complex ideas, learn quickly, and learn from experience” (Plomin, 1999). So what are we basing these abilities on? 

Ahmaud Arbery is an innocent black male whose life was taken during his jog by two white men. Cognitive behavior highlights the idea that a person’s thoughts can influence their behavior. In this case, the two white men were influenced by the idea that if a black male was roaming around, he was probably trespassing or robbing. Facing racism from both perspectives sets the landscape of cognitive behavior when put in the given situation. In the song ‘Shoes’ by Lupe Fiasco, a child is faced with racism. “White kid at the front let me go first ’cause I was black. Said it was only right. He was used to havin’ head starts his entire life.” The boy’s interpretation of it being ‘only right’ to let the colored boy go first releases his beliefs shaped by his experiences. 

The Dunning-Kruger effect is a cognitive bias where people may challenge their ability to the wrong extent. For example, a man with absolutely no disguise attempts to rob a bank in broad daylight. He made the decision not to protect himself because he was under the impression that rubbing lemon juice would block his face from view. Now, a person who knows the statement is false would act differently. But how would they have known that it was legitimate? Later, Dunning read the article that led him to a new vision. “If Wheeler [the thief] was too stupid to be a bank robber, perhaps he was also too stupid to know that he was too stupid to be a bank robber — that is, his stupidity protected him from an awareness of his own stupidity.” Rumsfeld, who studied Dunning and Kruger’s idea emphasizes how we humans are left in the dark, not knowing every single detail to make judgments of. “Unknown unknowns also exist at the level of solutions. People often come up with answers to problems that are o.k., but are not the best solutions.  The reason they don’t come up with those solutions is that they are simply not aware of them.” Humans lack this ability as they don’t know every single thing going on in the world, let alone the universe. However, this is what makes us different from one another. To be able to decide based on your opinion, differently, instead of logically. Maybe being left in the dark isn’t so bad after all. 

Negative cognitive thinking patterns can have a profound effect on a person’s mental health, heavily influencing their actions, emotions, and overall quality of life. In Othello, Iago successfully manipulates one person after the other by making them make decisions based on information they do not know. As Iago continues to pursue his plans, he warns Othello to not let jealousy take over. “Oh, beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock The meat it feeds on” (III.iii.). However, what most may have perceived as a warning was something to feed into Othello’s existing suspicions. Othello’s cognitive behavior affected by jealousy and paranoia resulted in his inability to trust those close to him. When doubting oneself, a person may tend to engage in self-criticism as well as lower their effort. In this case, the moor already suffers criticism from his race and high position.“I fetch my life and being from men of royal siege and my demerits may speak unbonneted to as proud a fortune as this that I have reached” (III.iii). Othello argues that although he may not be of the same race, he comes from a well-respected family and considers himself equal to Desdemona. Iago’s schemes take advantage of Othello’s self-doubt and lead to the unfolding of numerous tragic events. 

Ultimately, negative cognitive behavior results in a significant impact on our mental health and quality of life. It encompasses patterns of thinking, characterized by self-doubt and unrealistic expectations. The destructive consequences of jealousy, expectations and even self-doubting, as exemplified by the Ahmaud Arbery case, Dunning Kruger Effect, and Shakespeare’s “Othello” serve as a reminder of the tragic outcomes of negative cognitive behaviors. Challenging these negative thoughts is crucial as it shapes the well-being of individuals across the world.