Dr Becky Kennedy, Ph.D. (a clinical psychologist and founder of Good Inside, an educational platform for parents) acknowledges that false information or flawed thinking can lead to ‘untrustworthy’ emotions, which I call ‘faulty feelings’.
During the Week 3 assembly, I spoke to students about the problems that arise when we trust, accept, and act on faulty feelings. Using the examples below, I encouraged students to develop the wisdom to recognise and replace these feelings.
A common cause of students experiencing ‘faulty anger’ is hearing a rumour that a friend has done or said something wrong. Immediately trusting this anger and acting on it can create unnecessary relational tension, especially when the rumour turns out to be false. A better response is to pause and check whether the anger is justified by asking their friend what happened before reacting.
Excessively focusing on their physical imperfections or comparing themselves to others causes many students to feel insecure and inadequate about their appearance. Rather than trusting (accepting and acting on) these feelings, I encouraged students to replace them by learning how to change their thinking.
Turia Pitt (photo below) inspires many as an Australian woman who survived severe burns while running in an ultramarathon. She has learned to think about her body in a way that allows her to feel secure and happy.
Recognising and replacing faulty feelings, rather than trusting them, is a crucial skill that students need to develop to build healthy relationships and a positive sense of self-worth and well-being. Changing our feelings by changing our thinking is a process psychologists call reframing.
The Bible offers profound wisdom about faulty feelings. A few examples include:
- Romans 12:2 – “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
- James 1:19 – “Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.”
Mr Tim Oates
Head of Secondary
