How your brain builds and edits your identity

Our perception and sense of self are constructs of our brain, offering an opportunity to control how we perceive the world. Perceptions are formed by internal expectations from past experiences and external input, creating what we experience. Our inner voice, a silent use of language, provides a survival advantage and is a problem-solving device, allowing us to change our trajectory and expand our perception of ourselves. Our minds are shaped by prior experiences, with neural connections strengthening important ones and allowing others to fade. There's a constant interplay between unconscious brain processes and conscious awareness, influencing perception and memory. A negative mindset leads to perceiving more negative things, while a positive one leads to perceiving more positive things, even in the same environment. Mindfulness involves controlling attention, intake, and reactions to the world. Understanding our "perceptual box" can foster empathy for others in theirs. We are all works in progress with room for change. Many of us look inward to create narratives that explain our experiences and shape our identity. The inner voice is part of our "verbal working memory system," helping us simulate, plan, control ourselves, and "storify" our lives. However, "chatter" is the negative side of the inner voice, leading to rumination, worry, and catastrophizing instead of solutions, turning this tool into a curse. A science-based toolkit can help regain control of the inner voice. Rituals, engaging in the same sequence of behaviors consistently, provide a sense of order and control amidst chatter. The challenge is finding the unique combination of tools that work best for individual types of chatter. The stories we tell ourselves are shaped by environment and upbringing. Observational knowledge, learning from those around us, can lead to self-criticism if we observe it in others, or box us into a fixed mindset. Humans have a negativity bias, perceiving negative information more strongly, which can amplify negative self-talk. If unchecked, this bias forms a template for how we see the world, becoming normal. While thoughts are powerful, we can use them to our advantage by focusing on positive narratives and highlighting "small wins." Bringing conscious attention to these patterns allows for change, as the brain typically optimizes energy by repeating ingrained behaviors. Breaking automatic patterns allows us to take control, rewire, and reshape our perception of ourselves and how others interpret us.