Modern culture is full of propaganda. It’s designed to shape how we think and even control what we do. The good news? You can change this mental programming. There’s a simple process that works like an antidote to harmful thoughts, beliefs, and values.
Beliefs and values are rarely born inside you. They are learned from the culture or by some system of indoctrination (religious or political). They form the scripts that shape our worldview.
Changing Thought Scripts and Programming
Our minds often repeat the programming filled with thought scripts. Repetition makes them fade into the background, making them feel “normal.” But many of them create fear, shame, anger, or unfair judgments. Repairing this programming and these scripts is key to a healthy mindset.
Thoughts, beliefs, and values guide choices. As life changes, old ideas may no longer serve you. Changing them does not erase who you are — it prepares you for the future. The benefits include more flexibility, stronger relationships, better decision-making, and new opportunities. Follow the steps below to locate, challenge, and replace harmful scripts.
The Core Process For Repairing Harmful Thinking
1. Identifying Harmful Beliefs and Values in Thinking
Repair begins with recognition. Think of this as a hunting expedition: decide what you are hunting and learn to recognize it even when it hides.
What Harmful Beliefs Look Like:
Directed outward (examples):
- Racism: believing one race is superior.
- Sexism: thinking one gender is more valuable.
- Classism: judging people by wealth or status.
- Homophobia: fearing or rejecting LGBTQ+ people.
- Transphobia: demeaning or denying transgender identities.
- Xenophobia / Nationalism: mistrusting people from other countries.
- Religious prejudice: assuming one belief system is superior.
- Superiority thinking: believing you are better than others.
- Conspiracy thinking: accepting extreme ideas without evidence.
- Catastrophizing: assuming the worst will happen.
Self-Directed Harmful Thoughts:
- “I’m not good enough.”
- “I don’t deserve love.”
- “If I make a mistake, everything will fall apart.”
These scripts shape behavior, interpretation of events, and what you believe is possible for your life.
The Subtle Power of Beliefs and Values:
Some beliefs look innocent until analyzed. For example, believing one religious claim about God often implies rejecting thousands of other claims about God. Taken literally, this can justify condemning others. Questioning whether a belief is true moves you from automatic acceptance to conscious choice.
Once you identify potentially harmful thoughts, you need to explore them.
2. Explore and Document Your Thoughts
Harmful thoughts often operate like a low-volume radio. They are scripts that run in the background and cause anxiety, shame, or irritation. Learning to notice these thoughts in the moment gives you the power to respond rather than react.
2a. Notice the Emotional Charge and Body Response
Harmful thoughts are often intertwined with powerful emotions. These emotions can amplify the thought’s urgency and believability. Before you can test a thought fairly, you must understand the emotional “charge” behind it.
How to Do It:
- Pause when the thought appears. Ask. What emotion is tied to this thought?” Is it Fear? Shame? Anger? Guilt? Disgust? Hopelessness?
- Notice what happens in your body: Tight chest, clenched jaw, stomach tension, heat, trembling, numbness.
- Name the emotion clearly in your journal.
Examples:
- This belief brings shame and a heavy feeling in my chest.
- This script creates fear and tension in my stomach.
- This thought triggers anger and tightens my jaw.
Why This Matters:
- Emotions are the glue that holds harmful thoughts in place.
- When you name the emotion, you weaken its influence.
- You create enough space to test the thought clearly, rather than being controlled by it.
This emotional awareness prepares you to delve deeper into the underlying beliefs.
2b. Use the Repeating Question Exercise:
Repeating a question gets beyond pre-programmed answers. Ask one question until you reach the root of the belief.
How to Do It:
Select a question like, “Why do I do XYZ?”
- Write the answer.
- Ask the question again and seek a new answer. Please write it down.
- Keep asking until you exhaust all possibilities.
This process exposes the real reasons behind your thinking. Beware: you may not like the results.
➡ Read more:
Exploring the Repeating Question or the Repetitive Question Technique →
2c. Journal Daily
Journaling captures thought patterns and emotions in the handwriting. Look for thinking patterns that lead to harmful outcomes.
Why This Matters:
Revealing the source of unhealthy thinking, beliefs, and values reduces their power. It helps you to realize:
I don’t have to keep it.
-
- What am I telling myself right now?
- Are these words kind or harsh?
- Does this thought help me feel calm, or does it make me feel worse?
➡ Read more:
The First Spiritual Tool — The Spiritual Growth Journal for Inner Work →
2d. Observe Daily Thinking Activity
The most common way we encounter these harmful or unhealthy thinking patterns is during daily activities. We will encounter something that will trigger these thoughts. When they arise, capture them.
Please write it down. Capture harmful thoughts during everyday life — conversations, news, memories. Record them in detail so they can be tested later.
Key Details to Record:
-
- When the thought occurred
- The trigger or situation
- The emotions it brought up
- How your body reacted (tension, rapid heartbeat, restlessness, etc.)
Key point:
By questioning thinking, beliefs, and values, we gain the perspective to change them.
Why This Matters:
- You cannot repair what you cannot see.
- Documentation uncovers patterns and triggers.
- Noticing thoughts is the first step.
The core process for repairing harmful thinking is based on the willingness to change. Noticing your thoughts is the first step. You shut off autopilot thinking and take control of your awareness.
After exploring our thinking, it’s time to test whether we should change them.
3. Test Thinking, Beliefs, and Values
Testing a thought is judging the thought, not yourself. Cultural conditioning fuses identity with belief. Separating beliefs from identity is essential. Place the thought on a mental table and examine it.
How to Do It:
Imagine placing the thought on a table in front of you where you can look at it calmly.
Core Questions:
- Is this thought true?
- Is it helpful or harmful?
- Does it make my life better or worse?
- Does it hurt others or the environment?
- Is it based on facts or fear?
3a. Testing Religious and Political Thoughts
Example: “Doubt is a sin.”
- Ask: Who taught me this?
- Is this based on evidence or fear of punishment?
- Does this thought help me live a compassionate, balanced life, or does it make me anxious?
- Am I equating a thought with my identity—thinking that questioning makes me “bad” as a person?
Example: “People who don’t follow my faith are evil.”
- Ask: Do I actually know these people, or am I relying on stereotypes and teachings?
- Does believing this help me interact fairly with others, or does it create fear and division?
- Is this thought helping me grow spiritually, or is it controlling me?
Example: “Anyone who disagrees with my party is the enemy.”
- Ask: Am I labeling people based on ideology rather than evidence?
- Does this thought encourage productive dialogue, or does it create division and fear?
- Who benefits if I continue thinking this way?
Why This Matters:
Testing thoughts in religion and politics is critical because beliefs around them are often tied to identity. Social conditioning and propaganda can trap you in a belief. But asking these questions helps you pause, think, and take back control.
Most harmful thoughts weaken when examined carefully, freeing you to respond rather than react. If we focus on repairing harmful thinking, beliefs, and values in these areas, we cover most of the unhealthy patterns of the psyche.
3b. Testing Personal Thoughts
Beliefs and values outside of religion and politics can also be harmful.
Example: “I always fail.”
Ask:
- Is it always true?
- Are you ignoring examples of success?
- Is this thought coming from fear or evidence?
- Is this belief creating a self-fulfilling prophecy that sets me up to fail?
Instead Reprogram:
- I may not have succeeded, but I can learn from this experience,
- Even the greatest inventors and athletes had defeats on the road to success.
Why This Matters:
Testing the thought breaks its power. It forces you to think, not just react. When the core process for repairing harmful thinking, beliefs, and values reveals something, we improve our minds.
4. Stop, Reject, Remove, and Replace
Once you’ve tested and identified a thought, interrupt it before it escalates. Use the four-step process:
- STOP: Notice it calmly. “There it is again.”
- REJECT: Tell yourself, “This thought is not true or helpful.”
- REMOVE: Let it go, like deleting a file or turning off a bad recording.
- REPLACE: Replace with a positive affirming thought, belief, or value.
Examples:
- Curiosity opens doors to understanding and growth.
- Listening to different perspectives makes me stronger and more informed.
- Every challenge is a chance to learn and build resilience.
Pro tip: Write down the new script that replaces the harmful one. Writing helps to solidify it. Put it in your journal, your smart device reminders, and on sticky notes. Keeping the new script at the forefront of your mind helps you rewrite your self-talk.
Place your new script where you will see it every day.
Why This Matters:
Healthy scripts give your mind a new pattern to follow. Over time, the new voice begins to replace the old one.
This order—Stop → Reject → Remove → Replace—keeps you proactive. You engage with the thought critically first, see where it came from, actively let it go, and then replace it. Over time, this rewires automatic thinking into patterns that support growth and well-being.
Don’t be surprised if you keep fixing the same scripts over and over. Deeply rooted thinking patterns, beliefs, and values take time and patience. The longer you have held unhealthy or harmful beliefs, the longer it takes to overcome them.
➡ Read more:
Start, Stop, Continue, and Avoid — Most Importantly, What You Need to Avoid →
5. Eliminate the Source of Harmful Thinking
You have just rejected, removed, and replaced some unhealthy programming. So, you don’t want it back. Every harmful thought has a history. Most began as someone else’s voice—powerful, emotional, or repeated enough to become part of your inner world. That means you must eliminate the source, or the harmful programming will return.
Eliminating the source can be difficult, as it is often someone or something that holds a significant place in your life. But if you skip this, you’ll reinforce an unhealthy thinking pattern. Many people resist this because the source often holds a strong place in their lives.
Social Media Sites Promoting Unhealthy Thinking
Avoiding exposure to harmful social conditioning tactics is the best strategy. If you use them, eliminate them from your social media diet. It’s the only way to maintain a healthy mindset. Here’s a short list of sites that are known for promoting harmful social conditioning.
| Alt-Right Conservative Social Media Sites and Sources | |
|---|---|
| Fox News | Western Journal |
| Washington Examiner | National Review |
| Epoch Times | Washington Times |
| Newsmax | Townhall |
| The Base | The Gateway Pundit |
| The Daily Wire | Breitbart |
| The Daily Caller | The Savage Nation |
Other Sources of Harmful Thinking
Family Conditioning and Cultural Programming
Harmful beliefs often come from parents, caregivers, and cultural norms. Constant criticism, emotional coldness, rigid rules, or shaming teach children what is “acceptable.” Culture adds layers through gender roles, class, beauty standards, and authority.
Religious Indoctrination and Political Propaganda
Religious systems use fear, guilt, and obedience. Political messaging relies on repetition and loyalty tied to identity. This helps it bypass rational thinking.
Social Pressure and Group Hypnosis
Beliefs spread through schools, workplaces, online communities, and family tribes. The need for acceptance often outweighs the need for independent thinking.
Trauma and Emotional Shock Learning
Trauma imprints survival beliefs that persist long after danger passes
Why This Matters:
Recognize that removing harmful sources frees time and space for healthy ones.
6. Reinforce the New Pattern Every Day
The brain learns through repetition. What you repeat becomes what you believe.
How to Do It:
- Say the new script out loud each morning.
- Write it in your journal.
- Set reminders in your phone.
- When the old thought appears, calmly return to the new one.
- Reinforce desired beliefs and values with affirmations
Why This Matters:
Repetition strengthens new pathways. Eventually, the new thought becomes automatic—and the harmful thought fades.
➡ Read more:
Simple Confidence Boosting Affirmations for Self-Growth and Development →
7. Protect Your Mind From Harmful Inputs
Healthy thinking needs a healthy environment. The core process for repairing harmful thinking protects the mind from manipulation tactics. It keeps the mind calm, organized, and healthy, grounded in scientific principles. If your outer world is stressful, hostile, or chaotic, you need a strong inner world to maintain emotional equilibrium.
How to Do It:
- Limit media that creates anger or fear.
- Step back from people who drain or attack you.
- Spend time with people who think clearly, respectfully, and openly.
- Give yourself breaks from screens and noise.
- Rest when your mind feels overloaded.
Why This Matters:
Your thoughts are shaped by what you feed your mind. Protecting your mental environment keeps your progress strong.
8. Keep Growing Your Awareness
The process for repairing harmful thinking is not a single moment. Maintaining a healthy mindset means regularly checking in with yourself. It’s about choosing better habits over time.
How to Do It:
- Practice meditation or quiet reflection.
- Use journaling to understand your reactions.
- Ask questions about beliefs you absorbed without thinking.
- Use the emotional check-in process to regain emotional equilibrium.
- Learn new skills, ideas, and perspectives.
- Reflect weekly on which thoughts improved and which still need work.
Why This Matters:
Awareness helps your mind stay open and flexible. Growth keeps harmful scripts from returning.
9. Align Your Actions With the New Thinking Pattern
Changing your thinking is a decisive first step. But real transformation happens when your behavior matches your new beliefs and values. The brain rewires itself through action. When you consistently behave according to your new script, your mind begins to accept it as the new normal.
How to Do It:
- Choose one small action each week that supports your new belief or value.
- Keep it simple, repeatable, and realistic.
- Use behavior to confirm the new pattern.
Examples:
Old Script: “I always fail.”
New Action: Attempt one small task you’ve been avoiding and note the outcome.
Old Script: “People like them are dangerous.”
New Action: Read a personal story, interview, or viewpoint from someone outside your bubble.
Old Script: “Questioning is sinful or disloyal.”
New Action: Explore one alternative idea or perspective without judgment.
Old Script: “My needs don’t matter.”
New Action: Set one boundary this week or schedule one short period of rest.
Why This Matters:
Behavior solidifies belief.
When your actions align with your new thinking, you create evidence that the new script is true. Over time, this becomes your authentic way of living—not just a mental exercise.
Final Thoughts on The Core Process for Repairing Harmful Thinking
Repairing unhealthy thinking is powerful inner work. You learn to separate your true thoughts from the ones you absorbed without permission. You gain clarity. You gain freedom. And you begin to see yourself—and others—more clearly.
References
- Cognitive–behavioral therapy for management of mental health and stress-related disorders: Recent advances in techniques and technologies. BioPsychoSocial Medicine.
- Cognitive restructuring and psychotherapy outcome: A meta-analytic review. PubMed.
- Using Brief Cognitive Restructuring and Cognitive Defusion Techniques to Cope With Negative Thoughts. PubMed.
- Cognitive Reappraisal. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice (2022 commentary on origins of restructuring in therapy).
- Belief revision in psychotherapy. Synthese.
- Depressed individuals express more distorted thinking on social media. arXiv / preprint.
- Repetitive negative thinking, self-reflection, and perceived cognitive dysfunction in older adults: a cross-sectional study. BMC Psychiatry.
- The Effect of Mindfulness-based Psychoeducation on Negative Automatic Thoughts and Medication Adherence in Individuals with Cannabis Use Disorder: a Randomized Controlled Trial. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction.