make the symptoms go away. The lesson to be learned here is
that even though someone appears to be irritated with us, his or
her irritation may have nothing to do with us at all.
Habits and coping mechanisms adopted in childhood may
also influence how we interpret reality. For example, our fam-
ily may have tended to use sarcasm and irony. If out of habit
we are doing the same thing with all our adult friends, we may
be wondering why we turn off so many people. A person who
was abused as a child may have learned to anticipate without
asking the needs of people around them and to avoid asking for
what they themselves want. But if they carry those habits for-
ward, they will likely have problems achieving satisfying adult
relationships. The baggage we carry with us from our past can
change how we interpret reality. It is almost as if we were
superimposing our old beliefs and habits like an old home
movie on top of the scenes currently playing on our inner
movie.
Likewise, our emotional state can greatly affect our inter-
nal movie. Anger will tint your whole world “red”; depression
will tint it “blue.” Previous emotionally traumatic experiences
can influence our current emotional state.
And our personal philosophies, prejudices, and values also
influence how we view the world. People who place a high
value on individual freedom, for instance, may perceive those
who strive to establish social rules as wanting to deprive them
of an essential right. Those who value fairness and equality
may judge individualists as being selfish and uncooperative.
Inner Movies Can Cause Chain Reactions
Not only are our inner movies impacted by these mental,
physical, and emotional factors, but our inner movies them-
selves, in turn, affect our perception of ourselves, the world,
and, subsequently, our behavior. The “plot” of our inner movie
often tells a story about the world and ourselves that is based
on early life experiences. Undesired inner movies can produce
“Believing that there is
something wrong with us
is a deep and tenacious
suffering.”
Tara BachUsing Movies to Release Negative Beliefs 65