Cycle 11 - Video 2 - Smarter Than BPD Quiz

The Importance of Mentalizing for Human Behavior and Borderline Personality Disorder

• Mentalizing is the understanding of human behavior in oneself and others in terms of mental states such as thoughts, feelings, wishes, beliefs, and desires.
• Human beings have the ability to immediately attribute mental states to observed actions, allowing us to collaborate and work in large social groups.
• Mentalizing is a core attribute of being human and has enabled us to live in cities of millions and collaborate effectively.
• Individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) struggle with mentalizing, taking negative thoughts as completely real and losing the distinction between mental and physical reality.
• Those with BPD may feel shut in and experience feelings of solitary confinement over years compressed into a few seconds.
• Recovery from BPD requires a network of mentalizing relationships where the individual feels understood, treated as agents, and decisions are shared with them.
• A change in social environment can help move an individual from a situation of mistrust to trust, allowing them to be open to the social world and generate recovery.
• Mentalizing relationships are necessary for adequate recovery from BPD.
• Primates can tolerate social groups of about 30 or 40, while humans can live in cities of millions due to our ability to mentalize.
• Mentalizing is what allows us to judge what other people are thinking and collaborate effectively with them.
• Mentalizing is not just about understanding others but also understanding oneself and not taking negative thoughts too seriously.
• Mentalizing is a simple concept with a profound impact on human behavior and mental health.