Jean Piaget Centration and Truthought - 02/14/08

Centration is a process of focusing on a narrow range of information to the exclusion of other relevant information. In centering, a person takes some portion of an event or stimuli out of context narrowing it to a fine point while excluding other details.

Developmentally, children may engage in centration forms of thinking for about the first seven years of their life leading to a fine-tuned process for learning. While the increased ability for learning may prove beneficial, the capacity to narrow their focus and eliminate information may lead to limiting beliefs.

When one dwells on an “offensive” act to the exclusion of contrary indications, one may continue to search for similar examples to support the already narrow view. Eventually it becomes nearly impossible for the person to consider contrary evidence without getting angry, or becoming confused. Irreversibility may lead to further dwelling, or vengeful or self-protecting measures.

Parallels in Truthought thinking barriers occur in Closed Thinking, Fear of Losing Face, Power Control, and Possesive Attitude, When a person becomes “offended” they may experience a loss of sense of control on the inside leading to a desire to control things externally. This may be exhibited in Power Control, Possessive Attitude or Fear of Losing Face; each thinking process cycling and feeding the next in an ever-narrowing cycle of centration.

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