Spontaneous thoughts can be broadly divided into two categories, namely "free" thoughts, which are flexible and fluid, and "stuck" thoughts, which tend to be rigid, repetitive or intrusive.

Rigid thinking can function as a survival mechanism ... my body will not change” provide an illusion of stability. These cognitive patterns, while initially adaptive, can become maladaptive ...

You write that rigid thinking can be tempting ... and just exploiting known patterns and rules can seem to be the most efficient strategy. Also, many people argue — and many ideologies will ...