Why Our Words and Actions Don’t Always Match

When a new principal was transferred to our school, she introduced herself by saying she did not like praise and that she would not take action according to others’ sayings. Yet, within a few days her behavior showed the opposite. She wanted a big welcome party in her honor, often shared her personal life to gain admiration, and during a conflict over the timetable she changed it repeatedly to satisfy different teachers without analyzing what was best for the students. This case highlights how people’s words and actions may not always match.

Observing this, I began to wonder why she was acting in this way. But after reading the book "The Power of Your Subconscious Mind", I learned about her behavior. This book explains that people act according to belief systems rooted in their subconscious. Most people are unaware of their emotions and why they behave as they do. Since they have not fully explored their inner feelings, their words and actions often fail to align.

But apart from subconscious beliefs, there are also other psychological reasons such as denial, social image, and defense mechanisms which also affect people’s actions. In this case, her behavior shows denial when she says she dislikes praise but still seeks admiration through a welcome party. Social image appears when she changes decisions again and again to please colleagues. Finally, defense mechanisms are seen in her avoidance of conflict by shifting the timetable instead of making a firm and thoughtful decision .This shows that people often say one thing but do another because they are not fully aware of their true feelings.

Amber Razzaq

EI Batch# 5