The Mountain Is You

ASK FOR HELP, BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO KNOW 
EVERY THING
We live in a specialized society.
People go to school; they apprentice and train to become 
very skilled at one task. They then market and sell this task 
in exchange for purchasing other people’s expertise.
You are not supposed to know everything.
You are not supposed to be a financial expert; that’s why 
you can hire one to do your taxes or advise your investing. 

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THE MOUNTAIN IS YOU
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BRIANNA WIEST
You are not supposed to be a master chef; that’s why you 
can buy a cookbook or ask your mother for help. You are 
not supposed to be a world-class trainer; that’s why you 
can book an appointment with one and learn. You are not 
supposed to understand the complexities of mental health 
and neuropsychology; that’s why you can visit with a psy-
chotherapist and learn how to get better.
You are not supposed to know everything. You’re not sup-
posed to be good at everything. This is why you have peo-
ple whom you can hire or learn from. Cut yourself some 
slack, and focus on what you are proficient in. Outsource 
everything else.
KNOW WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW, AND STOP FALSE 
DICHOTOMOUS THINKING
The main reason that people sustain anxiety is due to 
long-term thinking in either/ors, otherwise known as 
false dichotomies.
This is a cognitive distortion in which you eschew an en-
tire field of possibilities in favor of one or two polarized 
outcomes, neither of which are likely or reasonable.
If I lose my job, I am a failure. False.
If this relationship ends, I’ll never find love again. False.
If this scary thing happens, I won’t be able to go on. False.

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THE MOUNTAIN IS YOU
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BRIANNA WIEST
Anxiety is caused by logic lapses, where there’s a breach 
in your reasoning skills. You jump from one event to an 
unlikely conclusion, and because it makes you feel some-
thing strongly, you assume it to be true. Ultimately, you 
start thinking in dichotomies, which are not only inef-
fective, but also spook you so much that you are rendered 
incapable of actually handling your life.