Why Your Mind Builds a Case Against You and How to Push Back

Owen Fitzpatrick explores what he calls "inner propaganda" — the persuasive stories our minds construct that make self-doubt and difficult emotions feel like objective truths. Drawing from his book of the same name and his own experience with depression, he explains how mood shapes what we notice and remember, making negative interpretations feel accurate even when nothing has actually changed. He offers practical ways to respond: questioning thoughts with honest questions rather than forcing affirmations, tending to emotions directly, and taking small actions. Fitzpatrick also emphasizes the value of humor and patience in loosening the grip of painful thoughts.