The Link Between Attitude & Behavior

The Bible famously quotes that, "As a man thinketh, so is he." This suggests that what you think actually has the power to determine your character. Other schools of positive thought would agree that you can change the course of your circumstances by simply shifting your attitude. This may be because of the direct link in between your attitude, that internal measure of your thoughts and ideas, and the outward demonstration of your behavior.

Attitude

• Your attitude is the collection of your thoughts and ideas about your own reality. This can be either positive or negative, based on how you have processed certain facts and experiences. This means it can be entirely personal; you and someone with a similar background can develop different attitudes toward the same people, events and circumstances. The cognitive component of your attitude will determine your thoughts, beliefs and ideas about a specific thing. This will determine the affective component of your attitude, in which you develop a certain feeling based on what you think or believe.

Behavior

• Whereas attitude is what you think or feel, behavior is what you do. Often this is based on your attitudes regarding your thoughts and ideas, and goes more to determine your attitude than mere words. For example, someone may reject that he is a bigot or a racist, which is the affective component of an underlying attitude, but may behave in a manner inconsistent with his words. He may say something untoward about someone from a different race, religion or background, and this behavior would be a more honest indicator of his attitude.

The Origin of Change

• Because attitude many times determines behavior, often it takes changing one's attitude to affect real change in behavior. If someone decides to make a positive impact on their health after years of apathy, she will need to change her perception and attitude toward her own self-worth in order to cultivate the behavior to help her meet her new goals. This "name it and claim it" mentality suggests that you can change your future simply by changing the way that you think.

Inauthentic Behavior

• There are times when an individual may decide to alter his behavior despite his underlying attitudes as a measure of self-preservation. This tempers what a person may think or feel by the logical assessment of what the consequences of his behavior might render. For example, someone who struggles with his sexual identity may feel the need to hide certain behavior so that he is not rejected by family and friends. This can lead to conflict within himself as well as with those around him, who may pick up on this inauthentic behavior as a character flaw.