“Y’know what I’d say? And it sounds… it might seem...

“Y’know what I’d say? And it sounds… it might seem oversimplified but it’s profound. I’d say “shh.” That’s been a big thing for me — “shh.” You know? It’s so funny just how noisy my brain is. Everyone’s brain is noisy. That’s what it does, it makes thoughts. And the problem is, I think in most of our lives, the root of suffering is following that brain noise and listening to that brain noise and actually identifying with it as if it’s who you are. That’s just the noise your brain makes, y’know? And more often than not, it probably doesn’t have much to say that’s going to help you.

The times that I’ve felt my best are the moments that I’ve been able to pull that plug and say “Chris… shh. Shh. Shh.” And it’s not quitting, it’s not giving up, it’s not washing your hands of the thought — it’s rising above it. It’s operating on a separate plane. You can’t dissect why that works because the reason it works doesn’t speak the same language that the brain speaks. You can’t try and say “well why shush?” ‘Cause the “shush” is y’know, it’s different. It’s different. When you just… “shh”… it just feels good. You’re like “that’s better. That’s better.” And I think back to all the amount of time I probably spent suffering as a result of brain noise. Hours of my life… wasted. Just… “shh. Shh. Shh.” So, that’s what I’d say: “shh.””

Chris Evans, answering “if you could give advice to the 12-year-old version of yourself, what advice would you give?”