It's less a mental condition than a carefully-curated identity.As a corrective I'm about to go pull weeds and listen to the audio version of "Overcome," by Jason Redman. The challenges in my life are tiny compared to the ones he describes, but the principle is the same: Cringe or thrive.
Well, yes
S.E. Cupp has angst, but Ace isn't feeling it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
Ace is harsh, but the basic insight is correct. Many of these things currently classified as 'mental illness' by affluent American women today are really the effects of bad philosophy rather than any physical condition. Adopting and practicing stoicism would go a long way towards eliminating the phenomenal experience of anxiety; so might Zen Buddhism.
There is a field now called 'philosophical counseling' that I have occasionally considered practicing. It's for people who don't actually need serious psychological treatment, but whose problems and feelings would be better addressed by learning applied philosophy. Obviously it won't solve problems that arise from physical damage to the brain or from other physical conditions, though it might be helpful even there. But for a lot of these folks, it's really what they need.
"Ace is harsh" would be putting it mildly.
Sometimes harsh is accurate.
Say, also, "Ace is accurate."
Eric Hines
Ace has an acid tongue that I thoroughly appreciate.
"philosophical counseling"...in Tom Wolfe's novel 'A Man in Full', both the failed real-estate entrepreneur and the blue-collar guy who was once his subordinate (a long way down) find meaning in the works of Stoicism.
There's a bit of The Princess and the Pea about this essay, as if her increasing difficulties prove what a good person she is. I've always felt sorry for that Princess.
This piece which I ran across who-knows-where (could even have been here) seems like a sane counterpoint:
https://thecorners.substack.com/p/if-you-cant-take-in-anymore-theres
The more exposure I have to the fires I have NO WATER to fight, the more likely I am to get so burned, and inhale so much smoke that I cannot help anymore with the fires close enough to fight once my bucket is full again.
I do not know if this writer's approach qualifies as philosophical but it seems cognizant of human nature and human limitations.
As that post says, I've finite time and attention. My gut reaction to the "You must!" people is "Who died and made you God? There are other problems in the world, and I have my own assignments."
My reaction to such is limited to "Who died and made you God?" and nothing more. If I react that far.
I have no interest, need, or obligation to justify my differing decisions to such as those.
Eric Hines
More and more, we seem to be living in a "pathocracy".
Now, showing your mental issues is just in-group signaling.
Post a Comment