Coddling of the American Mind had a pretty good passage on this. Currently we have effective talk therapy techniques like CBT. In these therapies, either with a psychologist or by yourself, you basically question the thoughts that cause you distress. "No, it's not true that I'm a worthless failure and nobody wants to talk to me." "No it's not true that if I don't obsessively over-analyze every email I send out, I'll accidentally make a terrible message and get fired." "No it's not true that Trump supporters want to murder every brown person."
It's been shown by studies to be highly effective in treating everything from anxiety to depression, and many psychologists will try it before even thinking about medication. The guy who invented it was inspired after reading a lot of works by ancient stoics. This might seem like a joke to some people here, but I was raised in an environment with teachers and peers who had serious victim mentalities. Personally, these techniques have helped prevent me from becoming a Bernie bro and take more responsibility in my life.
But on the other hand, we have many in academia and popular culture that basically promote the opposite of these techniques. "Yes, society is inherently biased against you and there's nothing you can do about it." "Yes everybody with a MAGA hat wants you dead." Instead of teaching people how to deal with, for example, negative thoughts upon trying to start a weight loss program, there's lots of people that will just tell them it's okay to be 400lbs overweight.
The most important responsibility is to understand that you are responsible for your own happiness. No one else is supposed to make you happy. That recognition helps you to make better decisions for you.
And I would add something my grandmother taught me; You are responsible for being insulted. People can say and do whatever they like but if you become insulted by it, that is on you. I say you are also responsible for your own "OMG I'm literally shaking because Trump" horseshit. You are responsible for you own sorrow and misery.
Great post and very true. Although when I tried CBT once the bitch immediately wanted me on drugs and insisted it was necessary. So I quit.
But the technique is solid. In fact it's what taught me how ridiculous all those redditors are who think they read your mind and know exactly what you are thinking and how you are. Classic cognitive distortion. I may not have been incredibly successful with CBT but it did teach me a lot about cognitive distortion and how to recognize it in myself and others. I see it around me everywhere these days.
It's really sickening what the media does to these people. They are spreading mental illness.
Coddling of the American Mind had a pretty good passage on this. Currently we have effective talk therapy techniques like CBT. In these therapies, either with a psychologist or by yourself, you basically question the thoughts that cause you distress. "No, it's not true that I'm a worthless failure and nobody wants to talk to me." "No it's not true that if I don't obsessively over-analyze every email I send out, I'll accidentally make a terrible message and get fired." "No it's not true that Trump supporters want to murder every brown person."
It's been shown by studies to be highly effective in treating everything from anxiety to depression, and many psychologists will try it before even thinking about medication. The guy who invented it was inspired after reading a lot of works by ancient stoics. This might seem like a joke to some people here, but I was raised in an environment with teachers and peers who had serious victim mentalities. Personally, these techniques have helped prevent me from becoming a Bernie bro and take more responsibility in my life.
But on the other hand, we have many in academia and popular culture that basically promote the opposite of these techniques. "Yes, society is inherently biased against you and there's nothing you can do about it." "Yes everybody with a MAGA hat wants you dead." Instead of teaching people how to deal with, for example, negative thoughts upon trying to start a weight loss program, there's lots of people that will just tell them it's okay to be 400lbs overweight.
That's interesting and sounds like something that could really work. They have to "retrain" their minds to think a certain way.
That book should be read by every single 15 year old (and person, in general) in the nation
The most important responsibility is to understand that you are responsible for your own happiness. No one else is supposed to make you happy. That recognition helps you to make better decisions for you.
Jordan Peterson is a hero for teaching this to so many people over the last few years
And I would add something my grandmother taught me; You are responsible for being insulted. People can say and do whatever they like but if you become insulted by it, that is on you. I say you are also responsible for your own "OMG I'm literally shaking because Trump" horseshit. You are responsible for you own sorrow and misery.
Great post and very true. Although when I tried CBT once the bitch immediately wanted me on drugs and insisted it was necessary. So I quit.
But the technique is solid. In fact it's what taught me how ridiculous all those redditors are who think they read your mind and know exactly what you are thinking and how you are. Classic cognitive distortion. I may not have been incredibly successful with CBT but it did teach me a lot about cognitive distortion and how to recognize it in myself and others. I see it around me everywhere these days.
It's really sickening what the media does to these people. They are spreading mental illness.