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20: Killin Me
Tuesday,
March 3, 2020
YouTube. Some will say since every case of depression
is different it's no use to try to help people in any broad way with their own
depression. It has to be only
individual, only by a professional. And
professionals are great, when you can afford one and have time for one and when
they know what they're doing. But to say
that there shouldn't be any broad knowledge about psychology, to say there
shouldn't be any DIY psychology, would be like saying there shouldn't be a
YouTube for fixing cars. YouTube is
great for fixing your own car. Sometimes
that's the best option, and it's good for people to be able to do their own
stuff if they can and want to. I say
it's the same with psychology. Give the
power to the people. Don't have to take
away professionals, but why feel like the power has to be consolidated in paid
professionals when there are so many things a lay person can do him or
herself? That's what I say. Just like people can fix their own cars if
they want to, let people do their own psychology if they want to. We can do a lot. I'm not saying all of it, all the time, just
don't take away our ability to do that.
Let knowledge flow freely. ($170
for a DSM book!)
Was reading in [a book]. He says since we’re actively producing our emotional problems, we can eliminate them at their source. (Through the means discussed in this book.) a few things. You’re saying the source is our self betrayal. Is that the source, or is it just an aspect, a necessary ingredient, an essential part of the mechanism, like I’m saying? Then you’d be saying everybody’s emotional problems is caused by self-betrayal. You focus on that thing, like it is the sole cause and therefore the sole solution. Don’t do that. Then you’re stuck, which you are, saying the only thing to do is to stop self-betraying, which is not directly possible) and everything else is futile to do, which is not true. Surely self-betrayal, or to me self-deception and all, is only an essential ingredient, helpful to understand but not necessarily the thing to focus on, or to try to directly do.
What
can we do? Read the talk Beware of Pride
and go through the ways we can humble ourselves. Notice that none of the ways
he says are “will yourself to be humble” or “stop being prideful”. We don’t do
it directly, we do it kind of indirectly. Even Terry Warner says on p 299, “we
cannot get ourselves emotionally unstuck no matter how we might try. We cannot
do it by denying or repressing our feelings or by willing ourselves to feel
differently—feelings are subject to our indirect but not our direct
control.”
Also,
if you say our emotional problems are caused by self betrayal, don’t you have
to say depression and anxiety are caused by self-betrayal? How can you separate the emotional problems
that are higher in degree than others?
Thirdly,
there are no means discussed in the book, except the two I've said before - the
writing exercise and asking forgiveness for failing to forgive. But those two things can be done in the wrong
way too, so you're left with nothing.
It’s
tempting to see these insights about self-deception involved in depression and
anxiety and think that self deception is the root cause of depression. I would
caution against that, and say that it is a necessary part of it, but not the
root cause. If you say it is the root cause, what can you do about your
emotional problems, except somehow stop self-deceiving? You might not be able to act on that
directly, right? The thing you need to
focus on may be completely different - forgive the person, pray for the power
to forgive (the person or yourself), prepare more, organize better, get more
sleep, change your job, do something fun once in a while, enjoy the people
you’re with, go to the temple more, pray, read the scriptures, go to church,
fast, whatever it might be for you. See a therapist, take medication, whatever.
Can’t all those things help you not be stressed and depressed and therefore
stop self-deceiving and self-betraying in that way? (Well medication might be more a treating of
the symptoms?)
Saturday,
Mar 7, 2020
Hmm.
When you see how self deception and pride are at the heart of emotional
troubles it is natural to think that they are the cause and the solution,
right? But something doesn’t smell right
about that. Like I’ve said before, those things are just part of the mechanism.
Internal combustion. But the reason your car isn’t going, while it is true that
internal combustion isn’t happening correctly, may be something electrical, or
gas related, or whatever. You don’t do a compression check every time your car
stalls. Yes, compression has to be there, but you troubleshoot smarter than
that.
I hope
that analogy is somewhat helpful. I’m just trying to say that while pride,
while self-deception, while going against the light (or self-betrayal), while
self-justification may be a part of all mental illness and depression and
anxiety, surely it is not the proper thing to focus on. Maybe don’t lose focus
on it, or remember that it’s part of it, maybe keep it in mind, but don’t
necessarily make that the primary cause.
A
discussion of causality is in order. If you think about it, isn’t there no such
thing as a single cause for anything?
Isn’t everything caused, so to speak, by multiple factors? And when we say that something causes another
thing we are really saying it is the primary causing factor? The one that stands out, the one we need to
pay the most attention to?
What
caused the airplane to crash? Well a
lack of lift, right? Well of course,
that goes without saying! But the
primary cause, or the one that stands out, the one we should pay attention to,
is going to be something different, right?
Ice on the wings. A mechanical failure of any number of types. Pilot
error of any number of types. An electrical error of any number of types.
Analyzing the black box is a whole science (if it has one). Surely so is
psychology. It’s not just always self-betrayal, or pride, or self-deception.
Those things go without saying.
Monday,
Mar 9, 2020
It’s an interesting question, and one worth considering, whether there’s a concrete action that can be taken to address the issue, or whether there isn’t. Some say that since any concrete action, basically, can be done insincerely, it’s basically no use trying. The only action to do is to stop self-betraying. But that’s not right, is it! Though it’s true that any particular action can basically be done two ways, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it, if that’s what’s right for you. The Light of Christ can be your guide, surely! There must be SOMETHING each person can do in each situation to address whatever issue it is, maybe even if the answer sometimes includes being patient. That’s what I have to think.
Even
you say to ask forgiveness for withholding forgiveness. As if that couldn’t be
done insincerely! Of course it can! And that one other thing you say to do (in
the whole book!) - some writing exercise. You have to admit EVERYTHING can be
done in 2 ways. Including those 2 things you suggested. So what can we do? Surely the Spirit knows. Surely it is
different for each person, and surely there are multiple things a person could
possibly do in at least many situations, if not all. A writing exercise.
Prayer. Fasting. Address the person.
Internally let something go. Exercise. Sleep better. Eat better. Ignore
something. Pay attention to something. Remember something. Forget something.
SOMETHING. Surely!
This
deserves some more discussion. And examples. Read your scriptures, go to
church, go to the temple, something. Maybe more than one thing.
And is
it not true that somewhere deep down, we know what to do? Hmm. Might need some help from the Holy Ghost
or somebody or reading something to know what that is. But surely we know it
somewhere all along.
I keep
using the term self betrayal, to be compatible with other ideas I’m jumping off
from. But I don’t love the term. I don’t think it’s really accurate. It makes
the self be the thing that is betrayed, it makes the truth that we go against
come from the self. But the truth comes from God. So God betrayal would be more
accurate, Or light of Christ betrayal. But then you have the word betrayal too.
To betray someone is to do a Judas Iscariot did to Jesus Christ. You are
friends with somebody and you turn them over to evil, or something. Anyway it’s
not the most helpful idea for what we do when we go against the truth.
Wednesday,
Mar 11, 2020
You
gotta admit guys, this is fun!
Tuesday,
Mar 17, 2020
This
question of "what can we do??" is big. Big, big.
Turns out we're always talking about that. We're always wondering about it. I know I am, especially. We may not always like the answer. And I think of how people say "just
don't worry about it," and how that's not always possible for everybody,
or whatever. The answer might be that
you can't always escape your problems right away. The thing you can do, or things, might be more
indirect and choices made at off-times.
Times outside the moment of alarm.
We may not like that. I know I
don't. Hmm.
Again,
I think of President Benson's talk "Beware of Pride". Many things we can do, to humble
ourselves. Most of them are in the
off-moment, if you know what I mean.
Outside the moment of great alarm.
Wednesday
And he
doesn’t list them as things to do to escape or prevent depression
View all episodes
By Clayton PixtonTuesday,
March 3, 2020
YouTube. Some will say since every case of depression
is different it's no use to try to help people in any broad way with their own
depression. It has to be only
individual, only by a professional. And
professionals are great, when you can afford one and have time for one and when
they know what they're doing. But to say
that there shouldn't be any broad knowledge about psychology, to say there
shouldn't be any DIY psychology, would be like saying there shouldn't be a
YouTube for fixing cars. YouTube is
great for fixing your own car. Sometimes
that's the best option, and it's good for people to be able to do their own
stuff if they can and want to. I say
it's the same with psychology. Give the
power to the people. Don't have to take
away professionals, but why feel like the power has to be consolidated in paid
professionals when there are so many things a lay person can do him or
herself? That's what I say. Just like people can fix their own cars if
they want to, let people do their own psychology if they want to. We can do a lot. I'm not saying all of it, all the time, just
don't take away our ability to do that.
Let knowledge flow freely. ($170
for a DSM book!)
Was reading in [a book]. He says since we’re actively producing our emotional problems, we can eliminate them at their source. (Through the means discussed in this book.) a few things. You’re saying the source is our self betrayal. Is that the source, or is it just an aspect, a necessary ingredient, an essential part of the mechanism, like I’m saying? Then you’d be saying everybody’s emotional problems is caused by self-betrayal. You focus on that thing, like it is the sole cause and therefore the sole solution. Don’t do that. Then you’re stuck, which you are, saying the only thing to do is to stop self-betraying, which is not directly possible) and everything else is futile to do, which is not true. Surely self-betrayal, or to me self-deception and all, is only an essential ingredient, helpful to understand but not necessarily the thing to focus on, or to try to directly do.
What
can we do? Read the talk Beware of Pride
and go through the ways we can humble ourselves. Notice that none of the ways
he says are “will yourself to be humble” or “stop being prideful”. We don’t do
it directly, we do it kind of indirectly. Even Terry Warner says on p 299, “we
cannot get ourselves emotionally unstuck no matter how we might try. We cannot
do it by denying or repressing our feelings or by willing ourselves to feel
differently—feelings are subject to our indirect but not our direct
control.”
Also,
if you say our emotional problems are caused by self betrayal, don’t you have
to say depression and anxiety are caused by self-betrayal? How can you separate the emotional problems
that are higher in degree than others?
Thirdly,
there are no means discussed in the book, except the two I've said before - the
writing exercise and asking forgiveness for failing to forgive. But those two things can be done in the wrong
way too, so you're left with nothing.
It’s
tempting to see these insights about self-deception involved in depression and
anxiety and think that self deception is the root cause of depression. I would
caution against that, and say that it is a necessary part of it, but not the
root cause. If you say it is the root cause, what can you do about your
emotional problems, except somehow stop self-deceiving? You might not be able to act on that
directly, right? The thing you need to
focus on may be completely different - forgive the person, pray for the power
to forgive (the person or yourself), prepare more, organize better, get more
sleep, change your job, do something fun once in a while, enjoy the people
you’re with, go to the temple more, pray, read the scriptures, go to church,
fast, whatever it might be for you. See a therapist, take medication, whatever.
Can’t all those things help you not be stressed and depressed and therefore
stop self-deceiving and self-betraying in that way? (Well medication might be more a treating of
the symptoms?)
Saturday,
Mar 7, 2020
Hmm.
When you see how self deception and pride are at the heart of emotional
troubles it is natural to think that they are the cause and the solution,
right? But something doesn’t smell right
about that. Like I’ve said before, those things are just part of the mechanism.
Internal combustion. But the reason your car isn’t going, while it is true that
internal combustion isn’t happening correctly, may be something electrical, or
gas related, or whatever. You don’t do a compression check every time your car
stalls. Yes, compression has to be there, but you troubleshoot smarter than
that.
I hope
that analogy is somewhat helpful. I’m just trying to say that while pride,
while self-deception, while going against the light (or self-betrayal), while
self-justification may be a part of all mental illness and depression and
anxiety, surely it is not the proper thing to focus on. Maybe don’t lose focus
on it, or remember that it’s part of it, maybe keep it in mind, but don’t
necessarily make that the primary cause.
A
discussion of causality is in order. If you think about it, isn’t there no such
thing as a single cause for anything?
Isn’t everything caused, so to speak, by multiple factors? And when we say that something causes another
thing we are really saying it is the primary causing factor? The one that stands out, the one we need to
pay the most attention to?
What
caused the airplane to crash? Well a
lack of lift, right? Well of course,
that goes without saying! But the
primary cause, or the one that stands out, the one we should pay attention to,
is going to be something different, right?
Ice on the wings. A mechanical failure of any number of types. Pilot
error of any number of types. An electrical error of any number of types.
Analyzing the black box is a whole science (if it has one). Surely so is
psychology. It’s not just always self-betrayal, or pride, or self-deception.
Those things go without saying.
Monday,
Mar 9, 2020
It’s an interesting question, and one worth considering, whether there’s a concrete action that can be taken to address the issue, or whether there isn’t. Some say that since any concrete action, basically, can be done insincerely, it’s basically no use trying. The only action to do is to stop self-betraying. But that’s not right, is it! Though it’s true that any particular action can basically be done two ways, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it, if that’s what’s right for you. The Light of Christ can be your guide, surely! There must be SOMETHING each person can do in each situation to address whatever issue it is, maybe even if the answer sometimes includes being patient. That’s what I have to think.
Even
you say to ask forgiveness for withholding forgiveness. As if that couldn’t be
done insincerely! Of course it can! And that one other thing you say to do (in
the whole book!) - some writing exercise. You have to admit EVERYTHING can be
done in 2 ways. Including those 2 things you suggested. So what can we do? Surely the Spirit knows. Surely it is
different for each person, and surely there are multiple things a person could
possibly do in at least many situations, if not all. A writing exercise.
Prayer. Fasting. Address the person.
Internally let something go. Exercise. Sleep better. Eat better. Ignore
something. Pay attention to something. Remember something. Forget something.
SOMETHING. Surely!
This
deserves some more discussion. And examples. Read your scriptures, go to
church, go to the temple, something. Maybe more than one thing.
And is
it not true that somewhere deep down, we know what to do? Hmm. Might need some help from the Holy Ghost
or somebody or reading something to know what that is. But surely we know it
somewhere all along.
I keep
using the term self betrayal, to be compatible with other ideas I’m jumping off
from. But I don’t love the term. I don’t think it’s really accurate. It makes
the self be the thing that is betrayed, it makes the truth that we go against
come from the self. But the truth comes from God. So God betrayal would be more
accurate, Or light of Christ betrayal. But then you have the word betrayal too.
To betray someone is to do a Judas Iscariot did to Jesus Christ. You are
friends with somebody and you turn them over to evil, or something. Anyway it’s
not the most helpful idea for what we do when we go against the truth.
Wednesday,
Mar 11, 2020
You
gotta admit guys, this is fun!
Tuesday,
Mar 17, 2020
This
question of "what can we do??" is big. Big, big.
Turns out we're always talking about that. We're always wondering about it. I know I am, especially. We may not always like the answer. And I think of how people say "just
don't worry about it," and how that's not always possible for everybody,
or whatever. The answer might be that
you can't always escape your problems right away. The thing you can do, or things, might be more
indirect and choices made at off-times.
Times outside the moment of alarm.
We may not like that. I know I
don't. Hmm.
Again,
I think of President Benson's talk "Beware of Pride". Many things we can do, to humble
ourselves. Most of them are in the
off-moment, if you know what I mean.
Outside the moment of great alarm.
Wednesday
And he
doesn’t list them as things to do to escape or prevent depression