May 8, 2023·edited May 8, 2023Liked by PsychSkeptics
And a bigger problem is we are losing sight of genuine problems with genuine ways to manage them. Everything is lumped together and we can't discriminate big from little problems. We are missing an opportunity to build resiliency with the little ones so we CAN cope with the bigger ones. I also like how you differentiated from hassles. Good point! One of the best advice someone gave me when I was a new parent was regarding discipline: I asked her when to have consequences and what kind for what behaviors. And the advice: You need to let the smaller ones go with just a word. Focus on the larger transgressions because if you don't, your child will never know the difference. You cannot correct every little thing that kids do. Some things are more important and kids need to learn that difference.
I guess if you don’t have any actual problems, you have to make some up so you can keep up with the Joneses. When did our culture become so focused on being weak and pathetic? That’s not a virtue. It’s useless navel-gazing and it takes effort away from real problems that we could all benefit from fixing.
Our reality is created by what we pay attention to. Paying more and more attention to problematizing life will result in detrimental effects on well-being - exactly what we are seeing now. Psychology has a lot of potential to help but largely now it is being used to support victimhood and promote helpless and pain. The ease of modern day existence and the pervasive safetyism we are experiencing all work to undermine engagement with the challenges of life that are so essential to cultivating a meaningful existence.
And a bigger problem is we are losing sight of genuine problems with genuine ways to manage them. Everything is lumped together and we can't discriminate big from little problems. We are missing an opportunity to build resiliency with the little ones so we CAN cope with the bigger ones. I also like how you differentiated from hassles. Good point! One of the best advice someone gave me when I was a new parent was regarding discipline: I asked her when to have consequences and what kind for what behaviors. And the advice: You need to let the smaller ones go with just a word. Focus on the larger transgressions because if you don't, your child will never know the difference. You cannot correct every little thing that kids do. Some things are more important and kids need to learn that difference.
I guess if you don’t have any actual problems, you have to make some up so you can keep up with the Joneses. When did our culture become so focused on being weak and pathetic? That’s not a virtue. It’s useless navel-gazing and it takes effort away from real problems that we could all benefit from fixing.
Addressing issues is good and important, but I agree that pathologizing most everything is unhelpful.
Our reality is created by what we pay attention to. Paying more and more attention to problematizing life will result in detrimental effects on well-being - exactly what we are seeing now. Psychology has a lot of potential to help but largely now it is being used to support victimhood and promote helpless and pain. The ease of modern day existence and the pervasive safetyism we are experiencing all work to undermine engagement with the challenges of life that are so essential to cultivating a meaningful existence.