PSYCHOLOGY:

     I’m not a psychologist, but I want to say something about psychoanalysis. According to The Canadian Psychoanalytic Society “Psychoanalysis is a treatment approach based on the observation that individuals are often unaware of many of the factors that determine their emotions and behavior.” I assume the goal is to identify those factors and provide a treatment.

     Suppose you broke your leg skiing. You would have a doctor set the leg and you would go about doing the necessary physical therapy to regain your strength in your leg. What if you broke your leg in a car accident or falling down the stairs? Would it make any difference? WHAT IF YOU HAD NO IDEA HOW YOU BROKE YOUR LEG? The therapy would still be the same.

     Suppose you broke your mind. WHAT IF YOU HAD NO IDEA HOW YOU BROKE YOUR MIND? No matter what the cause, wouldn’t the therapy still be the same? So what’s the therapy?

     Just as one must build one’s strength in a leg, so one must build one’s strength in a mind. You can’t run a marathon the day after you break a leg and you can’t regain the strength of your mind in a single day. Becoming physically or mentally strong requires time, effort and perseverance. One can tell if one is pushing too hard in the effort to strengthen one’s leg, and so it is with the mind – back off, take your time, there’s no rush. START DOING THINGS THAT YOU KNOW YOU SHOULD DO – ESPECIALLY IF YOU JUST DON’T FEEL LIKE DOING THEM. You can start with a physical exercise program. Keep your thinking in line with reality. If your mind has a tendency to race, or you have difficulty focusing, make.. the.. effort.. to.. think.. more.. slowly. DO NOT USE YOUR FEELINGS AS A GUIDE TO ACTION! You may think that it’s O.K. to feel this or it’s not O.K. to feel that. In either case, don’t deny their existence. If you’re feeling things you know you shouldn’t, that’s O.K. for now. They will eventually change. Remember, feelings and emotions are an automatic response to your values – RETHINK YOUR VALUES! Better values mean better behavior and in time better feelings and emotions.

     What virtues are needed to achieve values?  Click on the link:  https://rationalselfinterest.com/post/morality