Posted by SLS on March 10, 2023, at 15:29:10
In reply to Re: The myth of 'normal'.... » SLS, posted by undopaminergic on March 8, 2023, at 12:51:56
> > Hi, UD.
>
> Hi SLS.
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> >
> > I often forget the situation that you are currently in. You are truly amazing in what you achieve while you are in it. Your logic is impeccable, your judgment is probably more objective than mine, and the knowledge-base regarding psychoneurobiology that resides in your head is much bigger than mine. My guess is that there has been more than one occasion when you found yourself to be the smartest person in the room. For what it's worth, I admire you. I try to respect everyone, simply because they are a fellow human being. Admiration is earned. I thought I might sprinkle some positive energy your way this evening.
> >
>
> Thank you for your kind words.
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> > The world we live in (the United States and other western countries) really isn't such a bad place. The government isn't exterminating whole races of people, has not stopped guaranteeing personal liberties, remains free of murderous dictators, and our economies allow most people to live in a state of luxury compared to those being exploited as slave labor and still starving in third-world countries. That is the true cruelty to be found in the world - not the apocalyptic drivel to be found in books that serve only to foster a psyche of cynicism, nihilism, and depression.
> >
> > That's about it.
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> If by "books that serve to ..." you are referring to the book Jay brought up, I don't know for sure, but the book I read, by one of the same authors, is definitely not one to "foster a psyche of cynicism, nihilism, and depression", but largely the opposite.
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> You are right in that contemporary Western civilisation isn't such a bad place -- in many ways. In comparison with the world our ancestors lived in, then materially, we are better off than ever. We have access to better medicine(s) too and various modern technologies. I'm sure that you can think of other similar examples. But psychologically, we seem to be worse off than ever, with depression and other mental disorders seemingly much more common than they used to be.
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> -undopaminergic
I absolutely agree with you regarding the present incidence of depression. I don't think it is necessarily due to a toxic society. Toxic individuals - yes. Toxicity isn't the problem. I think the increasingly rapid pace of life and the greater school and financial demands placed upon the individual is simply too much stress for vulnerable individuals / brains. I think "burnout" from work and the demands of normal family life are more likely to be responsible for the majority of cases of depression rather than any complicated model of a toxic societal pathology. It would be interesting to know what the rate of depression was in archaic species of homo.
- Scott
Some see things as they are and ask why.
I dream of things that never were and ask why not.The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
poster:SLS
thread:1121870
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20230117/msgs/1121892.html