How to become psychologically healthy?


Nerian

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Good stuff. I still have a problem understanding what i should do apart from rational things like earn money and gain knowledge. If I can't listen to my emotions unless I know the cause then I must abandon most things that are fun. Or else I can just do things I like that I think will make me feel good and achieve them - having fun doing whatever is fun to me baring obviously self destructive things like meth and getting drunk regularly - but not know if they are ultimately actual values lol.

Aren't you over-compartmentalizing, some? Pleasure from rationality, emotions from their cause? And disconnecting gaining knowledge and making money from all the rest.

"Non-contradictory joy" which is happiness, means that no sacrifice takes place: of others' lives and minds to you, or yours to others; and especially, that your actions are in close keeping with your 'knowledge' of reality (which is, after all, your morality). Ultimately, that that joy in living is never at the cost of your mind-independence or your convictions, which in actuality it can't be. Because knowledge is imperfect at any given moment, it necessitates all the more that one executes it faithfully to its limits. As one simple f'rinstance, one 'knows' emotions implicitly. Grasping that fact obviates allowing actions that you know from experience or extrapolation will hurt you, as well as from consciously hurting others. That's crucial knowledge. Next, comes explicit knowledge of the "pleasure-pain mechanism".

Once it's realized you can't un-know it.

'School learning' is only a part of it. There is as much to learn and take in...on your bus trips, if you never cease to be acutely conscious. One can take knowledge from pleasures, as well as find pleasure in knowledge.

There can be early on a large gap between the awesome, high-flying principles of Objectivism and one's nitty-gritty daily existence. Sure, in time, thought and practice, those abstractions become real tangibles as you connect them to *reality-over-all*, and *reality-oneself*. (Making the concepts your own, as I see it). It is easier to understand and apply methods and standards to the externals, like politics and science (which is why these are discussed more frequently, I suppose) - less obvious and harder is it to include oneself in the big picture - without falling back on stereotypes or excessively on fictional characters in Rand.

A bridge is essential for that gap. At the early stages - and after - one needs a writer and thinker who a. comprehends Objectivism intimately; b. introduces the human, psychological aspect to it all, while unswerving from reality and reason.

Now who can that be? Let me think...

:smile:

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Good stuff. I still have a problem understanding what i should do apart from rational things like earn money and gain knowledge. If I can't listen to my emotions unless I know the cause then I must abandon most things that are fun. Or else I can just do things I like that I think will make me feel good and achieve them - having fun doing whatever is fun to me baring obviously self destructive things like meth and getting drunk regularly - but not know if they are ultimately actual values lol.

Aren't you over-compartmentalizing, some? Pleasure from rationality, emotions from their cause? And disconnecting gaining knowledge and making money from all the rest.

"Non-contradictory joy" which is happiness, means that no sacrifice takes place: of others' lives and minds to you, or yours to others; that your actions are in close keeping with your 'knowledge' of reality (which is, after all, your morality). Ultimately, that that joy in living is never at the cost of your mind-independence or your convictions, which in actuality it can't be. Because knowledge is imperfect at any given moment, it necessitates all the more that one executes it faithfully to its limits. As one simple f'rinstance, one 'knows' emotions implicitly. Grasping that fact obviates allowing actions that you know from experience or extrapolation will hurt you, as well as from consciously hurting others. That's crucial knowledge. Next, comes explicit knowledge of the "pleasure-pain mechanism".

'School learning' is only a part of it. There is as much to learn and take in...on your bus trips, if you never cease to be acutely conscious. One can take knowledge from pleasures, as well as find pleasure in knowledge.

There can be early on a large gap between the awesome, high-flying principles of Objectivism and one's nitty-gritty daily existence. Sure, in time, thought and practice, those abstractions become real tangibles as you connect them to *reality-over-all*, and *reality-oneself*. (Making the concepts your own, as I see it). It is easier to understand and apply methods and standards to the externals, like politics and science (which is why these are discussed more frequently, I suppose) - less obvious and harder is it to include oneself in the big picture - without falling back on stereotypes or excessively on fictional characters in Rand.

A bridge is essential for that gap. At the early stages - and after - one needs a writer and thinker who a. comprehends Objectivism intimately; b. introduces the human, psychological aspect to it all, while unswerving from reality and reason.

Now who can that be? Let me think...

:smile:

I'm sincerely sorry, but I'm not following your main point.

In what way am I compartmentalizing?

Did I suggest that one shouldn't apply one's knowledge? Maybe I have not expressed my thoughts and troubles clearly.

Also, who are you referring to in your last part? lol. I am supposed to know.

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Branden - and his work, "some of which" you consider "quite good."

If you heard no bells or chords struck by my post, then I'm the one who's sincerely sorry.

Your "troubles" are not so much externals - I had the impression - but matters of the consciousness and subconscious. I suggest starting there: with your premises. "Know thy self", self-awareness, is the precursor to all the rest. More honest introspection (than outward 'self-objectification' if I may call it that) will indicate any compartments.

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Peter writes:

I sympathize with having awe for existence. However, one mustn't forget that the universe with its consistency, uniformity, and universality could not be otherwise.

Yes, of course. That fact highlights the absolute necessity of physical law. There can be no physical existence without physical order, when existence is order.

There's something interesting about life arising in it too. It means that the universe could not have existed such that life was impossible.

Indeed. That's an order of law of an even a higher level. A universe which even allows for itself to be consciously perceived and appreciated.

A universe for us to enjoy.

This has direct implications in our own lives. Human happiness, purpose, productivity, prosperity, and love all exist according to an order of logical laws. If we can grow to understand those laws and to learn how act in harmony with them...

...all of goodness of life is already ours.

Greg

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Branden - and his work, "some of which" you consider "quite good."

If you heard no bells or chords struck by my post, then I'm the one who's sincerely sorry.

Your "troubles" are not so much externals - I had the impression - but matters of the consciousness and subconscious. I suggest starting there: with your premises. "Know thy self", self-awareness, is the precursor to all the rest. More honest introspection (than outward 'self-objectification' if I may call it that) will indicate any compartments.

Oh right that went right over my head. Yes, I've dabbled. I have not gone completely through his pillars of self esteem. The first parts were 'quite good'. I have read his ideas about the dangers of objectivism which I found 'quite good'. hehe.

Oh it made some sense to me, I could kind of see your meaning, but I was also a bit lost how it applies to me. Thank you for that clarification.

Peter writes:

I sympathize with having awe for existence. However, one mustn't forget that the universe with its consistency, uniformity, and universality could not be otherwise.

Yes, of course. That fact highlights the absolute necessity of physical law. There can be no physical existence without physical order, when existence is order.

There's something interesting about life arising in it too. It means that the universe could not have existed such that life was impossible.

Indeed. That's an order of law of an even a higher level. A universe which even allows for itself to be consciously perceived and appreciated.

A universe for us to enjoy.

This has direct implications in our own lives. Human happiness, purpose, productivity, prosperity, and love all exist according to an order of logical laws. If we can grow to understand those laws and to learn how act in harmony with them...

...all of goodness of life is already ours.

Greg

Beautiful.

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