The Metaphorical Immune System
10/23/2022 7:48 PM MST
psychology
Self talk can be a valuable psychological tool for overcoming challenges. While undertaking various tasks, one may deal with hostility or other personal challenges that threaten the mental state. I think it’s important to have many layers of isolation between the self and the universe. For example, since I believe in chemistry, if I become suddenly dizzy I wonder if my blood isn’t delivering enough oxygen to my brain. I don’t instantly jump to the conclusion that I’m losing my sanity.
I previously discussed my theories surrounding well defined theism or atheism and their values to the individual. I also touched a bit on my approach to self talk using logical affirmations. Then, I kinda went off the handle explaining my higher level thinking to winning/losing. I feel I should elaborate on this post, since I left it up to the reader to decipher what I meant by a “new game”.
Essentially a new game should be a re-framing of the logic surrounding your personal story. A lot of people are playing the game of capitalism and their self is just a pawn they use to aid in collecting riches. Others are playing a game of spiritualism, investing in themselves perhaps naively because they believe there are greater riches there than in the outer world. However it can be lonely! So the outer world is necessary.
However, if God spoke to me one day and told me I would be damned if I didn’t take up a job on Wall Street, then by golly I’d pack my bags and begin the necessary steps to do so. But he doesn’t, and I doubt that he will any time soon. I suspect there’s a deficit of spiritually minded people because the process of living spiritually is just as exhausting in some ways as working in the business world.
The inner world can be a demanding beast. Closed off from the outside world for some time, the necessities of life become more plain. When riding a bike we become a combination of ourselves and the bike mentally. When isolated at home, we become a combination of ourselves and the environment; perhaps even time, since it moves so slowly.
I have a great suspicion that proximity, set, and setting are the most important aspects for culminating valuable thought processes. When I say proximity, I mean closeness. Closeness to what? Anything or anyone which provides insight or guidance towards the process. Companies pay large amounts of money for advisers and consultants, and typically having them work in the office comes at a higher premium.
Observe what occurred there. I mentioned proximity then brought up business and work in an office. This might have caused a shift in tension or caused your mind to bring up other topics. This is essentially because having things in your proximity increases your natural desire to attach to them. However, if one is wiser or perhaps more cynical of others, then one wouldn’t have tensed up because they were prepared for the valence of the conversation to drift down eventually as it will over time.
The key to a healthy metaphorical immune system isn’t simply knowledge, it’s the ability to turn the arrows that are incoming back upon the enemy. Seek to understand sources of tension or direct threats to your mental state if you have enough time to do so, and craft a response much like you would in a debate. Presuming you have the necessary knowledge or have done the necessary preparations things should go in your favor. However, be prepared and learn from the encounter. This is the process of acquiring immunity.