Have you noticed that depression makes you smarter?

[vorteksrbija]

Each person builds a perception of life based on his personal experience and mentality. Which is wrong at the start, but natural. He knows the things he has experienced and doesn't think much about those he hasn't. He believes that the decisions he made are correct, because he thinks so. He has his own belief which is based on what he has experienced. Decisions that he would not make, he considers to be wrong, stupid, meaningless. Which is fine. It's a matter of personality and everyone is different.

But when you experience things that break you, you ask yourself, 'Why did this happen to me? What kind of misfortune has been thrown upon me?' Then you start to think. You go back to the starting point. And you realize: everything in life is coincidence. And luck. And luck is not destiny, but randomness. No one chose where they would be born, what gender they would be, what kind of childhood they would have. Will they have proper upbringing? If not, what consequences will it leave? Will they only face minor discomforts with mental health or life situations? Or will these later grow into greater ones? What was their starting point? Did they have neglectful parents, abusive ones, or none at all? Were they born poor? Are they naturally fragile? What fears did they inherit, cultivate, or conjure, grounded in reality or spun from illusion? What happened to them? No one can know. Yet people are quick to point fingers, saying, 'Look at them—how can they be like this? Why didn't he do this? Why did she do that?'

They overlook the invisible architecture of chance, the unseen forces, the silent contingencies that shape every human life. Life does not reward virtue, nor does it punish vice in any systematic way. It unfolds with indifferent randomness, a mosaic of accidents, trials, and fleeting joys. Once you perceive the world in this light, the illusion of control dissolves, and what remains is a profound understanding of the tenuous, contingent nature of existence-of both your own life and the lives of others.

I have come to realize that for every person, there is a specific cause for a specific consequence. For many of these consequences, they are not to blame, because there were causes beyond their control. I understand everyone. Even the rude, twisted, or evil people. Perhaps they were not always like that? As children, they surely were not. They were gentle, innocent, pure at heart. What happened to make them this way? I don't know what, but something did. Something occurred that shaped the course of their life all the way to its extreme point.

If someone were to cut off my arm now with a chainsaw, then the next day, upon waking from the coma, amid all the chaos of thought, I would still find myself asking what led him to this? I would try to see the situation from every angle-from his angles. I would trace my way back into his childhood, into the fragile beginnings of his existence, and wonder, what happened to that pure, small soul, once innocent, delicate, uncorrupted? What constellation of experiences, traumas, neglect, fears, or distortions shaped him into the person capable of such harm? I would attempt to feel through his emotions, his history, his inner fractures, with full understanding for him, without judgment.

When you endure experiences that break you, you begin to ask what chain of events brought you to that point of fracture. And gradually, a grim realization emerges-the world itself is ill. There are people who know us-while we remain unaware of them-and they prefer a world as it is. This world has the potential to be beautiful, luminous. But such a world threatens them. They desire control. They crave the intoxicating sensation of power, at the cost of others people peace. They would rather see others broken than face the emptiness within themselves.

 

[gunmetalblue11]

I understand everyone. Even the rude, twisted, or evil people. Perhaps they were not always like that? As children, they surely were not. They were gentle, innocent, pure at heart. What happened to make them this way? I don't know what, but something did. Something occurred that shaped the course of their life all the way to its extreme point.

I heavily relate to this. To a painful degree, I quite despise it actually. It would be so much easier to hate, to blame, to reject without understanding. Take what they have done, actions, words, situations or whatever at face value.
Although I will say that it's not always a life event or path that shaped, marked or warped a person's potential curality or suffering. It's rare that it isn't, sure. But sometimes it's simply biology, or their anatomy, genetics or simply they are just born that way. Infuriating as that conclusion can be.

 

[Whale_bones]

A reasonable amount of strife can make someone more understanding of other people's difficulties and help them grow as a person. I think that's what people are thinking of when they say things like "it builds character". But once it crosses the line into depression and/or having a very poor quality of life, the effects are just detrimental. I'm much slower than I used to be, can barely focus on anything, I can't write fluidly like I used to, and I have to put a huge amount of effort into just getting though the day. To me there's a big difference between ups and downs that everyone goes through (or rare/singular bad situations that will pass with time) and a permanent, irreversibly low quality of life. I wish it made me smarter, but... no, definitely not, ha.

If someone were to cut off my arm now with a chainsaw, then the next day, upon waking from the coma, amid all the chaos of thought, I would still find myself asking what led him to this? I would try to see the situation from every angle-from his angles. I would trace my way back into his childhood, into the fragile beginnings of his existence, and wonder, what happened to that pure, small soul, once innocent, delicate, uncorrupted? What constellation of experiences, traumas, neglect, fears, or distortions shaped him into the person capable of such harm? I would attempt to feel through his emotions, his history, his inner fractures, with full understanding for him, without judgment.

I see where you're coming from, but I think each person is responsible for their own actions (once they reach adulthood.) Plenty of people have been through the same, or worse, than this hypothetical person who cuts off your arm- yet they still don't take out their suffering and pain on others. Often it's because they know what it's like to be harmed through no fault of their own, so they make a conscious effort not to continue that harm. Those are the people who I think deserve understanding and respect.

 

[Pale_Rider]

I'm gonna say I get dumber. become less willing to do the study, or the study is a real chore. I have to struggle to understand the content fully as I should. that's me.
I currently don't have the ability to invest my full energy , and imagination into a topic.

 

[vorteksrbija]

I heavily relate to this. To a painful degree, I quite despise it actually. It would be so much easier to hate, to blame, to reject without understanding. Take what they have done, actions, words, situations or whatever at face value.
Although I will say that it's not always a life event or path that shaped, marked or warped a person's potential curality or suffering. It's rare that it isn't, sure. But sometimes it's simply biology, or their anatomy, genetics or simply they are just born that way. Infuriating as that conclusion can be.

Yes, it is extremely bad when you understand why someone does something very wrong. Because you put yourself in their situation, and your brain tries to tell you that there is a reason why someone is cruel. Under normal circumstances, you would understand that but still offer a certain resistance and objection. This way, it can happen that because you understand, you do not judge and have no reaction.

Of course, it's not always. But the world is too busy with the things imposed on us, in all of that, it does not even pause to think about why something is the way it is, let alone try to fix something or help someone.

 

[gunmetalblue11]

I have to struggle to understand the content fully as I should. that's me.
I currently don't have the ability to invest my full energy , and imagination into a topic.

I agree with this. Plus add general brain frog and it's a humiliating and disappointing cocktail.

 

[franklyUPSET1010]

Yep, my depression motivates me to be more secretive and driven through the outcomes to also be pessimistic towards rude people without having anymore empathy for them. I'm done with being used!

 

[vorteksrbija]

A reasonable amount of strife can make someone more understanding of other people's difficulties and help them grow as a person. I think that's what people are thinking of when they say things like "it builds character". But once it crosses the line into depression and/or having a very poor quality of life, the effects are just detrimental. I'm much slower than I used to be, can barely focus on anything, I can't write fluidly like I used to, and I have to put a huge amount of effort into just getting though the day. To me there's a big difference between ups and downs that everyone goes through (or rare/singular bad situations that will pass with time) and a permanent, irreversibly low quality of life. I wish it made me smarter, but... no, definitely not, ha.



I see where you're coming from, but I think each person is responsible for their own actions (once they reach adulthood.) Plenty of people have been through the same, or worse, than this hypothetical person who cuts off your arm- yet they still don't take out their suffering and pain on others. Often it's because they know what it's like to be harmed through no fault of their own, so they make a conscious effort not to continue that harm. Those are the people who I think deserve understanding and respect.

The effects are indeed harmful, I have had pseudodementia for quite some time. It came suddenly and intensely. I used to have an fascinating memory, but now I often can't even remember what I was thinking a moment ago, and so on.
But the point is, when you experience things that most people never do, you start to think differently. You start to think deeply. At some point, you realize that for everything, there is a reason why it is the way it is

Responsibility is entirely theirs, except in cases of schizophrenia, being in a state of psychosis at the time, or being in any way unaccountable. But it still forces you to ask yourself: why? What kind of emotions did they carry within them throughout their life, what moments led to others, creating a chain that culminated in such an act? If they had been healthy, happy, and composed, they would never have done it.

 

[franklyUPSET1010]

Each person builds a perception of life based on his personal experience and mentality. Which is wrong at the start, but natural. He knows the things he has experienced and doesn't think much about those he hasn't. He believes that the decisions he made are correct, because he thinks so. He has his own belief which is based on what he has experienced. Decisions that he would not make, he considers to be wrong, stupid, meaningless. Which is fine. It's a matter of personality and everyone is different.

But when you experience things that break you, you ask yourself, 'Why did this happen to me? What kind of misfortune has been thrown upon me?' Then you start to think. You go back to the starting point. And you realize: everything in life is coincidence. And luck. And luck is not destiny, but randomness. No one chose where they would be born, what gender they would be, what kind of childhood they would have. Will they have proper upbringing? If not, what consequences will it leave? Will they only face minor discomforts with mental health or life situations? Or will these later grow into greater ones? What was their starting point? Did they have neglectful parents, abusive ones, or none at all? Were they born poor? Are they naturally fragile? What fears did they inherit, cultivate, or conjure, grounded in reality or spun from illusion? What happened to them? No one can know. Yet people are quick to point fingers, saying, 'Look at them—how can they be like this? Why didn't he do this? Why did she do that?'

They overlook the invisible architecture of chance, the unseen forces, the silent contingencies that shape every human life. Life does not reward virtue, nor does it punish vice in any systematic way. It unfolds with indifferent randomness, a mosaic of accidents, trials, and fleeting joys. Once you perceive the world in this light, the illusion of control dissolves, and what remains is a profound understanding of the tenuous, contingent nature of existence-of both your own life and the lives of others.

I have come to realize that for every person, there is a specific cause for a specific consequence. For many of these consequences, they are not to blame, because there were causes beyond their control. I understand everyone. Even the rude, twisted, or evil people. Perhaps they were not always like that? As children, they surely were not. They were gentle, innocent, pure at heart. What happened to make them this way? I don't know what, but something did. Something occurred that shaped the course of their life all the way to its extreme point.

If someone were to cut off my arm now with a chainsaw, then the next day, upon waking from the coma, amid all the chaos of thought, I would still find myself asking what led him to this? I would try to see the situation from every angle-from his angles. I would trace my way back into his childhood, into the fragile beginnings of his existence, and wonder, what happened to that pure, small soul, once innocent, delicate, uncorrupted? What constellation of experiences, traumas, neglect, fears, or distortions shaped him into the person capable of such harm? I would attempt to feel through his emotions, his history, his inner fractures, with full understanding for him, without judgment.

When you endure experiences that break you, you begin to ask what chain of events brought you to that point of fracture. And gradually, a grim realization emerges-the world itself is ill. There are people who know us-while we remain unaware of them-and they prefer a world as it is. This world has the potential to be beautiful, luminous. But such a world threatens them. They desire control. They crave the intoxicating sensation of power, at the cost of others people peace. They would rather see others broken than face the emptiness within themselves.

I'm just going to phrase this here that this is deeply intuitively crafted and written in a way I've always had these illustrations opposed in my own thinking from day one, yet I am certain the world does nothing to understand each other because it doesn't have the actual ability to accept the duality of how someone is that hasn't became a serial killer, rapist, or even disturbed human being, outside imperceptible thinking.

The world is warped in a way that it allows people to be without guidance towards protecting the innocence of a child, but equally fixing adults mistakes or history from repeating itself on a greater generation that would succeed that the true issue with how they are as a character actually happens by their own choices and actions as they are or what they become by allowing said world to influence them and humans are naturally selfish, yet we all have a choice to decide where we all wish to move and where to go.

People don't understand people enough, and despite this written statement, the clarity of the concept of how they became that way is through humans evil dark natural nature and whoever didn't care enough to fix the mistakes that it's the choices and individuality of people.

It's that clear and simple.

 

[Hollowman]

No, it's turned me into a dumbass.

 

[vorteksrbija]

I'm just going to phrase this here that this is deeply intuitively crafted and written in a way I've always had these illustrations opposed in my own thinking from day one, yet I am certain the world does nothing to understand each other because it doesn't have the actual ability to accept the duality of how someone is that hasn't became a serial killer, rapist, or even disturbed human being, outside imperceptible thinking.

The world is warped in a way that it allows people to be without guidance towards protecting the innocence of a child, but equally fixing adults mistakes or history from repeating itself on a greater generation that would succeed that the true issue with how they are as a character actually happens by their own choices and actions as they are or what they become by allowing said world to influence them and humans are naturally selfish, yet we all have a choice to decide where we all wish to move and where to go.

People don't understand people enough, and despite this written statement, the clarity of the concept of how they became that way is through humans evil dark natural nature and whoever didn't care enough to fix the mistakes that it's the choices and individuality of people.

It's that clear and simple.

Yes, I understand. But hatred breeds hatred. Hatred is one of the most negative emotions. When you hate, you wish harm upon someone. In doing so, you also harm yourself. Your brain absorbs that hatred, your body remembers it, your thinking becomes distorted.

What is even the starting point of hatred? What made a person hate? Surely not something good. Did they have control over it? Maybe. Maybe not. If they had the choice, why would they choose hatred over happiness? Happiness breeds love, understanding, joy, fulfillment. Hatred breeds arrogance, perversion, pressure. Something drove them to it.

 

[OnMyLast Legs]

Have you noticed that depression makes you smarter?

Yeah, definitely. I can't believe I wasn't depressed before. A pessimistic philosopher, I think Giacomo Leopardi, said that the less happy you are, the more accurate is your understanding of reality.

 

[martyrdom]

I agree with you on the randomness of life and all that. But I believed that before I became depressed. I think I was far more realistic, grounded and in touch with reality before I developed my issues though, and I was clear headed and articulate in a way I can't be anymore. So overall I wouldn't say it made me smarter at all.

I have come to realize that for every person, there is a specific cause for a specific consequence. For many of these consequences, they are not to blame, because there were causes beyond their control. I understand everyone. Even the rude, twisted, or evil people. Perhaps they were not always like that? As children, they surely were not. They were gentle, innocent, pure at heart. What happened to make them this way? I don't know what, but something did. Something occurred that shaped the course of their life all the way to its extreme point.

I used to be like that, but I realized (at least in my opinion and experience, and not as a result of my depression or my struggles) that I was projecting complexity and interiority to these people that they do not have. *I* would not do these things to someone if I hadn't been hurt/damaged/raised a certain way, so they couldn't have either. But many people can and do, for much simpler reasons than that: ie. it benefits them, it's convenient, it's enjoyable, etc. It really is far more banal, and far more simple than you'd think in a very substantial amount of cases. I think it's more comforting to think there are deeper reasons for it and that cruelty can't ever be so needless or psychologically superficial and shallow.

 

[vorteksrbija]

Yeah, definitely. I can't believe I wasn't depressed before. A pessimistic philosopher, I think Giacomo Leopardi, said that the less happy you are, the more accurate is your understanding of reality.

Yes, he also said-Man is never so truly alive as when he suffers, only in pain does he fully perceive existence.

 

[franklyUPSET1010]

Yes, I understand. But hatred breeds hatred. Hatred is one of the most negative emotions. When you hate, you wish harm upon someone. In doing so, you also harm yourself. Your brain absorbs that hatred, your body remembers it, your thinking becomes distorted.

What is even the starting point of hatred? What made a person hate? Surely not something good. Did they have control over it? Maybe. Maybe not. If they had the choice, why would they choose hatred over happiness? Happiness breeds love, understanding, joy, fulfillment. Hatred breeds arrogance, perversion, pressure. Something drove them to it.

I deeply appreciate and rationalize with your resolve and your congruence in illustrating such a complex, fundamental concept, but I am stating that through those means it doesn't matter how it happens or where it forms, since it's about the nature of which it started. Children don't know concepts. They feel them. They are aware they have them, but they don't learn the word until it is structured to them to be able to grasp and learn what it means and how it is applied.

In this setting, it's only reasonable that hatred is a form of negligence from the child's psyche that becomes disoriented to hold onto anger, not necessarily hatred.

When it becomes manifested as hatred, as a mature human, an adult, it then forms by their own actions to understand the actions of what they've gone through in the form of people's own emotions and feelings that they can choose to control or to ignore and hurt others, or it can be implied by understanding the connections of trauma and how it creates an effect towards the affected individual that they are forever shaped by experiences for the first time that it isn't even about hatred, but experiences of emotions and thoughts from said emotions that can deeply shape an individual and the outcome of who they are.

You must understand that in my own words that the analogy you used has meaning, but it doesn't generate the same force. That then would be generalization. Hatred comes from explosions of emotions — or thoughts (or both) — through a choice and process that overlaps suddenly by a feeling about something or someone for it to be created.

 

[vorteksrbija]

I agree with you on the randomness of life and all that. But I believed that before I became depressed. I think I was far more realistic, grounded and in touch with reality before I developed my issues though, and I was clear headed and articulate in a way I can't be anymore. So overall I wouldn't say it made me smarter at all.


I used to be like that, but I realized (at least in my opinion and experience, and not as a result of my depression or my struggles) that I was projecting complexity and interiority to these people that they do not have. *I* would not do these things to someone if I hadn't been hurt/damaged/raised a certain way, so they couldn't have either. But many people can and do, for much simpler reasons than that: ie. it benefits them, it's convenient, it's enjoyable, etc. It really is far more banal, and far more simple than you'd think in a very substantial amount of cases. I think it's more comforting to think there are deeper reasons for it and that cruelty can't ever be so needless or psychologically superficial and shallow.

I didn't think that before I was depressed. Ah yes, I've always been in depression! Haha. Actually, I've now realized that I don't even have anything to compare my thinking before and after depression, because at the time when I wasn't depressed, I was very young. Maybe clinical depression has made me smarter than mild depression ever could? Haha.

But in general, my question was meant for everyone.

Yes, I understand. You're right. There are many people who are perfectly healthy enough to have a functional and relatively happy life, aware of the difference between good and bad. And the things they do, they do deliberately, knowing it will hurt someone or cause harm. That is inexcusable.

But my thinking here goes in a different direction. Which, of course, any reader of my post could not know, because I didn't emphasize it. In general, I was thinking about the fact that the world is made in such a way that there will always be people in a good position who will want to exploit it in any way that satisfies them. Consequently, their targets will mostly be vulnerable people. Which, in a way, shows their weakness. That's how the world works. Everyone asks, "Who will help me?" but no one asks, "Who can I help?"

If they wanted to, the people who made us this way, who threw us into this whirlwind of work, bills, distractions, could create a world of bliss where the goal is just one thing-for everyone to be well. From that would arise empathy. To be well in a way where children are taught in schools what intelligence is and how to develop it. And one of the concepts of intelligence would also include unconditional empathy toward others.

Which is not the case now. A person can be intelligent and evil. But if we change the idea of intelligence in that small yet crucial aspect - taught children from the start that a lack of empathy is a lack of intelligence, even if it isn't strictly true, they would believe that if they thought of something evil, or an action intended to harm someone, they would be stupid. And no one wants to be stupid.

The world would need a complete transformation for cases where someone hurts another person, with full awareness and malicious intent, not to exist. If everyone loved each other, no one would want to harm anyone.

Sorry if I went too far, haha. But yes, one of the things I was thinking about is that the whole world is twisted because it was made that way.

 

[martyrdom]

I didn't think that before I was depressed. Ah yes, I've always been in depression! Haha. Actually, I've now realized that I don't even have anything to compare my thinking before and after depression, because at the time when I wasn't depressed, I was very young. Maybe clinical depression has made me smarter than mild depression ever could? Haha.

I'm really sorry about that. I wish you had a chance to experience something other than depression, even for a while, if you'd want that at least.
For me, I was a totally happy healthy person before a traumatic event happened to me. I have become completely non-functional and practically disabled since then.

Sorry if I went too far, haha. But yes, one of the things I was thinking about is that the whole world is twisted because it was made that way.

Don't worry, I find your point of view very interesting and articulate. I think you are a far kinder person than I am. But I do see the value in what you are saying.