forum user JJ 23/34
defunct account, working on recovery
- Jun 22, 2023
- 42
I will keep it brief as I have work to do but I will like to post it here.
Maybe I will return to update at some point and write this properly. Right now I have written it as a list of logically sequential conclusions.
1) In the midst of great mental health struggle, I began reading Freud. At the same time, I had begun my study of philosophy, with a really great teachers I am thankful for.
2) We were questioning knowledge a lot, is absolute truth knowable. At this time I was also engaging in therapy, kind of as I am doing so now.
3) Despite the constant efforts to defend absolute truth at the time, I was fairly convinced that, at least in the social sciences / matters about humans, there are too many variables for there to be reachable absolute truth and a close approximation was enough.
4) In my pessimism at the time, my grasping for answers, and applying the awfully little knowledge I had of Freud, I began to apply this belief to my mental health, my therapy - basically my life in general.
5) I thought if I could find a close approximation of what I wanted, a close approximation for answer about my story, then I would be fine.
6) I lived liked this for many years, at least 4. Its a very pessimistic way to live - what is the point of studying anything, what is the point of work on myself or self searching when there's no truth? In addition, this kind of belief greatly limits your development, because if you believe there's no real truth about how you feel, I essentially started fabricating any story i wanted for myself, with no baring on what I truly wanted.
7) Long story short, I have recently began to think more about the absolute truth. In the case of mental health, of an individual's life, my writing above shows I largely do not hold this opinion anymore lol. I find / I believe this in-authenticity (ooh big words), lying to myself, hiding behind therapy speak caused my huge lack of motivation, depressive thoughts, many issues.
8) Essentially, if inauthenticity causes problems for an individual, absolute truth, a space of a person's true desires, must both exist and be knowable.
- A. It must exist and must be knowable as if authentic truth was unknowable, it would be impossible for deviation from it to cause issues for an individual. (I am aware this is a cyclical argument but I have actual work to do rather than rewording a suicide forum post lol.
9)
- A. Take the example of religion. each religion, developing independent of themselves and thousands of years and miles apart, contain a set of remarkably similar central tenets of how humans should behave. while social, cultural customs may change due to environment, i believe it is undeniable each of these schools of thought have a great deal of similarity on their thoughts on how an individual should behave.
- B. This hints, that absolute truth must exist. the fact these belief systems have such great similarity despite being so independent (note: i mean on human behaviour, not theologically (eg creations myths) or culturally (how women should behave and such) ) there must be immutable human truths. Although I do not try to claim one religion have found the absolute truth, I see it as they each share a portion / are approximating this absolute truth, following a kind of blind man to the elephant analogy. However, (I am basically arguing) the commonality shows an elephant must exist.
- C. (The personal inauthenticity argument is probably much stronger - ideas are human made after all, and if humans experience anguish from a deviation from the true self, then a macro authentic truth must exist - to be built on later)
10) The implications of this are huge.
implication 1)
There is real (even if only theoretical / practically unfindable) truth in mental health - a truth for your true feelings, true (and calm) desires,
A deviation from this truth causes poor outcomes, low motivation, deep life unsatisfaction. this gives you something to be able aim for, instead of constantly trying to find the absolute truth.
implication 2)
if there is real truth to be found in life, in motivation, "the mental world" there is definitely a real truth (or in social sciences - collection of truths or circumstances) to be found - this extremely motivating / reinvigorating academically - now there is truth to be found, studying something becomes worthwhile again.
Song which describes this: The Transition between Blue Spotted Tail and Grown Ocean
Thank you for coming to my ted talk.
JJ
Maybe I will return to update at some point and write this properly. Right now I have written it as a list of logically sequential conclusions.
1) In the midst of great mental health struggle, I began reading Freud. At the same time, I had begun my study of philosophy, with a really great teachers I am thankful for.
2) We were questioning knowledge a lot, is absolute truth knowable. At this time I was also engaging in therapy, kind of as I am doing so now.
3) Despite the constant efforts to defend absolute truth at the time, I was fairly convinced that, at least in the social sciences / matters about humans, there are too many variables for there to be reachable absolute truth and a close approximation was enough.
4) In my pessimism at the time, my grasping for answers, and applying the awfully little knowledge I had of Freud, I began to apply this belief to my mental health, my therapy - basically my life in general.
5) I thought if I could find a close approximation of what I wanted, a close approximation for answer about my story, then I would be fine.
6) I lived liked this for many years, at least 4. Its a very pessimistic way to live - what is the point of studying anything, what is the point of work on myself or self searching when there's no truth? In addition, this kind of belief greatly limits your development, because if you believe there's no real truth about how you feel, I essentially started fabricating any story i wanted for myself, with no baring on what I truly wanted.
7) Long story short, I have recently began to think more about the absolute truth. In the case of mental health, of an individual's life, my writing above shows I largely do not hold this opinion anymore lol. I find / I believe this in-authenticity (ooh big words), lying to myself, hiding behind therapy speak caused my huge lack of motivation, depressive thoughts, many issues.
8) Essentially, if inauthenticity causes problems for an individual, absolute truth, a space of a person's true desires, must both exist and be knowable.
- A. It must exist and must be knowable as if authentic truth was unknowable, it would be impossible for deviation from it to cause issues for an individual. (I am aware this is a cyclical argument but I have actual work to do rather than rewording a suicide forum post lol.
9)
- A. Take the example of religion. each religion, developing independent of themselves and thousands of years and miles apart, contain a set of remarkably similar central tenets of how humans should behave. while social, cultural customs may change due to environment, i believe it is undeniable each of these schools of thought have a great deal of similarity on their thoughts on how an individual should behave.
- B. This hints, that absolute truth must exist. the fact these belief systems have such great similarity despite being so independent (note: i mean on human behaviour, not theologically (eg creations myths) or culturally (how women should behave and such) ) there must be immutable human truths. Although I do not try to claim one religion have found the absolute truth, I see it as they each share a portion / are approximating this absolute truth, following a kind of blind man to the elephant analogy. However, (I am basically arguing) the commonality shows an elephant must exist.
- C. (The personal inauthenticity argument is probably much stronger - ideas are human made after all, and if humans experience anguish from a deviation from the true self, then a macro authentic truth must exist - to be built on later)
10) The implications of this are huge.
implication 1)
There is real (even if only theoretical / practically unfindable) truth in mental health - a truth for your true feelings, true (and calm) desires,
A deviation from this truth causes poor outcomes, low motivation, deep life unsatisfaction. this gives you something to be able aim for, instead of constantly trying to find the absolute truth.
implication 2)
if there is real truth to be found in life, in motivation, "the mental world" there is definitely a real truth (or in social sciences - collection of truths or circumstances) to be found - this extremely motivating / reinvigorating academically - now there is truth to be found, studying something becomes worthwhile again.
Song which describes this: The Transition between Blue Spotted Tail and Grown Ocean
Thank you for coming to my ted talk.
JJ
