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Diffstat (limited to 'content/entry/start-fresh-in-every-moment.md')
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1 files changed, 2 insertions, 2 deletions
diff --git a/content/entry/start-fresh-in-every-moment.md b/content/entry/start-fresh-in-every-moment.md index 0c88c4a..4f25f5b 100644 --- a/content/entry/start-fresh-in-every-moment.md +++ b/content/entry/start-fresh-in-every-moment.md @@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ I'll use Covid as an example. There are thousands of depressing Covid stats and There's a false dichotomy that the only two options are facing the cold, hard, depressing truth and telling yourself comforting lies. Either you're a tortured genius or a happy idiot. But this ignores the fact that it's not just the depressing truth which is depressing. It's the constantly thinking about it that's the most destructive. ## Toxic Positivity -You don't necessarily need to lie to yourself about what's going on in the world not to be depressed. A few people opt for that strategy. They put a positive spin on everything and when that becomes impossible, they outright lie to themselves. This is a form of [Toxic Positivity](https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxic_positivity). +You don't necessarily need to lie to yourself about what's going on in the world not to be depressed. A few people opt for that strategy. They put a positive spin on everything and when that becomes impossible, they outright lie to themselves. This is a form of [Toxic Positivity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxic_positivity). For examples of toxic positivity, just search Youtube for how to get rich. You'll find clueless one-percenters who genuinely seem to think poor people only exist because they have the wrong mindset. I don't think I need to explain how harmful this is. This extreme can be avoided by just not lying to yourself. @@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ What does any of this have to do with starting fresh? Well, people tell themselv And it might be true that if you relapse then you're likely to become a regular user again. I don't know the odds. But on a personal level, the odds don't matter because it's counterproductive to remind yourself of the bad odds while you're trying to quit. -It's much more helpful to focus on the positives like "If I quit, I'll be healthier." or "Other people quit using, so it's not impossible." Focusing on the positives without deluding yourself isn't anything new. It goes all the way back to the ancient [Stoics](https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoicism) who invented several techniques for achieving positivity without delusion. +It's much more helpful to focus on the positives like "If I quit, I'll be healthier." or "Other people quit using, so it's not impossible." Focusing on the positives without deluding yourself isn't anything new. It goes all the way back to the ancient [Stoics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoicism) who invented several techniques for achieving positivity without delusion. From a subjective perspective, you are always starting fresh. Every moment is a new moment and it's going to be filled with whatever thoughts you happen to have. Reflect on the past and learn from it. Plan for the future. But there's no need to cling to the past and imagined future as final arbiters of who you are or what you're capable of now. Thoughts of the past don't make you who you are any more than the thought of money makes you rich. |