I grew up in a college town where dumpster diving at the end of any given semester was a treasure trove. It taught me that you can give and receive without obligation in a weird roundabout way. Then I moved to a city where my neighbors got bed bugs from grabbing a side table off the curb. Ended...
Psychologically speaking, I struggle with failure due to a lifetime of being put down and made to feel like I’m not good enough by the people closest to me.
Practically speaking, I struggle with success because my primary goal is mere survival. It wasn’t until my late 20’s when I realized my...
Haven’t read this in its entirety due to time constraints. However, a quick skim revealed the goal is not to define non-action, but instead offer a comparison of what non-action entails for each discipline along with the origins of such practices. Seems pretty on-point from what I did read thus...
I was set up to complete a dual master’s in public health and social work when I finished undergrad, then decided I don’t want to work in that field. Went back to community college to fulfill hard science prerequisites so I could pursue an MS in something, wasn’t really sure what yet. Ended up...
My earliest memory was waking up in my parent’s bed, looking down the hallway and seeing them eating breakfast at the dining table with my brothers. I was scared a monster would get me so I yelled for them and dad picked me up. This was at the home we lived in before moving to the town where I...
Sympathies to you and your family. I am all too familiar with the heartache of helping someone who refuses help or otherwise cannot help themselves.
My mother has schizophrenia and multiple personality disorder (which is now known as dissociative identity disorder.) She is mostly functional...
That is a good illustration of what I meant by being taught to evaluate information. It’s not enough to simply collect and interpret data. The methods of evaluation and parameters matter. When I go to a source of something I am learning about these are things I look at. Sometimes that requires...
That’s a valid point. I am no longer involved in research. At least for now. I switched professions. Thus, I rely on experts. My point was that I am well acquainted with scientific standards when it comes to interpretation of data, which encourages me to not be presumptive.
One of the few celebrities I shed a tear for.
The quality of a sequel would depend upon the direction they took. I’ve never really speculated about it before. That said, I would boycott any attempt to do a remake now. It’s reminiscent of how I felt about remakes of The Crow, but for different...
Even scientific researchers aren’t “doing their own research” by technical standards. Research requires teams to evaluate data and outcome of hypotheses to better understand what considerations must be accounted for. Best anyone can do is learn how to interpret data and the presentation of such...
The notion that only those who believe in a god or gods can be virtuous is ridiculous and simply incorrect. Are you unfamiliar with virtue ethics or secular morality? Defining what is good or bad does not depend on faith or religion. Period. Not accepting blind faith in divinity does not equate...
My child came out as non-binary at age twelve. Even as someone who fully supports trans identities I find it difficult not to say “she/her” or think of her in terms of the birth name I gave. It’s taking a conscious rewiring of my brain to change the thought processes pertaining to how I refer to...
Pardon, allow me to rephrase: gender norms of today’s society seem dominated by notions that there is a superior sex. Challenges to male dominated gender roles are historically met by resistance and hesitation. I don’t see how the resistance to adopting other pronouns is any different than the...
I was speaking generally, not specifically about 12-step programs.
Those programs are in a class all their own. Great for some, not for others. My original point still stands. Regardless of differences in religious, spiritual, or metaphysical perspectives the underlying structure of religion...
Gender is a social construct centered around tradition and patriarchal ideation. Lots of people are vehemently against any change to those standards. People become outraged when their way of life is challenged. How dare anyone teach a child to respect individual expression?!
The 12 step programs haven’t worked well for him. He always ended up relapsing. The one that got him clean was an intensive 18 month inpatient treatment program for the homeless centered around Christianity. They helped him get a job and eventually a place to live. He went from being taoist to a...
It seems as though people gravitate towards things that provide them with a sense of belonging and purpose. The structure of religion offers guidelines for how to operate on a daily basis. I think this is part of why we see many people recovering from addiction turn towards religion. My own...