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Complex Numbers #1071131 added May 15, 2024 at 9:55am
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Absolutely
"Only a Sith deals in absolutes." —Obi-Wan Kenobi
The problem with that quote from one of the Star Wars prequels is that it is, itself, an example of absolute thinking. This has been pointed out by better minds than mine, but it seems relevant to today's article (from Aeon). Of course, the Jedi weren't as pure and noble as their PR tried to paint them to be; controlling others' minds is generally considered "evil," regardless of purpose.
But if there's anything Star Wars is known for, it's lightsabers. If there's anything else it's known for, it's bad dialogue.
Anyway, to the point:
Think of the most happy and well-adjusted person you know – what can you say about their thinking style?
Well, that would be me. (If that thought doesn't scare you, nothing will.)
Are they dogmatic, with an all-or-nothing outlook on the world? Do they place totally rigid demands on themselves and those around them? When confronted with stresses and misfortunes, are they apt to magnify and fixate on them? In short, do they have an absolutist thinking style?
I absolutely do not. Well, with some exceptions.
Absolutist thoughts are unqualified by nuance and overlook the complexity of a given subject.
I've railed on this before. One solution would be to drink more Absolut.
There are generally two forms of absolutism; ‘dichotomous thinking’ and ‘categorical imperatives’.
These $2 words are explained in the article, and I'll quote them, too:
Dichotomous thinking – also referred to as ‘black-and-white’ or ‘all-or-nothing’ thinking – describes a binary outlook, where things in life are either ‘this’ or ‘that’, and nothing in between.
Some rare things are binary, or effectively so. Flip a fair coin, for example, and the chance of it landing on edge is minuscule; the practical effective outcome is either heads or tails. But, agreed, most things aren't. Like "alive" and "dead." At first that seems binary, but there are nuances to life; if someone's in a coma, e.g.
Categorical imperatives are completely rigid demands that people place on themselves and others. The term is borrowed from Immanuel Kant’s deontological moral philosophy, which is grounded in an obligation- and rules-based ethical code.
Hey, great job explaining "dichotomous" and "categorical;" but you had to go and throw in "deontological,"  didn't you?
Yet we all, to varying extents, are disposed to it – why is this?
"We all?" Wow, that's some absolutist shit right there.
Primarily, because it’s much easier than dealing with the true complexities of life.
I'm all for "easy," but not if it's going to make things more complicated in the long run.
The article (which is from 2018, so things might have changed in the field since then) goes on to describe the author's work on the subject which, like all psychological science, should be read skeptically. I'm not saying it's wrong, but I'm not saying it's right, either. See? I'm not an absolutist.
These findings support the recent ‘third wave’ therapies that have entered clinical psychology. The most well-known of these is ‘mindfulness’, but they all advocate a flexible outlook, acceptance, and freedom from attachments.
Ugh. "Mindfulness" again. I'm in favor of flexible outlooks and whatnot, but I have yet to accept the usefulness of "mindfulness," and I might never do so. Then again, I might. Thus once again showing that I have some flexibility.
Many argue that the world is a harsh place, and that it is the stresses and misfortunes in life that make people depressed, not their thinking style. Wrong!
Once again, the irony of proclaiming "WRONG!" in an article like this doesn't escape me.
Countless people suffer misfortunes and do not get depressed or anxious, while others seemingly suffer no misfortune at all, and are blighted with depression and anxiety.
Or it could be, though I don't have studies and shit to pull out, that depression and anxiety are health issues, caused not by absolutist thinking but by chemical processes in the brain. This is like saying that lots of people slip and fall on ice, but not all of them break their legs doing so.
So, yeah, I'm not taking the words here to be absolute truth, but I found it to be an interesting enough take on things to share it. |
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