I’m reminded of Cioran’s quote (paraphrasing) “Those who go through with it and commit suicide are failed optimists.” We been so conditioned to the idea of “I need to be happy!” Or like Camus’ comment “we MUST imagine Sisyphus happy”… anyways, love your work.
From this talk I liked your points about how the stigmatizing of mental health problems is going through a shift. From being casted out as lazy/unproductive/maladapted/etc, to a position where they require medical attention. Yet both create an otherness of the depressed individual where, if they aren't conforming to society they have a problem which needs an intervention. As a person who has experience depression and suicidal ideation, I have conflicting feelings about this situation. On the one hand, I agree with the negative effects that the culture of positivity has with its demands to be happy, and how it can aggravate the problem even more. As a simple example, it is very frustrating and invalidating to have someone telling you to smile when you can't think of any reason to do so. On the other hand, hadn't some people intervened on my life, I may have ended up killing myself. And I do see from a health perspective many of the "bad habits" and self destructive behaviors that were preventing me from "getting better". And in a way I believe that people should receive support in such cases and not just be left alone on their own. So your conclusion with that quote from Lady Gaga feels quite fitting, but I wonder how to tackle the situation in practice without stigmatizing and othering or forcing depressed individuals to conform to some societal standard that may not be fitting to them (or something like that) and yet giving them the support and intervene when needed. Even more tricky is the line of people who truly don't want to receive any help or intervention and claim to be (I was going to say content, but I am not sure which word to use) with their situation. Or even people who are suffering so much that they prefer to have assisted suicide. In the case of assisted suicide I can often see and understand why someone would want to end their lives if they are in constant, chronic unending physical pain. But for emotions or psychological problems the same step is much much harder to do, it feels like there's always something someone could do to help and change the situation.
it might be important to keep in mind the necessity of the absurdity of genuine human relationships, when we are at the same time in need of others to understand us and to remain not understood, when we desperately need help but simultaneously remain incapable of being helped. somehow, resolving this absurdity by preserving only one part makes relationships inhuman. maybe there is no solution, and maybe there shouldn’t be any.
Great analysis. I think this correlates with the general acceptance towards being and comfort that has been elevated in the West. I feel as if promoting an economic/political system that is predicated upon consumption and pleasure rids the average person of the necessary factors for growth. Recreation has lost most of it's meaning. Previously, individuals would grapple with the discontent they have towards their life; nowadays, people have media, opinions, and information disseminated to them at all times. This eliminates that valuable time for reflection and creates a perfect niche for the priestly therapeutic class to come in and solve all your ills for a fee.
I’m reminded of Cioran’s quote (paraphrasing) “Those who go through with it and commit suicide are failed optimists.”
We been so conditioned to the idea of “I need to be happy!” Or like Camus’ comment “we MUST imagine Sisyphus happy”…
anyways, love your work.
From this talk I liked your points about how the stigmatizing of mental health problems is going through a shift. From being casted out as lazy/unproductive/maladapted/etc, to a position where they require medical attention. Yet both create an otherness of the depressed individual where, if they aren't conforming to society they have a problem which needs an intervention.
As a person who has experience depression and suicidal ideation, I have conflicting feelings about this situation.
On the one hand, I agree with the negative effects that the culture of positivity has with its demands to be happy, and how it can aggravate the problem even more. As a simple example, it is very frustrating and invalidating to have someone telling you to smile when you can't think of any reason to do so.
On the other hand, hadn't some people intervened on my life, I may have ended up killing myself. And I do see from a health perspective many of the "bad habits" and self destructive behaviors that were preventing me from "getting better". And in a way I believe that people should receive support in such cases and not just be left alone on their own. So your conclusion with that quote from Lady Gaga feels quite fitting, but I wonder how to tackle the situation in practice without stigmatizing and othering or forcing depressed individuals to conform to some societal standard that may not be fitting to them (or something like that) and yet giving them the support and intervene when needed.
Even more tricky is the line of people who truly don't want to receive any help or intervention and claim to be (I was going to say content, but I am not sure which word to use) with their situation. Or even people who are suffering so much that they prefer to have assisted suicide. In the case of assisted suicide I can often see and understand why someone would want to end their lives if they are in constant, chronic unending physical pain. But for emotions or psychological problems the same step is much much harder to do, it feels like there's always something someone could do to help and change the situation.
it might be important to keep in mind the necessity of the absurdity of genuine human relationships, when we are at the same time in need of others to understand us and to remain not understood, when we desperately need help but simultaneously remain incapable of being helped. somehow, resolving this absurdity by preserving only one part makes relationships inhuman. maybe there is no solution, and maybe there shouldn’t be any.
Great analysis. I think this correlates with the general acceptance towards being and comfort that has been elevated in the West. I feel as if promoting an economic/political system that is predicated upon consumption and pleasure rids the average person of the necessary factors for growth.
Recreation has lost most of it's meaning. Previously, individuals would grapple with the discontent they have towards their life; nowadays, people have media, opinions, and information disseminated to them at all times. This eliminates that valuable time for reflection and creates a perfect niche for the priestly therapeutic class to come in and solve all your ills for a fee.