Hello Philosophy Society!
Discussion 1: Philosophy of Psychology
When we discuss the wisdom of psychology, the meaning of this would be to coherently bring together the psychological facts we found within science in some way that fits with our Eudaimonic, living well or the good life perspective. For example, an understanding of cognitive dissonance, the unpleasant feeling we get when we have contradictory beliefs, attitudes, behaviours and realities of the world, can be understood as a means to manage those factors producing the feeling. Some people may have poor emotional management styles, avoiding issues, becoming delusional in their beliefs, disregarding their reasons and compartmentalizing parts of themselves from others.
These approaches go against an authentic, unified sense of self and are not the way from an evolutionary perspective. Our brains evolved cognitive dissonance so that we have some sense of our perspective and behaviour with the reality of the cosmos we live in. The wisdom here is we can use the feeling of dissonance as a guide to abandon unrealistic beliefs, perspectives and behaviours so that we are more in line with the cosmological, ordered, reality we live in.
A fundamental assumption exists that we value being real and the cosmos as an ordered universe more than other beliefs that we may have been socialized to become attached to. Certain beliefs, if they were instilled at a very early age, may be quite difficult to abandon because of the meaning they have on one’s identity and social inclusion. If we give up the belief in the existence of god, for example, because there really isn't any evidence and it can only be retained by faith, we may suffer many social consequences from our family and friends. These social pressures can override our reason and true touch with reality.
Discussion 2: Criticism of CBT
Cognitive behaviour therapy is the psychotherapeutic practice of changing one’s thoughts and behaviour so that they are more realistic. This modification of thoughts and behaviour is used to increase one’s well being. A problem or limitation with this approach is that one can misuse the method in the sense of not listening to legitimate feelings by dismissing them away through some thought replacement process.
The purpose of CBT is to identify destructive thoughts and behaviour and learn to embody healthier ones. It may be the case that our anger, sadness, joy and happiness is realistic. The expression of our emotions is something we can control and learn to filter in a very healthy way.
Our emotions are something that we can experience. We can feel them. Those emotions are derived from thousands of years of our ancestors surviving because they learned to become in tune with what they felt. Through the practice of mindfulness, we can become aware of what we feel and determine the meaning of those feelings. If we feel anger at a person or ourselves, the emotion is not necessarily misplaced. What we do with that emotion is what matters and ignoring it can be a cause of prolonged suffering.
We can rely on our instincts to guide us and build on the lessons of our ancestors. They have prepared us for part of the challenges we face today. So if we are able to extract some wisdom from what we feel, we can be in the present and become the best version of all those before us. They survived so that you can live. If you learn to listen to them, you can avoid mistakes they are communicating to you, through your genes. You are not determined by your genes, but can use your 2022 present self to find the appropriate place and expression of what you feel. The time is now for you to grow and to become your best self.
CBT is one tool you can use. Mindfulness and meditation is another. The faculties of the human condition give opportunity to grow with these tools at your disposal. These tools, and others, are how you navigate your environment and the social seas that face you in your journey of growth as a person. Mindfulness is about being in touch with yourself in the present moment.
The correct practice of CBT is to identify the distortion in our thinking or perception, falsify it, and teach ourselves to see and behave in ways that are conducive to our growth and the circumstances we find ourselves in.
Discussion 3: Practical Applications
We then had a discussion of the applications of the philosophy of mental health thesis I developed. There is a normalized housing program, where upon designing new builds relative to community living, a leader of the mental health philosophy would be the property manager and community representative. They would facilitate the development of the members of their household, deal with conflict management, and model the skills and practices that are inline with the mental health philosophy and eudaimonia.
A socialization housing program has been developed for people who suffer from severe mental illnesses like personality disorders, Substance Use disorder, psychosis, developmental issues like fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, etc. Here there would be a larger facility that is designed based on community living but does not have one representative. A team is needed to facilitate the caregiving of those who cannot maintain a baseline level of independent or social functioning. The team based model is needed to prevent a variety of problems like unhealthy cliques or subgroups developing within the community.
The workplace application of the thesis is modeled off coaching the leader of the workplace in conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, and empathy that all subordinates or colleagues can model themselves after. This context is heavily dependent on the mindset of the leader and some leaders will be the weak point of the workplace. Identifying cooperative and willing individuals who are open to feedback and growth is necessary for the program to function properly. If the leader suffers from conditions of narcissism, for example, there is little hope that they will be able to embody the necessary properties that others can model themselves after.
Discussion 4: Toxic Relationships
Sometimes we have a relationship with someone who has good and bad qualities. Depending on the closeness, whether they live with us or spend a lot of time with them due to working together, we can suffer from their negative attributes. It is important to develop boundaries with those who have both positive and negative qualities to them. This is not a perfectionist approach to filtering out relationships with others. Some people suffer from alcoholism or display narcissistic traits. Those two properties of their being will dramatically affect our lives in a negative way. We may not see initially the negative impact on our lives, but if we take time to reflect on how they interact within situations in our lives, we will see that their presence is holding us back.
The principle from the philosopher Thomas Reid, “the chain is only as strong as its weakest link,” is directly related to our social life. If we are able to hold people that suffer from a lack of control in their lives at a distance so that their lapse of agency does not affect our growth, we will have developed a healthy social distance.
It can be difficult to determine what this distance is so allow yourself to learn from experience. Having arbitrary boundaries with others that excludes them from your life is not necessarily fair nor healthy. It is important to find the appropriate distance between people and give people a chance to grow as individuals.
Being someone’s friend is to not limit your view of them to their weaknesses. It is important for you to be mindful of those weaknesses in the construction of your boundaries. A true friend does not tell you what you want to hear or avoid difficult conversations. A true friend takes the time and puts care into telling you what you need to hear. It's up to you to learn from them and listen.
Discussion 5: Aesthetics and the Artist
Our final discussion was based on the nature of the artist. There is a relationship between the cosmos, the environment, the artist and the art produced. The artist is the medium between the environment and the art. The artist is distinct from others in the sense that they find a medium to express what they have experienced from the cosmos in a unique way. There are many different modes of art which are predominantly based on our senses; visual, auditory, kinesthetic, etc.
The artist must have some inhibition towards society so that their interpretation or perception of the environment is individualized that makes it a distinct expression. The artist makes space in society for their own expression. They must always be in touch with their own self and it is distinct from others. The master artist practices and perceives in all contexts, at least in mind, so that the environment molds their capacity for expression. Limiting oneself is problematic for artistic expression. Limitations can be useful for training, but the mind needs to filter through contexts so that it can find its own unique path.
The inhibition of the social filter can be done in healthy ways or unhealthy ways. Some people express that suffering is necessary for good art or that substance abuse is needed to achieve a certain artistic state of mind. This may be true but it also assumes that the self is to be used as a means to an end, the end of the artwork.
Sacrificing yourself for art is not ethical. You have to determine your values. Is the product of yourself, the art, more important than yourself? You need yourself to produce the art. Many artists have committed suicide or died from overdose from addictions. We all see this as a tragedy and at the same time some express that their path was necessary for the expression.
It is not necessarily the case that suffering is needed for artistic expression. It is true that one can produce art through suffering, but it is equally possible that if that person found a healthy way to live, they could have produced a higher quality of art with the same emotional content without killing themselves. If you are able to transcend beyond your suffering, you can include the wisdom from that experience in your expression. It is not necessary to sacrifice yourself by staying in depressive states of mind or abusing drugs to reach a pinnacle of artistry. You have the power to speak to the world from the peak of the mountain, after climinging out of hell.
© Achilles Atlas Justice and achillesjustice.com, 2018-22. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Achilles Atlas Justice and achillesjustice.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.