In psychology, there is an explanation for the phenomenon where you don't want to see people, and they become a source of stress for you. You see what they do, how they do it, what they say, and you dislike all of it. You choose to isolate yourself. In such cases, who holds the problem—you or the people around you?
Is it normal for a psychotherapist to say that they work within the frameworks of psychoanalysis, analytical psychology, and cognitive behavioral therapy? It seems to me that CBT is not compatible with psychoanalysis and analytical psychology. What do experts think about this?
Does anyone else feel like we’re living in an era of exceptional individuals?
Where everyone has some kind of mission that they’ve known about since childhood, since their school days. They are people who have never doubted, never strayed from their chosen path. They set a goal and reached it. It’s as if ordinary people don't even exist anymore. Being ordinary has become almost like being an insect. Against the backdrop of these exceptional individuals, an average person is hardly human anymore.
Especially when you aren't sure if you've chosen the right path, when you're 30+ and still don't know what you love or what you want to do with your life. When you're simply filled with doubt. It feels like the exceptional people of our time never doubt themselves—they only make decisions, and those decisions are, of course, always exceptionally important and impactful.
How do you survive among exceptional individuals when you’re just an ordinary person?
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How to stop comparing yourself to others? It’s just so hard, and the problem is that we always compare ourselves to more successful people and start underestimating ourselves. Sure, there are always people who are less fortunate than us, but that thought doesn't really bring any joy—it just triggers feelings of pity. What should I do? How can I learn not to compare myself? Is that even possible?
Thanks in advance!
If someone doesn't want to do something but people keep trying to talk them into it, is that considered psychological violation?
In my culture it's totally normal to pressure or persuade people to do things against their will. But lately, I've realized it bugs me a lot. When someone tries to persuade me like that, it feels like they don't respect me or my choices.
What do you feel when people try to talk you into doing things you don't want to do?
I love books. I love human histories but I never liked literature classes. For a long time, I couldn't put my finger on what the problem was. Then I read Nassim Taleb’s Fooled by Randomness, and it clicked.
I feel like most literature professors are "fooled by randomness." To them, nothing is accidental in a book they admire. Everything is symbolism. Every tiny detail has an explanation or some secret meaning that—by the way—isn't accessible to just any reader. These professors use their symbolism to suffocate the literature. They stack so many layers of meaning on top of each other that the actual essence gets lost. They turn authors into gods, forgetting the simple fact that they were humans, too, prone to human flaws. That kind of idolization actually makes me feel a sense of loathing toward the author. To me, it feels like a deception, and I don't like being deceived.
Furthermore, this omnipresent symbolism makes literature feel inaccessible, as if it’s only for the "chosen ones." It feels like it strips you of your right to read and your right to have an opinion if you aren't an expert. I am certain that literary works were not written for literary experts. These experts also take away your right not to like something. They don't allow you to dislike a recognized masterpiece. In this setup, when you read a book and don’t enjoy it, you don’t think the book is silly (you aren't allowed to); you think you are the silly one for not understanding such a "masterpiece."
Who else gets an inferiority complex because of all this symbolism? And who else feels like this symbolism sometimes borders on the absurd?