urgency & philosophy

[PATRICIA DESERT]

Actually, Adam, I have similar thoughts about this.  I have a low threshold 
for being around those who consistently and intensely exhort me to rally to 
action around a particular issue.  Part of it has to do with clairsentience 
whereby I easily take in other's energy and can only do that for limited 
periods of time without then needing time alone to recharge.  Partly it has 
to do with my interests.  Global warming is an interest but it is secondary 
to some other social issues that present right in my own community.  And a 
big part of it relates to my work as a therapist.

I deal with deeply painful and potentially destructive issues every day with 
clients who come in angry, depressed, anxious, traumatized.  I am fully 
present with my clients and at the end of the day I have little energy left 
to become actively involved in the larger issues in the world.

I believe that we all can choose how best can make a difference.  I only 
have so much energy, time, and monetary resources.  So I have chosen my 
life's work as a therapist to address the larger social ills at the micro 
level.  After all, our world is a mirror of who we are.  As each person 
heals so heals the world.  Others much more able I leave to address the 
world's problems on a macro level.

And like you, I used to feel shame that I wasn't more involved in politics, 
social activism, fund-raising, etc.  Fortunately I have made peace with 
myself around this and feel the world is blessed to have people like Ed who 
obviously is interested and does engage in the larger issues facing our 
world.

Peace to all in the new year.

Patti


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Adam Blatner" <adam at blatner.com>
To: "Edward Schreiber" <edwschreiber at earthlink.net>
Cc: <list at grouptalkweb.org>
Sent: Friday, December 28, 2007 11:25 AM
Subject: urgency & philosophy


> Dear Ed and others,
>     This email leaves the issue of  the source of a quote,  and speaks 
> rather to your
> perspective of urgency of ecological work.
>           First, of course you're right about the time theme.
> (I'm even reminded of Al Gore's interview in the recent time Magazine as 
> the 2nd place
> person-of-the-year).
>
>       Yet, to shift the perspective a little, your urgency and passion, 
> while noble, also
> brings up some issues that deal with sociometry: How much worry is 
> optimal? And might
> people choose others who share similar tolerances for the degrees of worry 
> they "vibrate
> with"?
>
>     From other recent issues, I've become more aware that when it comes to 
> worry, too much
> makes me crazy, arouses my limbic system so that I can't think straight.
>          I remember a funny mantra: When in trouble or in doubt, run in 
> circles, scream
> and shout!
>
>  Yes, a little edge, a little worry, is needed for arousing the nervous 
> system to optimal
> engagement.
>     Too little and I become complacent, drugged, un-engaged. (This is one 
> of the pitfalls
> of drugs, alcohol, and for many, television and other pseudo-addictions 
> and escapes.)
>      There is a range that seems just right---I do my work with my skills 
> in my area of
> interest and ability. I may stretch a bit, give a bit to this or that 
> political cause.
>         But I find myself becoming wary about associating with 
> acquaintances or groups who
> engage in levels of worry that I find abrasive, upsetting.
>
>          This is important, because we are exhorted by thousands of 
> sources to do more and
> more. And there's always more to do! politically, socially, etc.
>        Worse, it's often quite unclear what must be done.
>               Meeting and talking about it with no particular suggestions 
> to consider
> rarely generates truly useful solutions unless it's dealing with something 
> very local,
> such as is one's own business (i.e., brainstorming)---and even then, no 
> guarantee that the
> improvisations and ideas will be fruitful. Even harder if the challenge 
> requires the
> cooperation and collaboration of scores or hundreds or thousands of 
> groups, becomes
> national and international in scope.
>          How about giving money to a cause? Which cause? How do we know 
> they're more
> efficient than many organizations who are strikingly inefficient? And in 
> many cases,
> throwing money at a problem may go into the hands of corrupt politicians.
>
>      There's also the problem of recognizing and responding to how much 
> worry can be
> tolerable. (Here's where an issue of tele comes in.) There are some social 
> and religious
> groups that carry a higher degree of urgency--- social action oriented, 
> missionary
> oriented, this or that cause about homosexuality, abortion, women wanting 
> to be
> priests---whatever the issue, however you may agree or disagree with a 
> given position, the
> point is that for some groups these concerns are accompanied by a sense of 
> urgency and
> worry.
>        Often these groups perceive other groups or people who seek more 
> comfort and peace
> of mind to be, well, complacent, and morally deficient, worthy of being 
> judged and
> scolded: "Stop living in denial!"
> .    And perhaps for some there's more than a germ of truth: There are 
> folks who are
> indeed complacent.
>             And others are in-between:
>               (I remember a blessing that goes:
>                     May the Holy Spirit forever continue to comfort... and 
> disturb...
> u.   )
>
>         The sociometric theme is that some folks feel vulnerable for not 
> being more noble,
> but can't handle with any comfort the degrees of worry and urgency claimed 
> by other folks.
> It then depends on who seems to be the great majority. (Scott Adams, the 
> Dilbert
> cartoonist, notes that in any encounter the one who is more insane tends 
> to dominate.) So
> in a group in which the more worried ones represent maybe 30%, that will 
> end up seeming
> like a majority to the quieter, lower-key others.
>
>         I haven't known how to talk about this because, on reflection, I 
> used to feel
> guilty, ashamed, vulnerable for not wanting to get too het up about 
> certain political
> issues. I realized gradually that worrying carries a threshold---some 
> folks find it to be
> painful when done at 40%  (at 80% it's called agitated depression and it 
> can be one of the
> worst, hellish feelings. I tasted this once in early 2002 following a flu 
> syndrome.
> Cleared up with SSRIs.).
>        Some folks like that edge and become accustomed to and even 
> desirous of
> entertaining worry, stress---for them it's optimal challenge. Generally 
> that may be at,
> say, 14-20%  Others really suffer when they are preached at to worry about 
> things at a
> level of more than 10%
>       My hunch is that kids at play, really engaged, spontaneous, trying 
> out different
> solutions, are vibrating at a level of excitement, making mistakes, 
> feeling just an edge
> of shame and fear that their mistakes may become too much, but this keeps 
> them alert. They
> don't want the game to be any less challenging. I put this at around 5%
>
> I know I feel very engaged and am quite active within my own range.  But 
> 10% starts to
> mentally, emotionally "hurt."
>     So I just don't get heroic in certain ways. I can't justify not 
> wanting to do more---I
> wonder if even saying "it hurts" makes me seem like a wuss.
>
>     But I've come to a point of reflection where I can not only accept my 
> limits, but
> affirm them. This applies also to some other roles in my life. I'm not 
> going to go much
> past what Vygotsky the Russian developmental psychologist calls the ZPD, 
> the zone of
> proximal development, the region where I can stretch a little, but not get 
> overloaded.
> (That's the aforementioned 5%)
>
>        Thanks for helping me look at this dynamic. I wonder if anyone else 
> senses this
> edge of when are certain issues "too much" and when do I want to address 
> them. I also note
> that the variable of "what precisely can I do" is a factor here. My angle 
> is to promote
> psychological literacy in my corner of the world, and on my website, etc.
>
>       warmly, Adam
>
>
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