June 19, 2008Discussion topic ~ You know you’re intellectualizing when…
Many people respond intellectually to situations where an emotional response would be more appropriate. (The opposite is also true, of course.) I’d like your help with my latest list: You know you’re intellectualizing when…
- You know you’re intellectualizing when someone writes you a love poem and you point out a misplaced comma.
- You know you’re intellectualizing when you explain why the rainbow is so colorful and forget to admire its beauty.
- You know you’re intellectualizing when you tell a woman in childbirth “your labor pains are interesting sensations worthy of all your attention.”
- You know you’re intellectualizing when someone tells you they lost their house and you give advice without ever acknowledging their loss.
Your turn. Please post your “You know you’re intellectualizing when…” contributions. (We’ll explore: “you know you’re dramatizing when…” next week.)
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You know you’re intellectualizing when someone comes to you in the depths of despair and your tell him to “snap out of it!” [NOTE: My work with people suffering from depression and bipolar disorder has taught me this reaction is so common that it's a cliche.]
Comment by Charles Sakai, Japanese Cowboy — June 20, 2008 @ 7:58 am
I have to thank Charles Sakai for the memory he evoked when I read his comment about the phrase “Snap out of it”. I am lucky enough to know what he is talking about because I had a friend in college who kept us entertained by his bitter sweet observations about the world, and his stories of survival of a difficult family and misdiagnosed mental illness. In one of his more poignant stories, his father was quoted as giving him that advice, “Snap out of it”, and our group adopted it as our “battle cry” for some years after, in recognition of our friend’s suffering. What a species we are!
How about, You know you’re intellectualizing when you open your mouth and talk. Talking sometimes seems to signal the cessation of conscious feeling or conscious thinking.
Comment by Kathleen — July 4, 2008 @ 3:08 pm
Kathleen, your comment is much appreciated. The history of our family reads like a casualty list because like most Asian families, we were too ashamed to even think about the possibility of being predisposed to depression and bipolar illness, let alone seek treatment for them. So it’s taken me many years to piece together the truth.
Comment by Charles Sakai, Japanese Cowboy — July 9, 2008 @ 8:08 am
“Talking sometimes seems to signal the cessation of conscious feeling or conscious thinking.” How true, Kathleen! It can be a great avoidance mechanism!
Comment by merylrunion — July 15, 2008 @ 11:07 am