Interesting Things

"... we seem determined to do away with sadness, or at least pathologise it into an easily treatable condition"
It’s not about diagnosis being an inherently negative thing, nor is it a judgment on those that have diagnoses. The diagnosis of depression can offer access to treatment, an identity, and even relief from a sense of blame or shame around one’s mental state, but more worryingly it can force people to listen. The issue that I personally have, in some cases, is the message that the frequency and regard given to the label sends. It illustrates, in my opinion, the systematic, widespread, and purveying attitude towards sadness which, as with other ‘negative’ emotions like anger, is intolerable both for the feeler and those around them. My concern is that this understanding leads to shame, discomfort, and a lack of understanding of a feeling that is, let’s face it, wholly unavoidable. Sadness is an inevitable part of human experience, to deny it or punish ourselves and others for feeling it makes little sense and can sometimes cause an awful lot of harm.

the three happiness myths

October 11th 2017

A short video narrated by Dr. Russ Harris, author of 'The Happiness Trap' on the myths we tell ourselves about happiness.