Interesting on many levels @Dimity Timing is a little synchronistic.
I have been reflecting on autonomy and shame and doubt in last couple of weeks.
Doubting Thomas was mentioned and church, and I also have reflected on Erikson's theory for decades. Him and Maslow give a bit of structure for me to contemplate my chaotic childhood. So I agree with the premise of the article before I even read past first paragraph. I oddly have never really been a doom and gloom type. The uncertainties made me adaptive and I did make the most of many possibilities and have lived a rich life. Hypervigilance, can be tough but it also brings in data. My brain was wired so I was good at school and work which opened up experiences. I was game enough or mad enough to travel the world for a year, leaving Australia at 20. I am kind of proof of the resilience of early uncertainties. I was 6 when world turned upside down. I figure it was too young for my siblings who suicided as they were only 2 and 4. So the being needs to be old enough to physiologically integrate the stress. I had some sense of functioning understanding of the world.
I am so sad that my son went the more doom and conspiracy theory way, maybe he can come out of it, but I grieve his lost time. We are having a lot of good spiritual and social conversations in last 6 months, but he was a bit rigid for a while. He was also massively betrayed by a few people. He has been experimenting recently socially and learning, not to let himself get ripped off. He doesnt have to suffer for everyone. He deserves to honour himself.
"The poet John Keats described “negative capability”: the ability to remain “in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason”. Modern neuroscience increasingly supports this strategy. The capacity to tolerate ambiguity – to sit with not knowing – appears central to flexible, creative and resilient thinking."
Thats more my style. I dive into learning and avoid not knowing in an intellectual way, trying to understand but always seem to understand that life is complicated. Was used to a lot of kids and chattering mouths at the tables in the orphanage, and lots of changes. I am kind of proof of the article. I mostly shut up, but life was noisy.
I will be naughty and admit that I believe my openness and positivity may also have been wired in my brain by an psychedelics trip [edited by moderator] when I was 16 and still at school. I was trying to integrate hard sciences, while studying Lady Sings the Blues and Kubla Khan in English. Lots of heady stuff.
Now with all the interest in psychedelics... i can say ... gotcha... knew that in mid 1970s, and had a Scientific American book back then that supported my lived experience with fancy chemical pics.
Lovely talking. Sent me on a dive into my old love of poetry. Thanks.
Having a hard week, but grateful for good company.
@Chasingsunsets @AlwaysMyself @Shaz51 @tyme @outlander
