Flying Monkeys

@Historylover, it's perverse, it's degrading, it's destructive, much like Facebook was in the early days. It became apparent early on Dr Phil only appealed to nosey housewives, narcissists and psychopaths, the sort of people who should not be fed this information without a proper license and background checks. That the show is finishing soon has made me realise how much damage he has caused America, and any country that airs his show.

@justanotherguy It's funny, because I was doing a course back when his first? book came out, and I had to do a book review. I had read that book so did my review on it. I was young and naive and wrote that this sort of book should not be written for the general public. My teacher disagreed with me, saying that it was good to understand our fellow man.

I was so taken aback by her response that I discontinued the course. A review is a personal opinion. Had I presented a review or not? It was not whether she agreed with it or not.

Anyway, all these years later, I wonder if there has been any great benefit to any of this. It certainly has let the genie out of the bottle.

I have reflected on this recently. My jury is still out. I think our society is a total mess. Perhaps it's all just been part of human growth?

Conversely, today I always say we can't have too much information when we put our lives in others' hands, so you can see I am rather bewildered by all of this at the moment. Anyway, airing our private matters on television for entertainment is not acceptable.

@Historylover, for me the problem is the first psychiatrist I ever met (mentioned on another post). He exclaimed that everyone on earth has a mental problem. I just don't agree with that at all. I think that's the kind of thinking that is within the psychiatric (and to a lesser extent psychology) industries. They get a bit of 'God' complex and think they can fix all the world's problems if they can just 'fix' people's minds. It's clearly not that simple, and technically speaking, what is the reference point? Dr Phil makes clear his reference point is the traditional nuclear (Christian) heterosexual family unit. That alone warrants caution.

Well, we all can only speak from our own observations and experiences, @justanotherguy—which may be one reason why there are so many specialities in psychiatry. For me, I thoroughly agree with that psychiatrist's point of view.

We are all born into the 'family game', the family's 'way of doing things', of 'perceiving things', of evading (and thus accumulating) problems and problem behaviours that are then passed on to the next generation and the next... So, that we all have 'mental problems' is unavoidable, in my opinion. It is part of the human condition.

I have observed that people are either predator or predated upon. Too often, the predators go into the professions, including the 'helping'/health professions, law, government, able to choose who they will help and who they will hinder; the predated upon go into trades and non-skilled occupations. Often, not always.

You spoke of 'flying monkeys'. I am not overly familiar with such conduct, but I'm sure it exists in my sphere. It is just, probably, that narcissism, scapegoating and predatory vulnerability is more rampant in my sphere.

I guess we all learn from each other's perspectives. The above are my observations.

Hi @Historylover, in my case I have been a 'problem' for so long as I refuse to play the victim. At some point people in my community probably thought I would amount to nothing, and have been treating me as such ever since. All my 'mental health' treatment seems to be aimed at getting me to be a willing victim again, and all the 'life advice' I get from family and friends is a desperate attempt to push that onto me. The latest is 'why don't you be a volunteer?' to which my first thought is 'that makes me feel like a slave.' I have far more respect for myself than anyone else does it seems.

Mmmm, @justanotherguy, re volunteering: I always think, sure, I can volunteer but I wanted a career, to be able to achieve and to be successful. I have all the necessary ingredients, but I have always been thwarted at every step. I must fail or underachieve so that others can feel superior. I must always play second fiddle when I have the ability to be a virtuoso.

They just won't let me achieve. It is too threatening to them, and they are happy in, and with, the status quo.

Others are in control of whether I win or lose. I don't know how to beat them.

Hi hear you @Historylover , working menial jobs is ok for some but most of us have been told for years to 're-skill', 'up-train' and the like. It then gets to a point where you become so over-qualified for most things and you actually know more about stuff than the people running the show. I'm not sure what the solution is, I would like to contribute to society but not be completely exploited in doing so.

I'm getting to the point where I am tired of working towards things I will never achieve, @justanotherguy.

To be honest, I am feeling thoroughly burnt out.

Hi @Historylover , can you go on a holiday? And I don't mean a week long vacation, sometimes I find just to pick a place not too far away and spend a night or 2, maybe just a weekend.

I haven't had a holiday in 20+ years, @justanotherguy, and I have thought of many possibilities. Unfortunately, I just don't have the energy or inspiration to go on a holiday on my own again, and I'm not in the mood for pretending to be happy so that I am not a dampener on a stranger's day.

Nice thought though, @justanotherguy.

Don't concern yourself with my problems. There are no solutions. I've tried everything. Everything.