“Or should I, (the horror!), stop caring about psychology and believe in nothing?”
Though it would be anathema to my younger (as in 39-year-old) self, I think this is probably closer to right/healthy than not. In other words, have all the thoughts you want--host them, entertain them, wine them and dine them, maybe even take them to bed for an impassioned fling--just don’t marry them, don’t wed yourself to them eternally, don’t sacrifice yourself to others to them. Don’t believe in your thoughts.
You're right. But evolutionary psychology is more of a compulsion that a collection of thoughts for me. Since I learned about evolutionary theory as a child, I compulsively put everything under an evolutionary lens. For many years I told myself to stop it - it didn't make sense within any theoretical framework I knew. Learning about a shade of evolutionary psychology that I could believe in was liberating: finally I could follow my compulsion to use evolutionary theory for everything.
“Learning about a shade of evolutionary psychology that I could believe in was liberating: finally I could follow my compulsion to use evolutionary theory for everything.”
Is it a paradox that feeding a compulsion feels liberating?
Yesterday I read a qoute of John Stuart Mill, saying "Liberty consists in doing what one desires". According to that definition, a free person typically does what is pleasurable.
But no, that was not the reason why I used the word "liberating". The reason was that I'm not very precise with words and use the words that come to my mind. It wasn't well thought over at all.
“Or should I, (the horror!), stop caring about psychology and believe in nothing?”
Though it would be anathema to my younger (as in 39-year-old) self, I think this is probably closer to right/healthy than not. In other words, have all the thoughts you want--host them, entertain them, wine them and dine them, maybe even take them to bed for an impassioned fling--just don’t marry them, don’t wed yourself to them eternally, don’t sacrifice yourself to others to them. Don’t believe in your thoughts.
You're right. But evolutionary psychology is more of a compulsion that a collection of thoughts for me. Since I learned about evolutionary theory as a child, I compulsively put everything under an evolutionary lens. For many years I told myself to stop it - it didn't make sense within any theoretical framework I knew. Learning about a shade of evolutionary psychology that I could believe in was liberating: finally I could follow my compulsion to use evolutionary theory for everything.
“Learning about a shade of evolutionary psychology that I could believe in was liberating: finally I could follow my compulsion to use evolutionary theory for everything.”
Is it a paradox that feeding a compulsion feels liberating?
Of course it feels pleasurable, but what do you mean by “liberating”? Are you free if you are a slave to compulsion?
Yesterday I read a qoute of John Stuart Mill, saying "Liberty consists in doing what one desires". According to that definition, a free person typically does what is pleasurable.
But no, that was not the reason why I used the word "liberating". The reason was that I'm not very precise with words and use the words that come to my mind. It wasn't well thought over at all.
Whether it was imprecision or serendipity, it was a lovely expression. My wife and I had a good time pondering over it today during a walk.
No... Why would it be? Feeding a compulsion always feels great, unless the cost is very high, I guess.