I think there’s a huge divide between people who find discontent stressful and consciously seek contentment strategies (easy minority) and ones who are blind to how it’s affecting them and don’t until they have a serious crisis and it’s too late.
Conversation
Ie if you think your problem is not having a billion dollars rather than the discontent it causes, you’ll make yourself miserable chasing the billion rather than addressing the discontent directly. You’ll dismiss anyone who suggests differently.
3
2
26
There’s a value judgment here of course as well as an objective one. I think a few who think they want a billion dollars are right and should actually go for it because they have the talents and a healthy pathway. Others, for various reasons, are wrong, and mostly shouldn’t.
1
11
Cf: "Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires."
— John Steinbeck
2
11
43
A lot of the responses are suggestions I just can’t see discontented types following, like ever. They strike me as “you have one innate trait X. To address problems it causes, develop this other innate trait Y.”
Like “you want to be good at basketball? First be tall.”
1
5
It’s a general problem with advice. Personality issues can only be addressed using other traits and circumstances that are likely to accompany them. Not criticizing the responses. Many are good for the fraction of people they might apply to. The problem is the fraction is small.
1
6
Eg: I’m sure gratitude journaling helps manage discontent. I just think the intersection of “discontented people” and “people who will give gratitude journaling a serious try” is very small. Most people attracted to the practice are probably not seriously discontented.
3
1
6
Mostly, I only see dramatic personality changes in people in the brief windows after acute shock/trauma events and/or major life circumstance changes like a new city or job.
1
14
It’s like we unconsciously recognize some personality issues as so foundational, we only attack them when there is a window of opportunity to reset foundations because of a major boundary condition changing.
3
1
18
Replying to
I've experienced this after traumatic events in my life, turns out there is a name for it but it is not very well researched. Personally, I think trauma offers the opportunity to either change or double-down on your path, but which will occur is not set.
1
1
8

