We currently live in a society now where mental health is not as much of a taboo thing to discuss. There are support groups online and in person as well as other resources to get help. We see marketing for these resources as well; I personally have seen many signs around Murfreesboro with the new mental health hotline number with the words “Help has a new number” at the bottom. There are signs with more inspiring messages, especially in areas with higher suicide rates. The Brooklyn Bridge in Brooklyn, New York, has a sign that says, “LIFE IS WORTH LIVING”. In chapter 6 of SSHM it is believed that William James would think "LIFE IS WORTH LIVING - MAYBE" William James thinks that there are meany reasons to live and that the fulfillment of one's life “depends on the liver.” However, James also believes that the “liver” has the autonomy to choose how fulfilling or unsatisfying their life is. He hopes that people find their reasons for living as he has.
James believes that life is worth what you make it out to be. Life is too complex to comprehend every single quality that makes life “worth living.” James didn't believe an individual's wellbeing depended on control of their life, but he believed people had control over their emotions and responses to the obstacles of life. I believe that this outlook is still applicable to current times. When some people experience negative emotions often times, they suppress them. I believe by using James’ approach people can feel negative emotions, process them, and gage how they can use their feelings to better a situation. Often times people suppress emotions, which can be a roadblock in understanding them. When I first read chapter six, I thought that James’ points were more black and white: that people needed to be reminded that they have control over their lives. However, now I understand he meant we must be reminded that although we cannot control every aspect of life, we can control how we react to life.
In addition, James has raised some good points that I believe can remind people of the beauty of life and loss. I think his claim of life is as good as you make it can influence some that although there are factors outside of their control, finding things that make you feel complete is both in your control and helpful during a hard time. Things that make your life complete could be family, friends, your partner, your pet, a hobby, etc. All of these beautiful things can help remind yourself that in some circumstances you are in control of your environment. Many people have mental health struggles, and I believe remembering you have the opportunity to take more control of your life, on top of being reminded of things that make your life better, can lead to an overall better mental space.
If an individual is about to take their life sees a sign that says “LIFE IS WORTH LIVING – MAYBE” that can be very harmful as they may see their circumstances as the exception, almost like their life maybe is not worth it. However, this “MAYBE” is not for someone who is about to jump. This “MAYBE” is for someone who has the ability to rationally think about their emotions and their life. It is meant to act as a reminder that it is ultimetly up to us to decide what we can and will do to make our lives meaningful.
Additionally, I think that James’ perception of nothing truly being gone can be incredibly inspiring for a lot of people, especially those experiencing grief. James created a model of oneself where the center was the “material self” which is “our bodies and material fortunes.” James believed that this is the most “superficial” part of our lives as once our bodies are gone and, in the earth, we aren't gone. James essentially believes that nothing is truly gone forever whether it be an object or a person. Although someone or something may not currently exist in a physical form they once were.
I used an analogy in class with my favorite pencil. It is a Kuromi pencil my boyfriend got for me while on a trip and it writes very smooth. If one day I lost this pencil I wouldn’t cry, but it would be upsetting because I love it and it was a gift; however, the memory that I have of this pencil is still in my mind, making the pencil not necessarily gone. It would be physically absent but not gone forever as I still have the memory of it.
James experienced a lot of grief and loss in his life, first from losing his dad and then losing his son. Consequently, he decided to research the paranormal, and other phenomenons. He spent thousands of hours researching the paranormal (there have been books written about his experiments pictured bellow) found this fascinating because I love hearing stories about paranormal encounters, and I never thought I would hear about it in a classroom setting. Under a psychological lense, I do have some sympathy for him as many people try to forget about this part about James, but this probably came from a place of not wanting two loved ones to be gone forever. He maintained skepticism among his research, but James was open to many things. James was very welcoming, which I believe made him ahead of his time. More specifically, I respect James being accepting of different religions as tolerance and acceptance was a rare thing during his lifetime.
"...there are many reasons not to turn to suicide, William James has a different view" -- Not really. He also thinks there are many reasons to live. But he respects the autonomy of each of us, and does not presume to preempt our personal right to make that ultimate existential judgment for ourselves. Of course he hopes we'll discover reasons to live, as he has done.
ReplyDelete"If you fully submerge yourself into all of the good qualities of life"... That's asking a lot, probably too much. Life is richer than any of us can entirely compass. A few good qualities should do.
"the moment people forget that they have control in their lives, that is what pushes them down a road of suicidal thoughts and tendencies. This is a bit outdated"--How so? He knew that control is elusive, and lived in a time with a lot fewer social safety nets than now. His point was not about controlling things like employment or other objective conditions of life, but about controlling one's active and emotional response to conditions. That's not changed or become dated.
WJ's "maybe" is directed at the reader, not at someone preparing to jump. The point is to remind us all, while we're of sound mind, that the task and responsibility of making meaningful lives is OURS.
"James kind of went off the deep end in his investigations"--Maybe. But he retained his skepticism. What his psychic researches really reveal is an intense curiosity and interest in all the possibliities inherent in experience.
"nothing is gone forever"-In the end, of course, everything on earth WILL be gone forever. But while we live and breathe, as you say, we can indeed keep precious memory alive. That's reason enough, for most of us, to decide for ourselves to go on living and breathing.