I’ve heard it’s not our environment that defines us, but our reaction to it.
I am not saying this is untrue, rather improbable. I believe we are products of our environment with some (small) freedom to behave differently – most people born in disfunctional environment would not achieve their full potential and exceptions are just a small fraction.
Let me add, what might be useful for you, that I think that in dealing with depressive thought the physical health or conditions are very important. While exercising did very little help to me, when the spring came and the short, cold winter days ended I stopped to have suicidal thoughts and most my days are relatively positive. Maybe my ‘optimistic self deception’ programme is successful because of that? Or the succes might be a purely psychological cause as well, I don’t know. I even thought that my good mood is unreasonable, given all the evil in the world. But I told myself to not look for reasons to not embrace these moment of joy, I just fucking need them (even if that would be dishonest to the more objective reality).
In summary, the only attitude which seems both honest but not totally depressing to me is acknowledge all the cruelty of the world, but at the same moment to keep a set of positive thoughts to the degree of self deception (e.g. that we have a bright future). These two seems contradictory, but in a dialectic or for Hegel it is common and still produces a sensible output. For some people it might help to share their thoughts or do some actions like supporting UNICEF, volunteer, or having YT channel enhancing class consciousness or highlighting injustice (this not work very much for me and people who do it frequently have doubts, but the more I respect their work).
I am not saying this is untrue, rather improbable. I believe we are products of our environment with some (small) freedom to behave differently – most people born in disfunctional environment would not achieve their full potential and exceptions are just a small fraction.
Let me add, what might be useful for you, that I think that in dealing with depressive thought the physical health or conditions are very important. While exercising did very little help to me, when the spring came and the short, cold winter days ended I stopped to have suicidal thoughts and most my days are relatively positive. Maybe my ‘optimistic self deception’ programme is successful because of that? Or the succes might be a purely psychological cause as well, I don’t know. I even thought that my good mood is unreasonable, given all the evil in the world. But I told myself to not look for reasons to not embrace these moment of joy, I just fucking need them (even if that would be dishonest to the more objective reality).
In summary, the only attitude which seems both honest but not totally depressing to me is acknowledge all the cruelty of the world, but at the same moment to keep a set of positive thoughts to the degree of self deception (e.g. that we have a bright future). These two seems contradictory, but in a dialectic or for Hegel it is common and still produces a sensible output. For some people it might help to share their thoughts or do some actions like supporting UNICEF, volunteer, or having YT channel enhancing class consciousness or highlighting injustice (this not work very much for me and people who do it frequently have doubts, but the more I respect their work).