tracy's thread of thoughts!

       We were born to love. It’s just human nature. I’ve observed that people always feel the need to explain or intellectualize the meaning behind things, especially something as big of a topic as romance. So how can we look at it? As social beings, humans tend to have an innate drive for love and belonging with others. According to Robert Waldinger’s speech of what makes a good life (Longitudinal Harvard study), he reveals that it’s not wealth or fame that makes you happy, but meaningful relationships with others. This makes sense from multiple perspectives -- socializing helps fulfill a healthy self-concept that’s crucial for your brain development and mental health throughout life. From early childhood, people seek relationships that provide validation and emotional security that build up a sense of identity and confidence, which are essential for healthy psychological development. This need for connection eventually transitions into their future relationships, ...

       The majority of society has been conditioned to use forgiving language and be lenient when dealing with the topic of addiction. We label it as a disease, we believe that addicts should receive treatment and empathy -- that they shouldn’t be blamed for their behaviors and decisions. We preach this – yes, but deep down many of us have the thought that maybe if they just tried a little harder, they could stop. Every time they choose another destructive behavior over a healthy one, we feel an unavoidable sense of disappointment. We judge them for screwing themselves over, leading into a deeper spiral of self destruction. Surely, if we were in their position, we would never have let it gotten this far, right? Well, this view of seeing addiction as a moral flaw only worsens circumstances for addicts, making it even harder to seek helpful opportunities. It imprints guilt and shame into people who don’t need it on top of their already prominent struggles.   ...