Great post! For anyone interested in this topic, Iâd also recommend reading Kelsey Piperâs post on the virtues of âcompassion for oneselfâ and â[personal] sovereigntyâ. Ozy Brennanâs post on âload-bearing thingsâ is also good and relevant.
Going from my personal experience alone, I would suggest that all people with scrupulous tendencies check in with their selfish desires regularly as on-going hygiene. Having trouble finding them is an early warning sign for me. (Plus, itâs kind of a fun âinterventionâ because thereâs the promise of gratification when you figure out what you want. :P )
I strongly support doing this for a few different reasons:
As you noted, it serves as a warning sign for excessive scrupulosity (and at least in my case, depressive tendencies).
It helps you remember âwhat weâre fighting forâ: When Iâm actively happy and have things to do that I enjoy, I feel much more inspired to take actions that will help others enjoy their lives.
It can be really hard to battle obsessive/âaddictive sources of âfunâ if you donât acknowledge them and think about them neutrally. Iâve found it helpful to reframe âcrap, I wasted so much time todayâ to âI did something that was meant to be fun todayâwas it fun? Did it stop being fun at some point? Next time, how can I recognize when it stops being fun sooner?â
Kelseyâs bit on sovereignty is great! Iâve been realizing the importance of that concept recently but I hadnât put a name to it. Lack of sovereignty is a pretty good description of the âcrippling moral doubt and confusion --> loss of agency, total conformity to ideologyâ symptom as well.
Great post! For anyone interested in this topic, Iâd also recommend reading Kelsey Piperâs post on the virtues of âcompassion for oneselfâ and â[personal] sovereigntyâ. Ozy Brennanâs post on âload-bearing thingsâ is also good and relevant.
I strongly support doing this for a few different reasons:
As you noted, it serves as a warning sign for excessive scrupulosity (and at least in my case, depressive tendencies).
It helps you remember âwhat weâre fighting forâ: When Iâm actively happy and have things to do that I enjoy, I feel much more inspired to take actions that will help others enjoy their lives.
It can be really hard to battle obsessive/âaddictive sources of âfunâ if you donât acknowledge them and think about them neutrally. Iâve found it helpful to reframe âcrap, I wasted so much time todayâ to âI did something that was meant to be fun todayâwas it fun? Did it stop being fun at some point? Next time, how can I recognize when it stops being fun sooner?â
Kelseyâs bit on sovereignty is great! Iâve been realizing the importance of that concept recently but I hadnât put a name to it. Lack of sovereignty is a pretty good description of the âcrippling moral doubt and confusion --> loss of agency, total conformity to ideologyâ symptom as well.