a couple of psychological truths

[mckitterick]

This just came up for me when talking with a friend. I called these "a couple of psychological truths"; anyone disagree or want to modify them?

. To a hammer, everything looks like a nail. An example is an inner-city cop whose job it is to find bad guys. Unless you appear otherwise, he'll assume you're a bad guy and act accordingly.

. The thing we fear and loathe in others is often that which we fear and loathe most about ourselves. I think we've all experienced this one.

Here's hoping these aren't a big part of your life right now.

Hugs,
Chris

Comments

[roya-spirit.livejournal.com]

I'm with ya on the second one, although it's not a universal. There are some things in others that just bloody well annoy me, and it's not that I carry those characteristics. The times I find myself hideously annoyed without good reason are usually the red flags for some needed self-analysis.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, I think you hit it on the head there!

[archway.livejournal.com]

If you follow that logic, to a winch everything looks like rope...no, raising the sails...no, um...Heh. ~evil smile~

I could cleat going, but I am bound to do something knotty...

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Heh heh.

[archway.livejournal.com]

THAT is one of my favorite icons...~impish smile~

[renegade500.livejournal.com]

I think of the second truth above more as what we dislike most about ourselves, we criticize in others.

And unfortunately, I've had a lot of experience with that of late with the youngest female sibling. I did recently give her a piece of my mind and told her to quit it with her victim complex, and take some responsibility for herself. She's been quite good at accusing me of doing those very things that I've been watching her do for about 2 months now.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

I agree, and once you start looking for such things (as she did), it's tough to ignore them again!

[arian1.livejournal.com]

Having one of those days?

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Naw, this is from talking with a friend who's having one of those days.

Ha ha!

[secret-malady.livejournal.com]

The thing we fear and loathe in others is often that which we fear and loathe most about ourselves.

See Fred Phelps.

Re: Ha ha!

[themitigator.livejournal.com]

hah!

Re: Ha ha!

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Oh yes! There's a reason homophobes HATE gays so much, and I hadn't thought of #2 as an example of that particular phenomenon.

[themitigator.livejournal.com]

I find that the things I fear and loathe about myself are the things that attract me most in other people. Weird?

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

That's fascinating. Hm! How does that work, exactly? Is it a greater sense of empathy? Or something you'd rather not discuss on a public forum?

[jeanineers.livejournal.com]

ayup

[kijjohnson.livejournal.com]

For me the second one has definitely been operative.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Me too.