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ChristianKl comments on Make your bad habits the villains - Less Wrong Discussion

1 Post author: AshwinV 06 September 2015 09:20AM

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Comment author: ChristianKl 12 September 2015 11:19:14AM 0 points [-]

http://mindingourway.com/replacing-guilt

The article you linked doesn't make a case for disassociating guilt but for people "to start exploring that feeling". Nearly the opposite.

It seems to me that you don't have the mental distinction between associated and deassociated.

how? edit: Understanding that other people are fighting the same demons you are doesn't mean you dont' acknowledge their ability to fight those demons.

I'm not sure whether I can make that point easily in text where you don't see the basis but I will try: If you treat someone as separate from their emotions you treat them as a object that's driven by external forces instead of being a subject.

Comment author: [deleted] 12 September 2015 05:06:04PM *  0 points [-]

The article you linked doesn't make a case for disassociating guilt but for people "to start exploring that feeling". Nearly the opposite.

The article I linked is part of a series, the purpose of which is "To explore a whole slew of tools for removing guilt-based motivation and replacing it with something that is both healthier and stronger." I believe that dissassociation (in the way described in this post) could be a great tool to help with ultimately removing the emotion as related to motivation.

I'm not sure whether I can make that point easily in text where you don't see the basis but I will try: If you treat someone as separate from their emotions you treat them as a object that's driven by external forces instead of being a subject.

First, people are objects driven by both external and internal forces. To treat them otherwise commits the fallacy of libertarian free will.

Second, it's possible to view someone's demons as a part of them, while personifying those demons. I have visualizations I use where I imagine hate as an ugly, green substance inside of me that I can push out and throw away. On one level, this is "disassociating" the emotion. However, this doesn't mean I'm not acknowledging ownership for the emotion - rather, I'm recognizing my ability to use other parts of my psyche to control the hatred. I think your model of "disassociated" = "agentship" is limiting. Using your imagination to see yours and others in different light can be a tool FOR agency.