From Placebo to Insight
… there should be a gentle slope. Not a downfall.
(This text is not about what concretely is or is not a placebo.)
Gentle slope – principle
Many people do depend on their placebo, like a kind of crutch. To abruptly take this crutch away can have negative results: people fall and break another leg.
So, the gentle slope is not for being afraid of change. Actually it is (part of) what is most efficient towards change. In many cases, the non-gentleness in ‘change’ rather appears to be a resistance, since it’s quite probable that such change will like a pendulum… soon fly the other way again.
How-to
As far as I can see, an aggressive fight against placebo – or worse: aggression against placebo-engaged people – very seldomly leads to success. In many cases, the result is opposite: a hardening of parties, both in the trenches, internally being miserable.
So, how-to? Some ‘tips’:
Keep being rational.
Don’t be afraid to bring rational arguments. Of course, make sure they are rational.
Talking about them at several occasions may make them stronger and may also make you stronger in bringing them. It’s not altogether evident. Certainly not if you think it is without you doing your proper research, your homework. It takes some work to really help people, which is of course what you’re aiming at.
However: not coldly. Rationality may quickly turn into a cold stance that appears cold-as-ice. So:
Show your warm emotions!
It’s a mistake to think that this goes against rationality. On the contrary: both need each other [see: ‘AURELIS USP: ‘100% Rationality, 100% Depth’].
Come to the issue again and again.
A ‘side-effect’ of placebo can be that it makes people deeply dependent. Never underestimate this.
Also, never see in it a diminishment of someone’s worthiness. You may better see this as what a placebo does to people. So, repeatedly tackling the issue – in a gentle way! – may be needed. Every time you touch the person, you may find a new opening. Eventually, you may get inside.
Motivation. No manipulation. Thus, always respectful.
TRY to help in ‘not breaking another leg’.
An alternative may be your empathy. Another helpful factor may be – guess who writes this – AURELIS.
Actually, it’s best to have an alternative in place before the dependence on placebo disappears. This way, you really help the other person (or yourself) who might even be grateful to you. I guess (s)he will be if you give it enough time.
Let the other person change from inside.
Give room and time (patience). Put seeds in the ground. No trees.
Anyway, a planted tree would risk falling down through lack of strong roots.
People generally do not want to be dependent on placebo. [see: ‘Placebo Is Not Good for You’]
People do generally want to ‘grow’, if properly supported.
Of course.
What’s at stake is themselves.
Related Posts
Depth under Siege
Mental depth is a powerful, intrinsic part of the human experience, influencing thoughts, emotions, and actions. Yet, in a world that values simplicity and control, depth often feels unwieldy, even threatening. This leads to attempts to suppress it, whether through simplifying it internally or denying it externally, reflecting a struggle with depth and the inner Read the full article…
What About Hate?
Weirdly, perhaps, there cannot be hate without love. Yet love doesn’t cause hatred. Is hate then the reverse of love, or is it love-gone-awry? Love is a conditional to, not a cause of hate. Imagine someone without love. That person has no reason ever to hate someone. He would just be indifferent. This includes self-hate Read the full article…
Hamlet’s Acceptance (“The Readiness is All”)
Hamlet’s final words on readiness have often been heard as resignation. The Aurelian view hears them differently: as the fruit of a journey from hesitation through inner integration to calm, whole action. This reading brings Hamlet into conversation with Arjuna, the Shaolin warrior, and modern approaches to conflict — showing why his acceptance still matters, Read the full article…