Get Over Yourself!

Get Over Yourself

by

L.T. Force, Ph.D.

Gerontologist

We really take ourselves too seriously. Think about that point. How often do you think about yourself? How often do you take an: “inventory or gut check” of what and how you are doing? How often do you find yourself comparing your status with others? I would probably guess, you do it more often than you may want to admit. The interesting thing is those thoughts of: “self-inventory and status- comparison” are orchestrated by: “your old friend…. your internal voice”…..or a more appropriate title would be:  “your old friend….your unforgiving internal voice”.

We truly can be brutal to ourselves.

Think about it. When was the last time you were truly complimentary to yourself? When was the last time - you stopped and congratulated yourself for who you are, what you have done and where you expect to go next in your life? When you think about those points and you are completely honest…..the answer is rarely…..especially in comparison to applying your: “self-criticism measures”.

One of my favorite theorists is Dr. Carl Jung. Dr. Jung, a Swiss Psychiatrist,  developed the School of Analytical Psychology: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Jung).

Jung was a colleague of Dr. Sigmund Freud. At times they worked in concert….at other times there was conflict in their relationship. The rift between these two great thinkers, theorists and practitioners was driven by the contrasts found in their theories. Jung gave credence to the “collective unconscious’ i.e., the person being impacted by the unconscious archetype patterns and Freuds belief of an individual being influenced by early childhood feelings of the male child towards his mother (Oedipal complex). To both men, they had difficulty in aligning themselves with the beliefs of each other. Regardless of their personal and professional falling out - they were major architects of the history of modern day psychology.

One of my favorite Jungian quotes is: “Man is worth the pain he takes with himself” (Could be re-translated today as: “A person is worth the pains they take with themselves”).

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(In Jungian psychology, the idea that "man is worth the pain he takes with himself" speaks to the belief that confronting inner struggles and integrating unconscious aspects of oneself, even when painful, is essential for psychological development and individuation.) AI Overview

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In the spirit of Carl Jung’s work: “psychological suffering is not something that you heal from…..but rather it is something that you have to let go of. Think about that….its not about healing….it is something tethered to you:: “stop the loop….the loop of self-doubt, self-loathing, regrets and more”.  Why do we keep doing it - even though you are well aware that it is not productive or helpful? Part of the answer can be found in the work of: Thich Nhat Hanh (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thích_Nhất_Hạnh):

“People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar. ” — Thich Nhat Hanh

In summary: “Get Over Yourself….Let it Go! (like the White Dove found in the image above)….You are Worth It!….and You Are Not Done!!!!