Depressive Realism

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

I recently heard that depressed people view themselves in realistic terms and people who aren't depressed view themselves in unrealistic positive terms. I was intrigued so I looked to see if there was any truth to it, and seems like there have been some studies that currently seem to confirm this hypothesis.

"A cynic is what an idealist calls realist" (Sir Humphrey Appleby)


A uni polar depressive for over 30 years, I'd love to believe your observation,but am unable to accept it's objectively true. Perhaps that's because I think individual perceptions of reality are just that,perceptions.

Carl Jung asserted that our most powerful beliefs and attitudes are based on direct experience and not through reason. That is also my perception as a general principle. Of course there will be exceptions. So far I've seen no invariable rules relating to human behaviour or beliefs. that hold up to claims of being absolute.My world view is cynical and misanthropic.

Some of my pearls:

I do not believe in god(s) due to lack evidence.

Human beings are more rationalising animals, than rational animals.

Morality is pragmatic and relative..

There is no such thing as a just war.

Wars are never fought moral principle. [except arguably by the poor dumb bastards who do the actual dying]

Relationships between nations are always quid pro quo.

Capitalism is innately immoral. (Marxism 101)

Politics and big business are innately amoral.

There is no moral justification for capital punishment.

The base of power is force, explicit and implied.

Truth is mostly relative.

The above are a few of hundreds of positions based on a lifetime of observation,personal experience and formal study. They are true FOR ME.

I'm left with the dilemma: To what extent has my depressive illness formed and maintained my beliefs
and world views? I don't know,but probably a LOT.


Picking up on Retorth's comment: People with untreated depression tend to see life as pointless,and lack motivation and ambition. Often very self absorbed, the depressive is often very harshly self judging. It has been said that the depressive tries to compare his/her insides with the outsides of others.

HAVING SAID THAT--

The Atheist protagonist in "Bones; forensic Anthropologist Temperance Brennan, refers to psychology as a 'pseudo science. I think an argument could be (and probably has been) made that a whole range of non psychotic mental disorders a have a high survival value and are not strictly illnesses at all..

I make that observation because it has been estimated that over 30% of the population will suffer from depression at some time in their lives. Of those, about 30% will recover without any treatment.

BUT, finally: that implies a lot, but infers nothing about depression.It's just as likely that clinical depression is one of the most over diagnosed illnesses in the developed world. -and/or that there may be several causes ,rather just the "chemical imbalance of the brain" which I've always distrusted as THE explanation. (same with the illness model of alcoholism).

I once upset a psychiatrist by observing that for the common or garden variety neurotic such as myself, psychiatric treatment was an exercise in bourgeois self indulgence.