Solomon's Paradox

in #blog7 hours ago

It's that phenomenon where you or someone you know gives good advice for others but can't seem to find that perspicacity to one's own problem. Based from the wise King Solomon doing everyone a favor imparting wisdom but can't seem take a break from his own problems.

I made a post about compartmentalizing, where one learns to separate themselves from the moment and look at things as a third party in their daily grind.

In psychotherapy, I use the question "What if you met someone out there who lives and thinks like you and has the same set of problems as you, what advice would you tell them?" I don't expect bright answers here but I do expect at least an attempt at which people do recognize their own problems and solutions towards their own problems.

Then probe about asking for approval or assurance from others is the reason why they couldn't take the leap? I don't think people don't know the solution to their problems, most of the time anyway. A common problem is them failing to recognize that they've been struggling with approval or self assurance that their decisions are right and need a yes person to give them a go signal.

Anyway, while this technique isn't a guarantee you can solve every problem that comes your way, it helps triaging which priorities you should be looking into more. Sometimes I just gaslight myself into thinking it's all in my head, and half the time it tends to be true. Why are we caught up with something so much? because when things happen to us, we default to a first person point of view in the situation when solutions are objectively found on a third person point of view.

This is the reason why it's easy to give advice to others because you're not fully stepping into their shoes or taking the brunt of whatever consequences they are living in. But you have enough understanding about other people's problems and formulate an objective assessment about what to do.

So whenever you find yourself in a bind, think of another copy of you living with the same situation as you, what would you tell them to do?

Thanks for your time.