Patterns

Why do people fall into the same patterns of behaviour? And why are
they always the most destructive, if not self-destructive ones?

We're all Pavlov's dogs to a certain extent, conditioned to respnd to
stimulii. But how do we create those responses?

Because, of course, our lives are not a controlled lab experiment. We
are continually bombarded with 'appropriate' responses to stimulii,
but the choices that we make, the responses we choose to link to the
stimulii, are they random?

Maybe it's chance, maybe we choose the response that hurts the least,
or the most, and maybe sometimes we have no choice and the responses
are forced upon us.

It's a kind of crossed wires syndrome where the response is neither
appropriate nor in proportion.

Which is, of course, a pretty good description of emotions in general;
not always appropriate or in proportion (or even relevant).

We are not in control of our emotions, and we should never want to be
for emotion control is one of the sure ways to madness. However we
need to be aware of the truth about how fickle our emotions are, how
easily manipulated, how easily influenced.

"I put you down because it makes me feel better about myself"

Pavlov's dogs.

Sent from my iPhone