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The Psychology of Self-Destruction
Why We Do Terrible Stuff to Ourselves
I don’t know about you, but I used to say and do horrendously self-destructive things to myself as a younger man. I didn’t know why because I didn’t know much about myself. But over the last sixty-two years, I’ve learned some things that might help others end the self-destructive thinking and behavior cycle.
The phenomenon of self-destruction, wherein we consciously or unconsciously inflict harm upon ourselves, has perplexed psychologists and neuroscientists since the emergence of our pre-frontal cortex. That’s the part of us that dogs, cats, nor turtles have; the ability to be self-aware.
When we learn to master our awareness, our consciousness, by observing ourselves and all that is, we detach from the suck of life that can take us to the darkest places of the human psyche; fear, anxiety, false pride, guilt, shame, remorse, depression and so on.
In changing our self-view and judgment of people, places, and things that bother us, we transcend any attachment to outcome, much like the Zen archery master who always hits the mark.
What Sin Is
Sin is nothing more than missing the mark unless we find ourselves in the quagmire of orthodox fundamentalism created by mankind to control the minds of…
