• eatthecake@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Apparently you’re supposed to distract yourself from negative emotions and ruminate on positive emotions. Not very useful if you don’t have any positive emotions to ruminate on.

        • andrew@lemmy.stuart.fun
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          1 year ago

          Another strategy is to make it a goal to find out. Plan a trip there and let yourself get excited about the possibility of it being just as fun. Chances are, it’ll probably be fun, just in a different way than it was growing up.

  • BilboBargains@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Interesting result. The truth is nobody knows where their motivation comes from and it’s why telling someone to ‘cheer up’ is well understood to be ineffective. The minimum requirement is a desire to change and that must come from within, motivated by some mysterious and inscrutable process. We can tell ourselves that eating vegetables is the right thing to do but why would I choose them over that delicious piece of cake? First I need to get cancer and the diabeetus, then I will become enlightened.

    I should also add that realising that I am not the author of my thoughts and not in control of my motivation and that I don’t have free will in the way I originally conceived it, has been a great consolation. I remind myself of these axioms every day because somehow they get lost in the clamour of daily life. My happiness depends on it.