identity Archives - shm notes & posts

Health

Questions to ask yourself while searching for a therapist

23 May 202323 May 2023

In which I outline a few questions to ask yourself when evaluating a therapist. Open for years of therapy searching distilled into one post.

As May is mental health month, there is no better time to talk about the noble and sometimes arduous quest for therapy. But first, a couple notes: It often takes a couple of sessions to accurately assess your therapist. A therapist is not a replacement for community or societal change Over the last decade, I’ve had eight therapists. Most of my switches were because of external factors (moves, job changes), but I’ve also had therapists that just weren’t a good fit. My trials gave me quite a bit of insight on what to look for in a therapist. Everyone is...

Reflections

The role of control in our personal perceptions

16 April 202316 April 2023

In which I present another lens for self-analysis. Open for new insight into old characteristics.

The entire spectrum of human experience is impossible to put into words, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. “Name it to tame it” has been instrumental in, well, taming my mental health. In particular, specificity has helped immensely in my reflections and understanding of myself and the world. Generally, people assume they’re in control of their life, actions, and thoughts. The jury is definitely out on all of those. In addressing my depression and its role in my life, I had to be honest with myself and my limitations. Now (mostly) on the other side, it’s interesting to see...

Hills

Countries should have a population cap of 100 million people

24 January 202324 January 2023

In which I layout the case for countries having a population cap. Open for musings on geopolitics and sociology that no one asked for.

Lately I’ve been pondering the limits of democracy, particularly it’s scalability. Democracy and implicit obligations of governmental institutions lead me to believe that countries should be capped at 100 million people. When this threshold is reached, countries would split into multiple countries along appropriate geographic and cultural lines. This process would be beneficial for a number of reasons. We know that companies that are too big are dangerous, so why not countries? There are a number of legitimate arguments for and against it, so let’s get into it! . As populations grow, representation becomes more difficult and less accurate Cultural...

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