Posted by Noa on February 23, 2000, at 22:53:49
In reply to Re: Update , posted by Brenda on February 23, 2000, at 22:15:33
I wonder if we are entering a new evolutionary era, a total environmental shift, or at least an acceleration of one, in which people who don't mutlitask well are not well suited to the environment.
Anyone catch "Judging Amy" last night? Tyne Daly plays a social worker who investigated a sleepwalking kid found asleep in a parking lot far from home. What she ended up finding was that the ill fit between the exuberant family--very hyper, "happy happy joy joy" family--and a more demure little boy was causing him severe anxiety, hence the sleepwalking, and hence his tendency to hide under his bed for hours. They were trying to make him more outgoing, by bombarding him with all the playfulness, including tickling, which we all know can be torture disguised as laughing. Anyway, this is a bit off the topic of multitasking, but my point is that the rest of the family was very comfortable in an overstimulating environment, and this one child in the family was not.
I don't know what my comfort zone is when not depressed--I have forgotten already. But I know that I have been having a hard time accepting the level of stimulation/responsibility/multitasking, etc. that is tolerable for me, because I feel like I am not keeping up with what I should be doing. I think I have always had this struggle, even when not/less depressed. In college, wondering why I couldn't go for a job as a teaching assistant in biology, which was "the thing to do" among people who were successful in the course. At work, wondering why it is so hard for me to even think about preparing a presentation for a professional meeting, while my peers all around me are whipping things up and can get up and speak confidently. And so on and so forth. I am sure there are many of you who can relate to such things.
So I really am working on just accepting that, at least for now, I need to just work on being a working stiff, and cover the basics--getting up in the morning, going to work, trying to do a decent job, being appreciative that I have a good job, etc. etc. And maybe I can even start to work on those other basics, like making my apartment more livable, and maybe if I am really on a roll, I might work up to the other category of basics, like eating healthfully and doing some regular exercise.
I almost want to start a club entitled, "Proud Underachievers". I just have to work on the pride part.
poster:Noa
thread:23436
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000220/msgs/23462.html