Humanist Thought of the Week

You Aren't Crazy - Unless You Are

We all, at some point, are going to suffer from a mental health problem.

It might be depression, it might be delusional thinking. We could just be narcissistic.

We need to stop stigmatizing mental health problems and mental illness.

The more rationally and compassionately we deal with these problems the better.

Wouldn’t it be nice if being depressed were considered the same way having a broken leg is?

The stigma against mental illness prevents people from seeking treatment for their mental health problems.

The fact we don’t consider our mental lives as something worthy of health and wellness checks ups says a lot about how far we have to go to destigmatize mental health.

The good news is that most mental health problems can be treated.

So don’t worry. You probably aren’t as crazy as you are worrying that you are. 

And if it turns out you are, well, better to know and get help. 

Critical Thinking

The person I am most critical of is myself.

I hold myself to high standards.  

This is the main reason I try to think critically.

The better I can problem solve.

The better my moral judgements are.

The more reality based my understanding is, the more effective and moral I can be.

When I make mistakes, I try to fix them. And to do so I must be able to recognize the mistake to correct it.

All of this requires me to think critically about who I am, what I am trying to accomplish and how I am going about doing the things I do.

Being so critical all the time may seem ... negative.

But knowing that I truly am doing the best that I can do and that I’m not taking short cuts, makes me feel good about myself, even when I fail. 

Humanistic Self

Being a Humanist requires a certain amount of self-awareness.

If you aren’t willing to critically judge your own behavior, you have no way of improving.

Be aware that you aren’t perfect.

Reflect on how you might do and be better. 

Take constructive action to actually be better.

I find that having a sense of self-worth is made easier when I know that I matter because I regularly take action that matters to others. 

But the number 1 skill? Self-directed learning.

Without a willingness to learn how to be better, you won’t improve. 

Memorials

How good are Humanist memorials?  

Really good. 

In fact, the Humanist practice of celebrating the life lost as a way to facilitate the grief process is so popular, it’s gone mainstream.

A religious friend of mine just lost her husband. She scheduled a celebration of life for people to remember him prior to the funeral.

Another friend had his dad die. He did the same thing and held a celebration of life.

Memorials are important. They help us remember and to help us provide a context for our grief.

Celebrating life should be part of any memorial.

Our task as mourners is to continue living, despite our loss.

Celebrating life is part of our commitment to doing just that.

And that helps us all grieve a little easier.

How Star Wars Influenced My Humanism

Two days ago was the geek holiday – May the 4th. 

As in May the Fourth be With You!

Yeah. I’m a geek and a Star Wars fan.

And yeah, Star Wars influences me and my sense of morality.

All good stories do.

From Star Wars I learned, it doesn’t matter what someone looks like. They could be a Wookie or an Ewok and they still deserve respect.

I learned that we have a moral duty to resist evil politicians who commit genocide, like the emperor did when he blew up Alderaan. 

And I learned that it’s important to take action to help your friends. Well wishes aren’t enough. If Han had just hoped for the best, Luke would have died on Hoth. 

And that’s Humanism when you think about it.

• Respect people even if they are different from you

• Resist evil

• And do something to help. Wishful thinking and worry doesn’t accomplish anything.