I know this is from a few years ago, but I am not sure that I have much of this “moral brain”. I often tell people that we don’t “live in the land of should”, we must accept what is and move on from there. Perhaps my inability to generate strong emotions has something to do with it? Maybe the moral brain is something that is built-up during childhood while participating in various group dynamics both inside and outside of the family. I don’t recall ever feeling like I was truly part of any of the groups that I participated in. I have always felt like an outsider. I could understand the people that I was with, but I was never one of them.
These days I don’t recall ever thinking that someone “should” be doing or have done something. They either did or didn’t do them, and I either approve or don’t approve of those actions. I do use their past actions to inform my opinion of their likely future behavior. But I can’t change who they are. I can only change how I interact with them.
I’m not certain if I get stuck in judgement loops about myself. I am aware of a few traits that I don’t care for about myself, and that I use avoidance behaviors to distract myself from them. But I’m not sure if it’s the same thing. I don’t constantly punish myself when I am doing the avoidance behavior. When I have a problem that I don’t know how to solve, I generally put it aside for a while (usually a few days) then reexamine it later to determine if anything has changed.
FYI, I did experience a lot of stress/worry due to procrastination in middle school. I resolved afterwards that I would no longer worry. Worry was simply a waste of my time. Instead I would either do a thing, or not, but I would abstain from worrying. I think I essentially built in a short-circuit within my brain that intercepted any worry-related thoughts. Unfortunately, I have ADHD, and without stress/worry executive dysfunction can be difficult to overcome. Or perhaps that is me attempting to rationalize away non-productive activity at work.
I know this is from a few years ago, but I am not sure that I have much of this “moral brain”.
I often tell people that we don’t “live in the land of should”, we must accept what is and move on from there. Perhaps my inability to generate strong emotions has something to do with it?
Maybe the moral brain is something that is built-up during childhood while participating in various group dynamics both inside and outside of the family.
I don’t recall ever feeling like I was truly part of any of the groups that I participated in. I have always felt like an outsider. I could understand the people that I was with, but I was never one of them.
These days I don’t recall ever thinking that someone “should” be doing or have done something.
They either did or didn’t do them, and I either approve or don’t approve of those actions.
I do use their past actions to inform my opinion of their likely future behavior.
But I can’t change who they are.
I can only change how I interact with them.
I’m not certain if I get stuck in judgement loops about myself.
I am aware of a few traits that I don’t care for about myself, and that I use avoidance behaviors to distract myself from them. But I’m not sure if it’s the same thing.
I don’t constantly punish myself when I am doing the avoidance behavior.
When I have a problem that I don’t know how to solve, I generally put it aside for a while (usually a few days) then reexamine it later to determine if anything has changed.
FYI, I did experience a lot of stress/worry due to procrastination in middle school. I resolved afterwards that I would no longer worry. Worry was simply a waste of my time. Instead I would either do a thing, or not, but I would abstain from worrying. I think I essentially built in a short-circuit within my brain that intercepted any worry-related thoughts.
Unfortunately, I have ADHD, and without stress/worry executive dysfunction can be difficult to overcome. Or perhaps that is me attempting to rationalize away non-productive activity at work.