The Futility of Oversimplification

I hadn't planned on writing this post until after I returned from my brief weekend "study break," but Mer's post echoed some of the sentiments that have been rolling around in my head this past week as I've played mental marbles to keep myself occupied and focused during my days on the psych ward.

I find it fascinating that our society prides itself in oversimplified statements that are aimed to magically eliminate the problems of human nature. Does anyone remember the commercial back in the 80's about "Just say no...be an original" sang by a "Huey Lewis and the News" type character (ok so I had an older brother who was into that kind of music) ? Catchy phrase, lots of money invested in interesting commericials targeted at innocent-minded 4 year olds who would have rather watched five more minutes of cartoons as opposed to such commericals, but I have yet to meet a drug addict that has told me the reason for their drug problem is because "they just couldn't say no and be an original" or that if only they had seen or heard more of such propaganda they might not be in such a state of misery today.

Yet we like such short oversimplified phrases. They're catchy. They're comfortable. They bear no responsibility for the one that states them. It's easy to say "Don't drink" or "You should stop smoking. Smoking's bad for you." or "Just stop eating and you'll lose weight" or "Stealing's wrong." While all these statements bear validity, none of them address the real issues that drive these compulsions.

"Don't drink" doesn't address the chronic alcoholic's need to acknowledge and confront his emotions concerning past events which then leads him to feel lonely which then drives him to alleviate his loneliness through drinking. "You should stop smoking..." doesn't address the fact that smoking is part of the smoker's family culture, that they've grown up knowing nothing else and that part of their family's income depends on the annual crops of Burley tobacco. For them, smoking is a part of their life, a part of their heritage. "Just stop eating and you'll lose weight," doesn't address the fact that a person has found comfort in the consumption of food as a means of coping with stress in her life instead of having the courage and support to cope with it in more healthy ways. "Stealing's wrong" doesn't help the prescription drug addict who is desperate for their next fix of Xanax or Oxycontin because they haven't found a successful means to manage their pain following an accident or the family and relationship stress that ensued.

So we must discard such catchy simplified phrases and be willing to scratch beneath the surface of the outward manifestations of the inwardly suffocating pain that is born by many of those around us, to assume responsibility and make an investment in the form of time and emotions in those that "shouldn't" but "can't." It might just be worth it....