I’m thinking of it like this: Inside us, there is an adult-self who is wrangling a cynical, sneering, defiant, teenager-self who is hell-bent on or enamored with their powerless role in the unfairness of the world. Rationalizing or reasoning with them won't work because they’re probably right. So we (our adult-selves) engage them in something distracting to ease the grip of their reality just enough to let something else in: The possibility that their grim reality is not our ultimate reality.

Hope Springs Eternal, Right out of my Potted Geraniums
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Lee Ameka

Adelia Ritchie, PhD
Jun 4, 2021

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This is incredibly profound, Lee. Wow. Explains a lot of my weird behaviors over the past few years. Thank you for this insight. I can use this!!!

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Adelia Ritchie, PhD

Written by Adelia Ritchie, PhD

1.3K Followers

Science lover, contributing editor at SalishMagazine.org, veggie gardener, expat

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