Blowing in the Wind

I just finished the book "The Defining Decade - Why your twenties matter and how to make the most of them now" by Meg Jay Phd.  At first I didn't like the way the book was written (with stories about her twentysomething patients) but soon the book was littered with my yellow stickies of quotes and interesting passages that I wanted to remember. 

The chapter "My Life should look better on Facebook" was especially contemporary.  Dr. Jay states that most Facebook time is spent examining others' pages vs adding content to your own - Social Surveilance.  It is less about looking for friends as LOOKING AT friends (contemporary voyeurism or reality TV). Your own Facebook postings becomes a self advertising about how good your life is.  "We don't recognize that most everyone is keeping their troubles hidden".  Facebook is Exhibit I in our own book of self criticism and doubt.

"Blown about by every wind of criticism" Samuel Johnson - begins Dr. Jay's chapter titled "Calm Yourself" - Exhibit II of other peoples criticisms   She uses the analogy of a tree with leaves and roots to make the point about aging.  "As we age, we feel less like leaves and more like trees ... our sturdy trunks may sway but they don't break in the wind."

SO  ---   "The art of being wise is knowing what to overlook"  William James  -  Father of Research Psychology

Stop looking at Facebook - Plant some Roots!