Fixing your own mental illness....A perspective from someone who was mentally ill. SESSION 1.

Have you ever noticed that in life - the answers to seemingly massively complex problems, often have their solutions in simplicity?
This is how I discovered my own mental illness, and my own 'recovery'...

I grew up in a very capitalistic/free market family. Farmers. Generally, the effort and labor you put in, you reaped the rewards later.
I was always a self motivator, and I lived that lifestyle.
At 12 years old I had to have an IQ test to win a scholarship to a private school, which doesn't matter too much, but it comes to bear later..
I was employing people at 15yrs old ( before I left school , my weekend business that I started) and then went on to employing lots of people over the years.

In conflict with this life, I was also educated in the marxist school indoctrination system, and as such had conflicting thoughts. That's not actually true, thinking about it - I had no conflicting thoughts.
I 'believed' in socialistic principles.
The conflict came from my actions, and how I lived my life. But there was no conscious conflict ...not for a while anyways..
I was somehow living a capitalistic life, while 'somehow' also believing in socialism. ( I first took a look at marx's 'Das Kapitial', when I was 16yrs old ).

This continued for years. Far too many in hindsight, but hey, I'm not apologizing for being mentally ill...
As long as we keep learning...and healing...

I think a little background into who I was, and where I was mentally- helps to explain the process I am going to explain, and hopefully help people.

It will look very simple on it's face - AND THAT'S BECAUSE IT IS - but is a synthesis of decades of experience, and thinking very deeply about these issues.

You get the shortcuts!

I truly believe that around 90% of people in this world are essentially - fundamentally - good. A default setting, if you will.
That can be altered through manipulation. They BECOME the 'useful idiots' of this world - of which I was one..

4 % or so of the population, are just 'not wired' in the same way.
This is a fact.
(research stats and psychology of the sociopaths, psychopaths, and extreme narcissists, if you don't believe me..).

So this post is forgetting the 4% section (and possibly growing) and just concentrating on the good people of this world...
(there are ways to turn the tables on the 4%, and manipulate them to serve, but that's a different post altogether).

Back to cleaning your head,

(and my personal journey...)

Simplicity is the key. And not avoiding simplicity.

A...The problem..

The belief in your own intellect, when attached (unwittingly) to your ego and insecurities.
YOU can always find a better answer than simplicity offers - because YOU are way more intelligent, right?
....and this then proves your own intelligence to yourself, and at the same time, you can seek others to validate it. (validate yourself , in other words)
Karl Marx is a great example of this.

B...The solution...

Detach your intellect from your ego.

How to get from A to B...

Establishing basic, simple, principles clearly in your own head. Cast in granite principles. Just the basics( for now..).

1/ Is personal freedom a right?

That is a 'yes' or 'no' answer. Anything else is just your intellect and ego trying to muscle in. This is your very first 'stand your ground moment', if you are hearing them ganging up on you..

2/ If freedom is your right, then so - by extension of that freedom that is yours - is freedom of speech, freedom to associate and freedom to distribute the fruits of your labor as you see fit? Do you agree?

Anything except an answer of 'yes' or 'no' is your ally (your intellect), joining forces with your other ally (your ego), to then become your enemy.

SO... ( agreeing on the personal freedom principle), anything else constructed must first pass this litmus test. There are no grey area's. If it fails it, well, that would be your ego, intellect and insecurity in this world, conspiring.
What else can it be? - if you know the truth of this most basic right of all men? (and women... I'm in a non triggering mood).

If they fail this test - but your intellect still insists on twisting things (with the backing of your ego), you then know that you are suffering from mental illness.
We have already established that the personal freedom principle is a fundamental right and this is a constant. Non negotiable.
Any inconsistency against this constant, developing in your own mind are symptoms of your illness, nothing more.

Insisting in your own mind that this is a basic truth, and fundamental principle for to all men (and women) and refusing to ever deviate from it, regardless what your intellect and ego are screaming at you - is the first step ( in many steps ) to fixing your own mental illness...

Simple uh?

If you do not believe in the inherent freedom of all peoples, that's your choice ... but like I said, I'm not addressing this post to the sociopaths, psychopaths, and extreme narcissists...
(Feel free to offer a reason as to why you don't think freedom is a right for all..).

CLEAN YOUR HEAD....