Re Theory No. 331 would you agree as well that another source of the
'epidemic' is the unbalanced individualism of our societies? That we are
making worlds where everyone is being made alone? That's a very fuzzy
thought though. Interesting that it was the Romantics who were used as
therapy, I can see that, while did you know (Interesting Fact No. 331) that
aspirin was actually a Victorian invention? I forget the details but it was
based on a traditional folk-remedy, something like crushed willow-bark,
which was the common remedy for the majority of the population who couldn't
afford opium.
Cheers
Dave
David Bircumshaw
Leicester, England
Home Page
A Chide's Alphabet
Painting Without Numbers
www.paintstuff.20m.com/index.htm
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/david.bircumshaw/index.htm
----- Original Message -----
From: "Alison Croggon" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, December 27, 2001 2:50 AM
Subject: Re: one more with feeling
> Well I wasn't exactly _recommending_ analgesics, though I confess
> that one of the reasons I am happy I was born in the 20C is the
> invention of aspirin.
>
> But there is a general idea in Western societies that pain is _bad_
> and to be avoided at all costs. Now I'm not one of those who thinks
> that suffering is good for the soul - that's complete crap - but to
> me it seems that the total avoidance of pain amounts to a total
> avoidance of life. And so as a society we are less and less able to
> deal with it, and I think that's the major reason for the "epidemic"
> of mental illness which is happening now. It was telling for me that
> once when a bunch of psychiatrists showed some patients some romantic
> poetry (Wordsworth, Coleridge et al) they all began to feel better.
>
> Theory No. 331 from Alison.
>
> Cheers
>
> A
>
>
> >Long may you continue, Liz!
> >
> >
> >Alison is quite right about analgesics, if they work for one, I'm afraid
I'm
> >beyond any pain-killers, except for the visitations of sleep. The one
thing
> >I did have was a sense of poetry as a protected space, but that's been
> >invaded now.
> >
> >But, yes, it is a triumph, to be alive.
> >
> >Best
> >
> >Dave
> >
> >
> >David Bircumshaw
> >
> >Leicester, England
> >
> >Home Page
> >
> >A Chide's Alphabet
> >
> >Painting Without Numbers
> >
> >www.paintstuff.20m.com/index.htm
> >
> >http://homepage.ntlworld.com/david.bircumshaw/index.htm
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: <[log in to unmask]>
> >To: <[log in to unmask]>
> >Sent: Thursday, December 27, 2001 12:56 AM
> >Subject: Re: one more with feeling
> >
> >
> >> In a message dated 12/26/01 10:10:45 GMT Standard Time,
> >> [log in to unmask] writes:
> >>
> >>
> >> > What makes it worse is the love one feels for others, if it were
just a
> >> > problem for one's selfish self it wouldn't be so bad.
> >> >
> >>
> >> yes this is a nub of real distress.......
> >>
> >> and to think of poetry without pain - ?
> >>
> >> or without joy - !
> >>
> >> I experience a world that is so completely wrapped about, often one
does
> >not
> >> end before the other begins and sometimes I cannot tell the
difference.
> >It
> >> seems a great triumph to me, simply to be alive.
> >>
> >> A fragile continuance
> >>
> >> Liz
> >>
>
>
> --
>
>
> Alison Croggon
>
> Home page
> http://www.users.bigpond.com/acroggon/
> Masthead
> http://au.geocities.com/masthead_2/
>
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