((FOR THE EYES OF A SHRINK ONLY))

Other folks, please read at your own risk. Do I have your interest?

As a shrink, you really need to have several quotes at the ready–quotes possessing wisdom.  Folks come to see you for wisdom, believe it or not.  This is a piece of wisdom taught to me by my mentor.  When folks come to see a shrink, they expect shrinks to have some wisdom.  I’ll present some of the gems that I have acquired over the years.  These are few and far between.  I don’t learn these very often. I quote myself here a couple of times. I hope that’s not too vain.  Are you a non-shrink and still reading?  Hmmmmm.  (Shrink raises one eyebrow, and then looks away while observing non-verbal behavior out of the corner of his eye).

ANGER

“No man is ever made braver through anger, except the one who would never have been brave without anger. It comes, then, not as a help to virtue, but as a substitute for it. And is it not true that if anger were a good, it would come naturally to those who are the most perfect? But the fact is, children, old men, and the sick are most prone to anger, and weakness of any sort is by nature captious.”1

“Be ye angry, and sin not.” (Ephisians 4:26).

“If you do not wish to be prone to anger, do not feed the habit; give it nothing which may tend to its increase.” (Epictetus).

“If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow.” (Chinese Proverb).

“Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.” 2

“Anger is part of being human. You’ll never get to a place where you’re never angry. That doesn’t happen for humans. At times, anger drives us to address things that we would not otherwise. So, it can be a positive motivation at times. You can tell it’s not positive by thinking about whether the other person is put beneath you as a human being. If so, then you are out of line.” — The Country Shrink

SUICIDE

“Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.” (Author unknown)

“Folks who commit suicide make it more likely that their children or relatives will do the same. There is nothing more harmful to family members than for one of the family members to commit suicide. I’ve worked with people who had a family member commit suicide as a child. There are few traumas that are worse.” –The Country Shrink

…. To Be Continued–You didn’t expect me to reveal all of the scant wisdom I have in one post, did you? ….

What, you’re not a shrink and you’re still reading? For shame. For shame. Who woulda thought it?

1 http://praxeology.net/seneca2.htm
2 http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/29885.html