Our society thrives on our physical fitness and mental fitness. To help us improve our physical fitness, we quantify our physical strength, noting how fast we can run or swim, how long we can jog, how far we can throw or jump, and how much weight we can lift. The approach of aerobics to physical fitness generally depends on quantifying the aerobic aspect of the exercise. We quantify physical fitness, and then use the quantified targets in order to improve.
Mental strength is far more important than physical strength. It is long overdue to quantify -- and improve -- mental strength:
- Do you frequently have problems with anxiety? Can you reduce the occurrences or intensity?
- Do ignorant or illogical remarks by others bother you, even when the illogical is pressed upon you by the media, Hollywood or peer pressure?
- Are you vulnerable to teasing, or can you "mock the mockery"?
- Can you view yourself objectively, admit when you are wrong, and change towards what is advantageous?
- Can you speak in front of a large hostile audience?
- Do you have unexplained difficulties handling social situations?
- Do you dwell more on your past than on your future, or dwell on other things that are unchangeable?
- If someone insults you, for how long (in minutes or hours) will that bother you?
- Is your mind strong enough to deny desires of your body, such as addictions or unhealthy food consumption?
- Is your mind able to overcome irrational fears, such as fears of rejection, public speaking, public humiliation, failure, flying, dog attacks, guns, heights, close quarters, big crowds, seeing doctors, and others?
One can score himself, and use the score and the tips below to improve.
Approaches to Improving Mental Strength
In public school, a primary approach to mental weakness is to prescribe medication,[1][2] and that is the approach taken by many adults also. But there are other approaches available.
Christianity, for example, offers a combination of logic, faith, complete love for God (which excludes distraction), and willingness for complete self-sacrifice. Thomas Aquinas added mockery to the available tools that can be used. The personal sacrifice by Jesus Christ for others is a powerful inspiration, as was Abraham's offer to sacrifice his beloved son.
The commandment against worshiping the equivalent of a false god works well in dealing with anything that distracts from faith and love for God.
American Psychological Association's liberal tips for improving mental resilience.
The American Psychological Association espouses liberal viewpoints, downplays or denies the truth of Christianity, and promotes the homosexual agenda. Its recommendations for improving mental resilience are comical at best and harmful at worst (it should not be giving medical advice, and this entry does not give medical advice by criticizing its recommendations):[3]
- "Make connections. Good relationships with close family members, friends, or others are important. ..."
Many people in trouble, unfortunately, lack those "good relationships" and are not likely to get any soon.
- "Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems. You can't change the fact that highly stressful events happen, but you can change how you interpret and respond to these events. ..."
Fine, but denies how faith in God can overcome any crisis.
- "Accept that change is a part of living. ..."
Sounds like a silly Obama campaign slogan!
- "Move toward your goals. Develop some realistic goals. Do something regularly -- even if it seems like a small accomplishment -- that enables you to move toward your goals."
Well, fine, but when the goal is to be accepted by your liberal friends, it often leads to problems.
- "Take decisive actions. Act on adverse situations as much as you can. Take decisive actions, rather than detaching completely from problems and stresses and wishing they would just go away."
That recommendation is very bizarre, particularly if the "decisive action" is hurtful. Abortion is a decisive action that many regret and are harmed by the rest of their lives. But the American Psychological Association probably supports abortion, so perhaps that is why that recommendation is there.
- "Look for opportunities for self-discovery. People often learn something about themselves and may find that they have grown in some respect as a result of their struggle with loss. ... Nurture a positive view of yourself. Developing confidence in your ability to solve problems and trusting your instincts helps build resilience."
New Age nonsense. Often the more self-centered one becomes, the more problems he has. Well, self-centered approaches can be expected from a group that promotes same-sex marriage.
- "Keep things in perspective. Even when facing very painful events, try to consider the stressful situation in a broader context and keep a long-term perspective. Avoid blowing the event out of proportion."
Notice how this recommendation denies self-defense. The Devil exists and the sooner one realizes it and utilizes mental and emotional self-defense, the better off one is. Trouble is, the American Psychological Association probably supports gun control, opposes self-defense, and denies real good and evil, so it cannot use the truth.
- "Maintain a hopeful outlook. An optimistic outlook enables you to expect that good things will happen in your life. Try visualizing what you want, rather than worrying about what you fear."
Well, fine, but if that could be done then the recommendations would not be needed in the first place. The problem is how to do this.
- "Take care of yourself. Pay attention to your own needs and feelings. Engage in activities that you enjoy and find relaxing. Exercise regularly. Taking care of yourself helps to keep your mind and body primed to deal with situations that require resilience."
Exercise helps, but particularly exercise of the mind that rejects liberal deceit on a daily or hourly basis.
- "Additional ways of strengthening resilience may be helpful. For example, some people write about their deepest thoughts and feelings related to trauma or other stressful events in their life. Meditation and spiritual practices help some people build connections and restore hope."
There's that New Age nonsense again. Try standing on your head for a while, perhaps???
- "The key is to identify ways that are likely to work well for you as part of your own personal strategy for fostering resilience."
What should "work well" is to realize that the American Psychological Association is part of the problem, not the solution. It is even further from the truth than your television set, which is filled with deceit. Turn off the TV, stop reading the newspaper, and pick up a Bible.