Sure, and maybe even on what level(s). E.g. sometimes it makes sense to operate in a heightened state on more micro stuff while turning off the hyperactivity on a macro scale. Sometimes vice versa. Lots of dimensions through which you could look at it, all fluid.
I think “from the cradle to the grave” is an overstatement: at some point, you learned the criticizing behavior. It’s not innate. To your point there were rewards associated with being discerning in this way at least in your career if not also personal life.
But I think the total inversion of the framing - to everything is enough - has its problems too. I wonder if the right approach is to try to identify the most important aspects of your life (those that are most important to your contentedness) and ask yourself how those can be enough, while leaving the other parts open for change.
Cradle to the grave might be an overstatement, but I do think some level of criticizing behavior actually is innate. On a basic level, that’s what hunger is, right? And as hunger is satisfied, right from the start, behavior intended to satisfy it is reinforced when it temporarily disappears.
Totally with you on identifying what’s most important to you and asking how those things can be enough, though, while leaving other areas open for change. The two extremes leave a lot of room for customization and ultimately a necessary balance in between. I just think a lot of people (myself in particular obviously) skew too much toward the never enough side and could do with a reminder of its opposite.
I think you need to cycle between those extreme frames . The question is with what frequency ?
Sure, and maybe even on what level(s). E.g. sometimes it makes sense to operate in a heightened state on more micro stuff while turning off the hyperactivity on a macro scale. Sometimes vice versa. Lots of dimensions through which you could look at it, all fluid.
I think “from the cradle to the grave” is an overstatement: at some point, you learned the criticizing behavior. It’s not innate. To your point there were rewards associated with being discerning in this way at least in your career if not also personal life.
But I think the total inversion of the framing - to everything is enough - has its problems too. I wonder if the right approach is to try to identify the most important aspects of your life (those that are most important to your contentedness) and ask yourself how those can be enough, while leaving the other parts open for change.
Cradle to the grave might be an overstatement, but I do think some level of criticizing behavior actually is innate. On a basic level, that’s what hunger is, right? And as hunger is satisfied, right from the start, behavior intended to satisfy it is reinforced when it temporarily disappears.
Totally with you on identifying what’s most important to you and asking how those things can be enough, though, while leaving other areas open for change. The two extremes leave a lot of room for customization and ultimately a necessary balance in between. I just think a lot of people (myself in particular obviously) skew too much toward the never enough side and could do with a reminder of its opposite.