“The truth is, you don’t struggle with depression, you struggle with the reality we live in.” Any thoughts to this quote?
I am fortunate to not suffer from depression. As humans, since our “fall” in the Garden (we became self-aware), it strikes me that this critical self-awareness is a double-edged sword — providing ability to innovate and adapt in incredible ways; yet we are also vulnerable to the weight of realities such as our mortality, and the malicious potential of our world.
Awareness allows us to change. Without awareness one remains stuck or stationary. The double edged sword is also true. As humans we have two sides. A duality. We cannot exist without the two sides. The two sides makes us “whole”. We have been conditioned by control mechanisms such as religion to see and be the light and strive for this notion that we can be 100% on one side. (light vs dark). This can never happen and causes us to be unbalanced. The perfect visual is the Yin and Yang symbol. Half is light, half is dark. Within the light is a dot of dark, and within the dark is a dot of light. Nature also is a perfect example of this equilibrium. Night and Day. Life and death. Summer and winter. Balance is always the key. Most people do not want to delve into their “dark” or “shadow” sides for fear of what they may face. This fear is also derived from conditioning control systems. I’ve seen many people do shadow work and once they have faced their duality come out as much more balanced, have much less fear and have a greater appreciation for the nature of things.