False premises

Z says:
Anything one feels strongly about reveals something about one, but it could be something about one’s history, not one’s character, etc., blah blah.


Of course that’s the way it SHOULD be, when psychology isn’t being treated as metaphysics.
But psychology is metaphysics if one starts with metaphysical premises. These could be:
1. We all have individual and discrete “souls”.
2. We are here on Earth to morally perfect these discrete souls
3. Continual growth towards perfection is not only necessary but realizable.
4. There are no overwhelming forces. The “soul” rises above all.
5. Others are on Earth to indicate to us how to morally perfect ourselves. We fail to listen to their views to our own demerit.
6. There is some system of natural justice in the universe, whereby accurate self-analysis has a direct (not loose or indistinct) correlation with personal success.


I would say that most Australians of middle class status and higher think about themselves in these terms.
It goes without saying that under certain circumstances some of these would be healthier postulates to adopt than others. This does not make them metaphysically true, though, just as it does not make them suitable ideas to maintain in all situations.
Consider number 1. A lot of those people who would swear that they move through the world as nothing but individuals can very easily get drawn into playing a role in terms of pack mentality. They think they are being persuaded to adopt a particular stance by others’ valid reasons and perceptions, but in actual fact they’re just going with the flow and being used by astute manipulators to reinforce conformity.
So, even though it is ideal to be an individual, and this is my own ethical stance, I see that our individual surfaces are very porous indeed and that we can take on all sorts of shades, depending on what mood is in the air.
My point is that we should differentiate between ethical or ideal states and statements of faith or what I all “metaphysical postulates”, because the world does not conform to the statements of faith, not unless we have the tools, insights and methods to enforce those.