| > | | | | don’t make any changes or take any |
| As someone said, there’s nothing common | | | | action. Contemplation is one thing. Taking action |
| about common sense. Roughly equivalent to | | | | involves risk, involves changing. Whoa! |
| Emotional Intelligence, it can be lost, or can fail to | | | | 5. Ignore physiological symptoms and signals. |
| be acquired in the following ways: | | | | Just because you’ve had chronic diarrhea |
| 1. Lose the common touch. | | | | since you started that job doesn’t mean it |
| Have more money than common sense (or | | | | has anything to do with that job. (Stay in your |
| taste). Use your money to buy your way out of | | | | left brain, please!! There’s no proof.) |
| problems and to avoid those nasty mutual | | | | If it meant your job was making you sick, well, |
| obligations and responsibilities that come with real | | | | that would mean you’re a wuss, so avoid |
| relationships. Quit asking your friends over to help | | | | connecting up with your feelings. Remain strong! |
| you paint your house — pay a painter. Quit | | | | Appearances count, you know. |
| going over there to help them paint theirs | | | | 6. Apply Prozac liberally. |
| — just send a check. You can do that for | | | | Why experience those negative emotions that |
| war relief, poverty, homelessness and anything | | | | are so disturbing? Medicate them! Options include, |
| else that bothers you! (P.S. Don’t | | | | but are not limited to: prescription drugs, illegal |
| take your friends out on your boat, either; there | | | | drugs, nutriceuticals, alcohol, a cult, and obsessive |
| are possible liabilities involved.) | | | | exercising, gambling, or shopping. |
| 2. Don't get your hands dirty. | | | | 7. Quit thinking for yourself. |
| Children, dogs, your lawn or garden, real cooking | | | | Advice is plentiful; just ask someone else what to |
| and baking, your house, even your spouse ... it can | | | | do. Why struggle? Pay them for their opinion if |
| all get pretty messy. No need to touch | | | | necessary, but avoid the hard work and |
| things you don’t need to. Get in your ivory | | | | introspection of developing your own wisdom. For |
| tower and stay there. Deal with it idealistically and | | | | extra credit, keep thinking and |
| theoretically. Read about it. Assign it to others. | | | | feeling totally separate. Compartmentalize |
| Don’t test your thoughts and feelings | | | | everything you can. Bonus points: If something |
| against new realities. | | | | goes wrong, you can blame someone else! |
| 3. Use your power to isolate yourself. | | | | 8. Take no risks. |
| Intimidate others so they no longer speak the | | | | If you take a risk you might fall flat on your face. |
| truth to you or around you. Consensual validation | | | | It’s much safer to maintain the status quo. |
| is part of reality-testing. Lose the | | | | Just remember Number 5. |
| consensus and you lose reality. If you | | | | 9. Stick with what you know. |
| work it right, you can arrange to hear only what | | | | Stay where you are. Make sure everyone you |
| you want to hear and already believe to be true. | | | | interact with feels and thinks the same way you |
| 4. Establish artificial connections; it’s much | | | | do about things. You’ve already made up |
| safer. | | | | your mind, so why confuse yourself with new |
| Pay a 3rd party (like a collusionary therapist or | | | | data, or, worse, stirring feelings? Don’t |
| social worker) to listen to you talk about your | | | | rock the boat. |
| work and relationship problems instead of talking | | | | 10. Starve your brain |
| with the real people involved and yanking and | | | | Avoid new playmates and new toys. Why learn |
| pulling in the warp and woof of actual living. Paint it | | | | something outside your field when you’re |
| all through your eyes only. Clergy, doctors and | | | | 40, 50, 60? Accept that you can’t teach |
| coaches could also be used. Just be sure you | | | | old dogs new tricks. |