Paranoia

[lordalfredhenry]

I've been scoring quite high in terms of being "paranoid". I'm almost paranoid of the paranoia now. I really don't know that much about it. I just know that I'm not thinking that the CIA is tracking me per se. I remember watching "The Truman Show" with Jim Carrey (yah, I know, Jenny McCarthy and Autasm Spreks)...and sometimes entertaining the

Comments

[idiotgrrl]

I think some of the paranoia is from being halfway between being unaware of people's motivations and understanding them enough to predict their behavior. So it seems to you that they can blindside you at any moment with something totally unforeseen and irrational. (How do I know this? Hah.)

How to deal with it? I use the "every dog gets one bite" theory. This will get you a decent collection of bites from the odd dog who does this (metaphorically speaking), but it saves you a lot of unfounded suspicion of people who mean you no harm but are merely following their own agenda. And when in doubt why they did something, ask. Odds are you'll get something like "Oh, I just spaced on it." Give them a second bite. Not a third unless you're prepared to deal with this failing of theirs.

That and Miller's Law, which goes "If someone's behavior makes no sense to you, try to imagine a context in which is does make sense - and is NOT personal to you." The example I was given is the librarian reluctant to release a book. Why? Nothing against you; in his universe, a library is a place to keep books, not to provide the public with reading.

And remember - in every transaction you make in public, you trust the bus driver to take you to your stop and the storekeeper to sell you what you ordered and the passers-by to let you pass by in peace. 90% guaranteed except in unique circumstances.

Does this help?