Let's hear it for the common cold!

[robinturner]

It is a New Age commonplace that physical diseases are symptoms of mental stress or spiritual imbalance. Of course this is a wild exaggeration - I don't think a third of the population of Europe was wiped out by bubonic plague because they were stressed out or their chakras were blocked with negative energy. However, the psychosomatic element in disease is pretty well established - too much stress, worry, etc. is of course bad for your immune system.

what receives less attention, perhaps, is that this may actually be a good thing. If we're talking something like flu rather than cancer, the physical disease is often preferable to whatever psychological factors that had a part in its etiology. I've come down with a cold again, and since the initial fever broke yesterday evening, I've been as happy as, er, someone who has a bad cold and therefore doesn't have to do anything. "Robin can't go, he's ill." "Stay away from Robin, he's got a really bad cold." Suddenly my stress vanishes.

Comments

[regyt.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on your bad cold. I recommend you avoid chicken soup and orange juice like one would regularly avoid the plague. Take two M&Ms and call me in the morning.

[alsoname.livejournal.com]

Hehe.

[kiad.livejournal.com]

Now *I'm* jealous. I am still sick and I have to write an answer to "What is truth" over the weekend. He doesn't care that I've blown my nose so much that my eyes are popping out. Disaster.

Also, all kidding aside, I've contemplated exactly what you've said- Have you ever gone to an accupuncurist or chiropractor and then immediately gotten quite ill and recieved the response, "That is your body cleaning itself of all the bad energy and pollutants that had built up" ? Bah. While a lot of therapists don't say that, I've had enough that do that I am jaded about all health care.

hope your cold scampers away quickly!

[solri.livejournal.com]

I have to write an answer to "What is truth" over the weekend.

Whoa, talk about strict deadlines! Answering that kind of question normally takes a lifetime ;-)

Are you expect to come up with your own answer or just summarise the basic positions? I don't suppose you're allowed to imitate the Buddha and answer with "a noble silence".

[kiad.livejournal.com]

We have already read theaetetus and the first two of Decartes' meditations. Based on our work in class of breaking down those arguments, we are now expected to present an argument in class. We are strictly forbidden from looking at other resources, especially the web, as "Philosophy is supposed to be hard work."


So, I better figure that answer out quick!

[solri.livejournal.com]

OK, I won't help you cheat, then ;-)

[rodneyorpheus.livejournal.com]

That's odd, I thought philosphy was supposed to be about sitting around studying thought throughout mankind's history i.e. doing everything you can to avoid hard work.

Now, digging ditches: that's hard work.

[ex-myst341.livejournal.com]

Yes. I know where you're coming from on this one! Not that one would actually want to be ill, but at least it usually offers a respite from life's demands for a little while. ...just long enough to get better so you can... get stressed out all over again. Heh.

Feel better soon. :)