As someone who's identity is strongly connected with their own mind, (I am what I think more than what I do), mental health is a difficult topic for me. Fist I have to accept that like any garden, my mind has weeds.
"This too shall pass"
The more I read and observe my own emotional reaction, the more I realise how important a mantra can be. A verbal talisment.
"Life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful".
Usually I feel a little bad for not remembering to whom these phrases should be attributed; as if I'm killing that person a little bit or committing a breach of copyright. In this case, each time that I remember to temper my reaction with a smile and think, "this too shall pass" I can feel another weed wither. This seems good and pleases me.
I know that verbal research has show that instantaneous expletives, (the verbal reaction to accidentally hitting your thumb with a hammer) is actually stored in a different location in the brain [0] from insults and course verbal punctuation, (in the form of tmesis and other sentence constructions that usually indicate a lack of social sophistication.)
Without going too off topic, it was a video by Astrid, "
sillysparowness" that reminded me that swearing _does_ have a place: If used lightly the shock value can be used to cement an idea into place. So "that was a crap line of poetry" is going to make it easier to remember bad poetry, while, "I blooming loved that chapter" is going to make it easier to remember good things. Additionally the gentle and liberal use of swearing can make the speaker seem like a bloody nice guy that isn't too threatening, because if he is saying shit he can't be much cleverer than I am.
The reason for the aside is to help to frame the question, "do we need to practice one or more mantras so that they have a fighting chance of replacing crass expletives or to remember to use them rather than letting our reaction to someone else turn us into a goat?" [goat, as in feeding trolls?] [1]
"At the end of the game the King and pawn go back into the same box"
So what phrase do you use? ..to help you progress towards "the ability to truly let, that which does not matter, slide." (misquote) Tyler Durden.
Which are the most effective? Is there a mantra for every occasion or are they more personal like blood types?
"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"
Do they have to be tailored towards respect, tolerance or acceptance? Do they have to even make sense? Should they direct our focus inwards, (naval gazing) or should they simply diffuse our focus from the sharp event that has just jabbed into us?
"Strength and peace" tradition greeting, (in one of my fictitious world.)
It seems that primal-scream has had its last gasp, so
"I won't do what you tell me; You can't make me; I hate you" is as totally unhelpful as it is anti-social.
Add your mantras and strategies in the comments, while I "Aum" think about this some more. What?
[0] Steven Pinker has some very interesting things to say on this topic.
"Evolve and let the chimps fall where they may." Alexx Roche.
