We don't pass on pain. Pain comes from within and stays within. It ends only when we end. The fight against pain is a delusion. No-one can fight against him or herself. We cannot improve, better, heal ourself. We can, only relative to others. But never relative to ourself. Believe to the contrary is a logical fallacy. We die the way we are born.
You are a very articulate man - and if things were better - maybe we could debate life in a pub - you and I - and obviously being intellectuals we would impress men and women - not that we would be trying to impress - but naturally - people concede interesting people like us are almost a rarity these days!
You must have read up a lot - like me - the holy books - trying to unravel the mysteries - the books on human behaviour - psychology and so on.
I read Freud and aged 17 thought the guy was - mad!
I now realise he was a cocaine user - so sure - he would think we all want to date our own mums - and murder our dad to make us better men. I don't know - Freud - just seems to think everything is sexual - but with cocaine - so did I!
Took it three times - I confess - but its sh**.
Anyhow mate - you got an inquisitive mind - but like me its dealing with depression - and THAT is were we fail as good philosophers. Well - I failed - but corrected it - I guess you also - its about your outlook on life - I'm telling you as another guy with depression for 30 years. I'm not some tourist or a 'do-gooder'. I do good - but keep it private - well sometimes its hard to do a good deed and keep it private!
But - this outlook thing - what you are doing is going through every philosopher and grabbing the darkest quotes - we read books and remember the bad stuff - we TRY to create our own view of the world - but based on our depression - we tend to create a bleak view of the world.
You are right in that we cannot fight against ourselves. With depression you can live in your own head - you will see territory there that is dark - and with depression we often want to prove to ourselves that life is no good. Not all - but MOST of us actively encourage the thought process leading to depression - we push it - it gains its own momentum and everyone with depression has their own process.
Well - I fought it - for 30 years - so am telling no lies when I say you can fight it - on your own - but 30 years IS pushing it!
The problem is - no matter how resourceful you are as an individual - no matter how strong you are - there is a point were you have to share what you feel with people or just one person that matters.
Since I joined here - I've learnt a lot about depression - and my own strategies whilst fantastic - ought to have included confessing this sh** - as a man - it would be a women - a friend or lover. But - I'm a cautious guy - nobody is getting piece of my soul to mess about with - but at the same hand no need to over cautious. Well I'm 46 and can spot a bad woman a mile off now. How else do you think I lived for 30 years with the blues?
So - find someone to share with is my best shot.
I know my nephew does fancy some Goth Girl - and if I was a young man - my dark side would urge me to meet goths - drink whatever - and I'm not sure what they do but - like the song goes....
"variety is the spice of life
that's what the judge is going to tell my wife
He said - why did you have to do it - do the things you do
I said "I can't resist to try something new"
Hope some of this helps.
Got to answer a few PMs and would have said more.
hope I'm not coming across as some a**hole or something - your an educated guy and can hopefully guess what another guy would tell another guy who had depression.
Apologies if your not a guy.
but I think you are.