Extremes, Exaggeration, Cut-offs, Boundaries and Homeostasis
Or: How Failing to Establish Boundaries, thus Needing to Cut Someone Off, an Exaggerated and Extreme but Sometimes Necessary Measure, Can Be Avoided (1) Extremes and Exaggerations There was a Jewish sage, the Rambam, I think, Maimonides, who lived in the twelfth century. A doctor, (they didn't specialize then) he recommended that if you want to change something about yourself, your life, then err on side of extreme. If you are shy, exaggerate working the room. Act social. Make yourself talk until people are bored listening to you. (All this my interpretation of a distant memory, probably wrong.) If you are angry, become the Dalai Lama. If you are late, strive to make every appointment really, really early. Pushed too far it is ridiculous. If you are old, work at being young. If you are sick, make yourself well. Exaggerating doesn't work for everything, and surely the Rambam knew that. The chachma (Soft "ch" not like the "ch" in "chuck", but soun...