Newspapers / Elon University Student Newspaper / Dec. 11, 1963, edition 1 / Page 14
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I ^ 'IHaploids" —continued Admittedly, college years can be a psychologically trying time. It's a time that ushers in a new emphasis on ?=chievaents or actions that are intensly personal in their competition. To some it ‘ s a time to test hov; well one has laid dovm his ovm past foundations of behavior. How well has he been prepared to take on the responsibility of getting passing grades? How well has he been able to plan his own simple day-to-day existence? Or perhaps how efficient is he in handling his own affairs? Few people doublt their own inherent ability to do well. Few seriously believe themselves biologically incapable of doing the work before them. Technical ability to keep themselves functioning is not the primary question The"emotionally troubled person almost invariably questions his total worth. To himself, he, in previous years, seemed, at worst, acceptable. Tq the v/orld at large, he is now eminently expendible. Perhaps not even e:cpendible for it seems that his presence is totally unnoticed. He is perfectly intelligent and v/illing to do pod except that no one is anxious to ask anything of him. VJhat he accomplishes, he accomplishes in total silence. This type of thinking can lead into a spiral, because the person is still capable of detachment. He can see he has problems about adjusting td'his new environment. He became worried and depressed at his continued lack of adjustment. These fears could have effectively paralyzed all iiknediate reactions, and as a final irony, he may begin worrying about his present pcralysis. i^nd so Ad inf ini-turn. This closed circle of fears can p6int out a final symptom. He has nov; in his own mind become completely isolated from everybody. He carries his introspection like a cross. He lives with himself, he thinks to himself, he may even talk to himself, and no matter how many people he participates with he is acting alone. \ The.question of a cure may not always involve attacking the roots of the problem. The Freudian approaches occasionally show us that the causes can be impossibly obscure. More frequently however, the causes are inpediate and nearly innumerable. To continually unburden oneself on sympathetic ears also does not always v/ork. On the contrary, talking about the problems can snowball them. The simple act of speaking can blow them up to gigantic ^.proportions. For similar reasons, talking to people with similar afflictions can, at best, keep the pain at a steady level, for two people tend to emphasize and agree upon the apparent hopelessness of the situation. Instead of helping each other twice as effectively, it is conceivable for two people to make each other twice as sick. Perhaps it's not so much a cure that is desirable, but an outlet. The foremost consideration is the immediate relief from the present tensions, aiid in many cases' this strangely turns out to be a permanent release. We are unfortunately suspicious of anything that is not a total cure, but the fact is in many cases the releasing of tensions rather than the destruction of them is not only the most practical thing to do, it is the mqst desirable. If, through a period of time and adjustment, one can turn these feel ings around and malce them work for him, he will have made two gains; one, the releasing of the fears will be almost total, and tv/o, the motivation and activity of the person will be increased. This viill increase his accomplishments and may soon dissipate the nagging fear of failure that initiated the trouble in the first place. President. Mr. Sawyer noted that the Student Affairs Committee seems
Elon University Student Newspaper
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Dec. 11, 1963, edition 1
14
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