You’re afraid of this email.

In most parts of the world with ready access to email, it’s April 1.

That means you’re likely opening up many emails and reading many articles that are even less believable than usual. Maybe. Good luck pulling off that April Fool’s joke in 2024 when reality’s got a three-mile head start.

There’s always rubes that fall for it, but as far as it goes around here, the saturation ruins the whole experience.

Once everybody’s in on it, it isn’t funny anymore. It’s predictable and tedious.

Such is the plight of the copy-cat culture.

What works gets copied. And what gets copied will be electronically injected into every sense organ until your brain melts.

Put in plainer language, every action creates an equal and opposite reaction.

I got to reading an article about therapy the other day that reminded me of this pattern.

Seems like Gen Z loves their therapy. Only problem is, all the head-shrink tune-ups appear to be causing worse mental health results — they’re more fragile, more prone to meltdowns, unable to respond in healthy mature ways to the slightest challenge.

The more that The Experts tinker around in the murky Id, the less functional the patients become.

Shocker, I know.

Lots of Very Smart Boys showed up with their professional expert advice (meaning it’s totally wrong and misleading).

What makes sense to me, sniping from my comfy armchair?

It’s about focus and attention.

Therapy focuses your attention on what is wrong with you.

Not only that. The basic rules of engagement claim you as a victim who has been acted upon, passive voice, by forces outside of your control.

You’re twisted timber, and you need to be cut straight.

The well-meaning intention to “fix” you transforms you into a broke-wing bird that needs an army of Karens to keep you safe and comfy.

Thing is, when you truly, genuinely see yourself as a powerless victim… you are a powerless victim.

Putting your attention on what you DON’T want is the surest way to guarantee it stays around.

Just try forcing yourself to sleep when you’re counting dots on the ceiling.

Fear is no different. Anxiety is no different. If you focus on it… even with the good-hearted intention to cure it… you’re giving it strength.

Matt Perryman
https://matts.email