This article is a continuation of the previous one called “The Two Rays of the “Just Sun”,” in which I introduced a particular species of “worms.” By this I mean those thoughts in the mind that gnaw away at our psychological well-being by telling us that we know what the truth is – the whole truth, the only truth. Here I will present one of their variants, namely the certainty with which we attribute causes to what happens in our lives, without having subjected those attributions to thorough examination.
In social psychology, explanations of cause-and-effect relationships are referred to as causal attribution (from the Latin causa, meaning “cause,” and attributio, meaning “to ascribe”). These explanations become “worms”, that is, they undermine our mental health, only when they are inaccurate and we never even think to question what they are telling us. Yet we constantly produce such thoughts in everyday life:
“What is my headache due to today? Did I go to bed too late last night? Is it stress? The Moon’s transits? My menstrual cycle? Something I ate? High blood pressure? Yesterday’s conflict with my husband? Or perhaps someone has cast a spell on me?”
Here is another example:
“What is the discomfort I’ve been experiencing since starting this cleansing diet due to? Is it a healing crisis that I simply have to endure until it passes? Did I start it at the wrong time? Or did I choose a cleansing regimen that isn’t suitable for my body?”
The most common errors we make in causal attribution concern the question of responsibility – who is responsible for what. The neurotic personality type tends to attribute the causes of events within their own behaviour and mistakes, overestimating their sphere of responsibility and, as a result, living in a state of chronic guilt and tension. The opposite type, the psychopathic personality, tends to locate the causes of events outside themselves. They are never at fault; the problem always lies with others. In both cases, attributing causes where none exist leads to confusion and conflict – for the neurotic, these conflicts are usually internal; for the psychopath, they are external. Even when we do not fall into either of these extremes, we may still find ourselves facing questions such as: “Why does my colleague behave toward me in this way?” or “What is the cause of my depression?”
Depending on where we locate the cause of a given phenomenon, there are two crucial consequences: (1) how we feel, and (2) what actions we take to resolve the problem. If we decide that our colleague’s irritability is due to a difficult period in their personal life, we will feel one way and are likely to respond with greater tolerance, without taking the behaviour personally. If, however, we conclude that their behaviour stems from deliberate hostility intended to humiliate us, we will feel quite differently and respond accordingly.
To make matters even more complex, similar symptoms may arise from very different causes. This is much like trying to determine the cause of a skin rash: is it a food allergy, neurodermatitis, sun allergy, or some other dermatological condition? What we see are rashes, but the underlying causes differ, and so does the appropriate treatment. When it comes to psychological difficulties, the situation is no different: our mental health and well-being depend on an accurate diagnosis.
If we decide that our depression results from dysfunctional thinking patterns or childhood trauma, we are likely to seek out a psychotherapist working within ego-oriented approaches (such as cognitive therapy or psychoanalysis). If, however, we interpret our depression as an expression of the “dark night of the soul,” we may turn to forms of psychotherapy that take the spiritual dimension of the human being into account (such as Jungian analysis, psychosynthesis, or transpersonal psychology), or we may choose simply to trust the unconscious and its hidden processes of self-healing. Moreover, if we understand that the dark night of the soul can last for many years, we are less likely to blame ourselves that our progress is taking time.
Thus, once we recognize that causal attribution is a mental act with far-reaching consequences for our lives, it becomes easier to notice it and subject it to scrutiny. When we realize that attributing causes has the power of making a diagnosis, and that this diagnosis may be incorrect, we become far more cautious in how readily we make such judgments. We know that a diagnosis is correct only when it leads us toward a genuine resolution of the problem. Before that, however, lies the long and often painful task of examining the many facets of what troubles us.
Kameliya Hadzhiyska
