{"id":150737,"date":"2010-01-20T16:31:31","date_gmt":"2010-01-20T14:31:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/espirited.com\/the-basis-of-all-mental-illness\/"},"modified":"2026-02-06T17:29:20","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T15:29:20","slug":"the-basis-of-all-mental-illness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/espirited.com\/en\/the-basis-of-all-mental-illness\/","title":{"rendered":"The Basis of All Mental Illness"},"content":{"rendered":"

M. Scott Peck:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe tendency to avoid problems, as well as the emotional suffering<\/strong> with which they are charged, is the basis of all mental illness. Since this is characteristic of most of us, we are all mentally ill to a greater or lesser degree, and some go too far in their effort to escape difficulties and suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n

C. G. Jung:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cNeurosis is always a substitute for legitimate suffering.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Two different authors, the same message: do not run away from the pain that is inevitable. Live it as it is, without adding to it thoughts that argue with reality.<\/p>\n

Once you accept reality, you will understand what needs to be done in order to change it. First, however, comes acceptance\u2014and that includes pain.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

M. Scott Peck: \u201cThe tendency to avoid problems, as well as the emotional suffering with which they are charged, is the basis of all mental illness. Since this is characteristic of most of us, we are all mentally ill to a greater or lesser degree, and some go too far in their effort to escape […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":149066,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[648],"tags":[659,653,661,660,686],"class_list":["post-150737","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-emotional-intelligence","tag-carl-gustav-jung","tag-how-changes-happen","tag-mental-health","tag-morgan-scott-peck","tag-the-pain"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t