I used to very politely say that if there is free will then it's in all sorts of boring places, like whether you're going to pick up this or that fork as you begin your meal. There really is none: It's all biology.
Robert SapolskyRead
That's what stress management is about, that's what psychotherapy is about, finding religion, or finding your loved one or your hobby - any of those, they give you more outlets, more of a sense of control, more of a sense of predictability, of social support. They give you the means to psychologically finesse ambiguous outside reality.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Stress management involves finding support and activities that provide a sense of control and predictability.
This quote emphasizes the importance of various coping mechanisms, such as stress management techniques, psychotherapy, religion, and hobbies, in helping individuals navigate the uncertainties of life. By engaging in these activities, people can cultivate social support and a greater sense of control, allowing them to better handle the ambiguities of their external reality.
Themes
StressManagementPsychotherapySupportControlHobbies
In practice
Example use cases
During a mental health seminar, one could use this quote to illustrate the importance of coping mechanisms.
More from Robert Sapolsky
All quotes →When you've wised up enough, there is a very clear conclusion that you have to reach after a while, which is, at the end of the day, it is really impossible for one person to make a difference.
Robert SapolskyRead
My adolescent rebellions took the form of, if anything, passive aggressively doing what was asked of me but doing it ten times more than what was asked of me, so that eventually they'd have to beg me to stop.
Robert SapolskyRead
When humans invented material inequality, they came up with a way of subjugating the low-ranking like nothing ever seen before in the primate world.
Robert SapolskyRead
Yes, genes are important for understanding our behavior. Incredibly important - after all, they code for every protein pertinent to brain function, endocrinology, etc., etc. But the regulation of genes is often more interesting than the genes themselves, and it's the environment that regulates genes.
Robert SapolskyRead
I expected social rank to be the determining factor in health, and in some ways that's true. But far more important is what sort of society that rank occurs in. Being low ranking in a benevolent troop is a hell of a lot better for your blood pressure than being low ranking in an aggressive troop.
Robert SapolskyRead
Similar quotes
Depression can seem worse than terminal cancer, because most cancer patients feel loved and they have hope and self-esteem.
David D. BurnsRead
Mania starts off fun, not sleeping for days, keeping company with your brain, which has become a wonderful computer, showing 24 TV channels all about you. That goes horribly wrong after awhile.
Carrie FisherRead
People are realising that vulnerability isn't a weakness, and the rise of mental health-related humour is making vulnerability feel like a strength.
Phoebe BridgersRead
Several politicians and wives of politicians have been public about their experiences with depression or bipolar illness, including Lawton Chiles, Patrick Kennedy, Tipper Gore and Kitty Dukakis. Each made a tremendous difference by doing so.
Kay Redfield JamisonRead
There is an increasing market for mental hospital stuff. I am a fool if I don't relive it, recreate it.
Sylvia PlathRead
Years of depression have robbed me of that—well, that give, that elasticity that everyone else calls perspective.
Elizabeth WurtzelRead