SUMMER 2024
HEAL 101
Analyzing How to Make Stress Your Friend by, Kelly McGonigal
This Ted Talk “How to Make Stress Your Friend” by Kelly McGonigal was assigned in a module for HUMS105 in Spring ‘24. Prior to watching the video then, I did not believe stress is fundamentally bad for you, still don’t and will continue believing as such. I am a Communications major and heavily invested in the interest of the English language; and more deeply in the lack of knowledge around the language itself. From a youthful age I was always intrigued by the fact that the majority of our society (no matter their language of origin) speaks, writes and comprehends communication at a 4th grade level or lower. This led me to ponder the depths of “that which we are told” and “that which is”; ultimately in much more than just language. Although most veils are created ignorantly by their bearers, the creation of a veil can be traced through said ignorance. With a concept such as “stress,” the base word has a few ways in which it can be interpreted, and when most people are saying the word “stress” they are implying one of these deeper meanings (most times not even recognizing themselves, that which they imply.) This can, will and does get very confusing as we must look at the context of the situation, the person experiencing the stress, their responses & reactions to the experience, and ultimately their mindset around stressors. Two differences in the language that I will discuss here; Distress & Eustress.
The distress of having a test today, and having not studied any part of your Anatomy materials, you are now freaking out (mentally & a little bit physically) because this failure can result in your being removed from the class… which could ultimately lead to losing your full-ride scholarship to the most prestigious institution (that you know about) which you have ever been invited to attend, barring the completion of your current coursework in excellent standing. Don’t Panic! It's just an example… This can also be as simple as there is a lion chasing you on an open savannah and you forgot your running shoes stateside; when you switched bags last minute to fit your favorite purse inside the bigger bag, leaving your Nike’s in the bag on the floor, under your bed at home.
And then there is the eustress of studying your Anatomy material ahead of time. Gathering all your materials, reading & writing; taking notes… learning. This is a beneficial “stress” (eustress) that you are placing on the brain in an exercise of expanding your current knowledge base to greater heights. Or meeting Mike Tyson’s pet tiger… something like that?
These concepts can be applied to any situation and where it starts getting confusing is when trying to interpret what our mind and another person means when we say we are “stressed”. It is a fine art of breaking down communication to its rudimentary level to understand what is meant by what is said, and then being able to explain the interpretation with rhetorical ease. We have been explicitly told “don’t read between the lines” as we begin to question our own sanity. Let me be the first to urge you, begin reading those fine prints between the words being utilized and the message being conveyed, if you are prepared for the Truth. This is not ‘always’ or ‘mostly’ a malicious attack as these absolutes Never fit in All contexts, it is in fact a balance of the two; understanding the intentions behind the communication & action taken is key to proper interpretation. This goes for our self-talk and when listening to others. How much “stress” have you experienced in the last year? Do you believe that “stress” is harmful for your health? Our perspective of the idea of “stress” when answering these questions will create the way in which we interpret and answer them; within which is the way we live our lives. 43%.
After reviewing the video again, I think that ‘most of the time’ I think the way Kelly is urging us to; however, sometimes nature takes over… or nurture takes over? Or who the/what the hell made me stressed?
“In a typical stress response your heart rate goes up, and your blood vessels constrict.”(5:56) Kelly speaks on recognizing the moments that the body is making these changes and utilizing it as the reminder that we are in a mode to take action. The first thing I think about is running emergency drills onboard submarines with high tension and intentional focus, so that in the event of a legitimate emergency we were prepared mentally & physically to approach the coming danger.
The stress hormone Oxytocin is also known as the Cuddle hormone (neuro-hormone). “It fine-tunes your brain’s social instincts. It primes you to do things that strengthen close relationships. Oxytocin makes you crave physical contact with your friends and family. It enhances your empathy. It even makes you more willing to help and support the people you care about.” (8:12)
I was just recently voted in and resigned as the Public Relations Officer on the Associated Student Government for San Diego City College for the Fall ‘24 semester. The reason why I resigned was because of the potential stress it would cause in my life come the semester in question. Although I understand what this question is implying, in this instance the potential stress was not necessary as I have plenty more meaningful obligations to attend to, and adding one more is not the answer to me finding meaning.
I am a bit of an outlier in this instance as I am a hermit, and as such invest most of my time alone as it feels the most beneficial & productive to my experience. This is not to say that I do not seek help when I am in need of support, I typically do it less often and only when the instance is such a large endeavor I would not be able to complete it on my own; such as getting off the street into a state-run housing program… I literally could not do this on my own, and after the stressors that living on the street had created for me, I deemed it necessary to seek assistance in completing the task of transitioning into housing, no matter the stressors that the mission may involve (they were bound to be no worse than what I was already experiencing; at least the environment would change.) I am currently set-up to move into my permanent housing within the next 30 days and aim to be fully settled by the start of the Fall semester. All this is to say that seeking support in times of stress has its place and can be an extremely effective strategy if the proper people are involved. I am a hard-headed know-it-all, such is the case when you question relentlessly. Requiring assistance humbles me every time.
My personal favorite stress management strategy is accountability & ownership. Whether it's my taking of responsibility or ownership, or ensuring someone else takes on those rolls when they are theirs to bear. I have learned to maintain very strong boundaries and rarely take on the stress that is created by others or the world around me, rather choosing to take ownership when it is mine to hold.
POLI 101
Camus Response
Camus states, “Ideally, revolution is a change of political & economic institutions intended to increase freedom & justice in the world. Practically, it is a series of often unfortunate historical events that brings about this change for the better.” [(Camus, Nov. 23, 1946) (Lévi-Valensi Pg. 264)] Which I believe can be labeled simply as Ideological Revolution & Practical Revolution; one being done through legislation & dialogue, the other through (for lack of a better word) legitimized murder. Unfortunately, I do not think that one type of revolution above occurs without some interaction with the other. The bureaucracy of revolution has evolved as we no longer have castles to storm… or the urge to. Whereas Van Belle shares a definition of revolution as, “the collective effort to replace the political and economic or social structures of the state.” (Van Belle Pg. 85) Both of these ideas are representative of the outcomes of revolt against government, the means by which the end is met is the only clear distinction.
In the same article from Nov. 23rd Albert Camus claims, “Yet even if we assume that such a seizure of power is possible, and regardless of whether it is achieved by force of arms or by legislation, it would be effective only if France (or Italy or Czechoslovakia) could put itself in a box and cut itself of from the world.” [(Camus, Nov. 23, 1946) (Lévi-Valensi Pg. 265)] Effectively stating that the task of Solitary Revolution is impossible in the current (1946) geo-political landscape of the world. He goes on to further explain the financial impact that any “change in property relations” would have, much less the implications of the paperwork to be filed & maintained. He also claims that he and his fellow Frenchman were not “free to be revolutionaries” as American & Russian interests collapsed this potential from all angles. Camus believes a revolution is possible, “to put it more plainly, there is no possibility of an international revolution today without an extremely high risk of war…” [(Camus, Nov. 23, 1946) (Lévi-Valensi Pg. 265)] he just believes that the only way to Revolution is now through means of war and legitimized murder, dare I say, ‘profitized’ ideological wars. However, I also see and understand the mechanisms utilized by the government to prevent these same revolutions, “along with the panoptic self-policing mechanism, leaders use the techniques of atomization, peer policing and preference falsification to prevent revolutionary groups from forming.” (Van Belle Pg. 85) Which in and of itself is a means for revolting, and yet we choose to wear our blinders.
Unfortunately, I agree with Camus and his writing from 1946; especially with the hindsight of times’ progression and where we now find ourselves in a militarized world, hell bent on creation through destruction & legalized-profit wars. The two options he posed nearly 60 years ago are still relevant to this day, “If you accept [ what the word revolution portends], you must consciously acknowledge responsibility for the war to come. If you reject it, you must either admit that you prefer the status quo, which is a completely utopian position insofar as it assumes that history is immobile, or else you must redefine the word ‘revolution,’ which means accepting what I shall call a relative utopia.” [(Camus, Nov. 23, 1946) (Lévi-Valensi Pg. 266)] Overall, I believe Albert Camus made legitimate points and did his best to withhold his biases; rather approaching this topic from a perspective of philosophical logic & reason which enticed the audience to reflect upon their own biases within such a heated moment in history.
“Democracy is a form of society in which the law is above those who govern; the law being the expression of the will of all, represented by a legislative body.” [(Camus, Nov. 26, 1946) (Lévi-Valensi Pg. 268)] The context within which Camus gives this definition is within the idea that we are in an era of The New World Order and that an international or “universal” law is required with a governing body placed over all other forms of national law; he expresses this by way of parliamentary law. Van Belle shares Aristotles’ Six Basic Government Types; democracy being a state ruled by many that works for the benefit of the ruling class, which can be seen in Table 5.1 in Chapter 5 of A Novel Approach to Politics. Furthermore,democracy as defined by Aristotle is a perverted form of government as it is related to ‘mob rule’ – “...everyone acting in her or his own best interest with little or no regard for the community.” (Van Belle Pg. 158) I would go on to further synthesize that the form of government in which we reside has already been officially labeled an oligarchy, with democratic practices… my question is, when will we slip to a national Dictatorship, and is it cause for revolution?
“...the only option open to us is to resist this international dictatorship on an international level using means not in contradiction with the ends we seek.” [(Camus, Nov. 26, 1946) (Lévi-Valensi Pg. 268)]
This is such an eloquently stated depiction of transmutation and the process by which we have the power to change and experience. To me this idea is a reflection of the concepts regarding “an-eye for an-eye” which tells us that we may all become blind (or killed) if we continue to react to one another and our problems with the same energy. He is saying that if we are to elevate ourselves passed the international dictatorship and their prophesied wars, we must do so by means of never having raised a weapon against ourselves or another foreign body. This is not saying that death and murder will not be involved, but if we are to transcend these patterns we must stop committing the same murderous acts in the name of our own “righteous cause”.
The Citadel of Dicks - Why Government? Spoiler Alert
Why does a man with seemingly endless intelligence still have inter-dimensional versions of himself that revert to establishing governmental bodies, when at the core of his Being he is a nihilistic anarchist. Rick & Morty is a show that revolves around the literal timeless adventures of Rick Sanchez (C-137) along with his grandson Morty Smith. Rick C-137 is the self-proclaimed Rickest Rick of them All, and as such embodies the nihilism & anarchy that the viewer has come to love. It seems improbable that the most intelligent and against the grain person would have versions of themselves that reverted to forming a government; however, in Season 1 Episode 10 “Close Rick-counters of the Rick Kind” we discover that a collection of Ricks decided to band together against the Galactic Federation threat that would see to their demise and are seeking to control Rick’s “Portal Gun” technology, by establishing the Citadel of Ricks lead by their Council and a secret panel of cabal that run its inner-workings. Ultimately, we will uncover the reasons for “Why Government?” and how even at its most rudimentary form, a nihilistic anarchist reverts back to some form of it.
Season 1 Episode 10 is the first glimpse we get at the Citadel of Ricks as Rick C-137 is arrested and charged with the countless murders of Ricks across the interdimensional timeline, and as such is arrested and brought to face his potential crimes at the Citadel. Rick C-137 explains that the Citadel was created by a few thousand versions of him that all got the same idea to protect the portal gun technology and themselves from their would be threats. Collective action and the idea of security, with the aim of protecting themselves and the portal gun technology from outside threats, is what led to the creation of the Citadel and the Council of Ricks. The 7705th meeting of the United Nations Security Council held on the 6th of June, 2016 the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, told the Security Council that the only chance that global peace & security will be met, is if “nations and regions unite against common threats that transcend their borders.” (2016) This can be seen depicted in the creation of the Council of Ricks and the Citadel which houses them. This is where power & anarchy come into play.
It isn’t until Season 3 that we gain more exposition regarding the now Citadel of Ricks (& Mortys). In Episode 1 “The Rickshank Rickdemption” we are brought into that timeline of Rick C-137 after “turning himself in” to the Galactic Federation who have him under control in the Brainelizer, which they are utilizing to try and discover Rick’s memory of the portal gun formula. We find out that this is all an elaborate ploy by Rick C-137 to infiltrate the Galactic Federation and topple its governmental prowess; which he completes by teleporting the Citadel of Ricks into a Galactic Federation prison and devaluing their currency by updating the system to reflect ‘0’ rather than the ‘1’ that gives the currency any value. Through the anarchy that ensues when the inmates are set loose on the Citadel and its inhabitants, a new power emerges in the form of “Eye-Patch’ or “Evil” Morty; he has positioned himself as the best possible candidate for the Presidency of the Citadel. Through his utilization of political capital we can see Morty not only win the election but also being supported and empowered by the Ricks that find themselves resident to the Citadel. In Episode 7 “The Ricklantis Mixup” or “Tales from the Citadel” from the same season, we come back to the Citadel to find Evil Morty has won the election and defeated the cabal of Rick’s that were seated in the power of shadows behind the former Council of Ricks. With all forms of political competition eliminated, Eye Patch Morty begins his true reign of terror within the trans-dimensional timeline. This is when we see the context of hierarchy, alliances and groups/group identity that begins to evolve within the Citadel and the importance of these structures to the continued life of the governmental body.
The establishment of a “democratic” hierarchy within the Citadel of Ricks (and Morty’s) slows the pace of anarchy that its streets sees. Eye-Patch Morty takes it upon himself to remove all ‘threats’ to the state; within which comes its own forms of alliances. In Season 3 Episode 7, Morty’s are utilized as a plot device to represent the have-nots, whereas Rick’s represent the upper-echelon. Regardless of the perceived nature of this relationship Evil Morty is able to transcend his environment and rise to a position of power. Although other Morty’s identify with him strictly off looks alone, Eye-Patch Morty is able to create the idea that his “group” includes Morty’s and Rick’s alike. The interests that Evil Morty has are buried within the subtext of the plot as we the viewer and those he is engaging with only see portions of his full plan. We know that Morty is tired of being dragged around by Rick to do his bidding, and this ‘Evil’ version of Morty has taken it upon himself to see this reality changed. He peppers his campaign with ideas of salvation and independence when ultimately his goals for his new governmental power are far more sinister.
The Citadel of Ricks is a political rhetoric depicting the evolving nature of governments and the reasons why even the most anarchist of us still revert to these types of policies. Whether the goals of this governmental body are collective action & security, power over anarchy, or the seeking of hierarchical institutions to form alliances and group identities; the Citadel of Ricks, at its core, represents these desires of man… or Dick. I mean Rick.
