SELF-FOCUS AND MENTAL ILLNESS
“me-me-me thinking creates isolation. isolation creates illness.”
The Lesson
People with mental illness use 'I' language more than balanced people. Hypothesis: self-focus creates feeling of isolation, and isolation damages mental health because we evolved for tribal connection. Look at common disorders: anxiety (what about me?), depression (dwelling on my problems), narcissism (only care about me), ADHD (focused on what I'm doing now, not the person waiting). They're all self-directed. The fix might be systematic: force yourself to think about others, do things for others, create habits that point your mental circuitry outward instead of inward.
Real-World Example
A founder notices they're anxious all the time. They track their thoughts: 90% are about themselves. They implement a rule: twice per week, help someone else with no benefit to self. They start conversations by asking about others first. Within weeks, anxiety drops. The outward focus broke the me-me-me loop that was creating isolation feelings.
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