Taken together, self-appraisals of one’s Overton Window and appraisals of others are prone to cognitive biases. Without honest, often painful self-examination, such biases may sustain oppressive stances that foreclose respect for others’ humanity and, in treatment, a helpful healing relationship.

Ironically, although some clinicians cite neutrality as a core principle, a supremacist attitude that boxes in those they disagree with ready-made pathology may ultimately violate that principle by limiting the patient’s opportunity to explore their own material—the very rationale for neutrality.

In a psychoanalytic context, there may be a focus on transference rather than juggling multiple concepts at once. Those cast in a close-minded role may not be granted the same grace in having their wounds understood as traumatic as patients with different identities or material are afforded.

Clinically, if one brings a supremacist attitude in their work camouflaged as theory, they may inhibit the patient to speak freely, to enter an analytic space of exploration. To address their open wounds that they otherwise may feel compelled to hide.

This may be seen as an effort to shift from inhabiting an expected (or insisted upon) deferential role or emboldening oneself to refuse prioritizing another's feelings, demands, and perspective over one's rights, humanity, and community (i.e., psychic liberation).

A number of writers have discussed resistance to this dynamic (i.e., 'psychic refusal,' not having to be the 'perfect victim' to narrate one's perspective; Sheehi, El Kurd).

That one casts themself in the role of the open-minded & their recipient as close-minded. That one is more noble, mature, and flexible, establishing a unilateral direction for enlightenment. Here, devaluing the other can obscure genuine understanding while reinforcing existing power dynamics.

Can one's personality influence one's political views? Of course, but also in many ways (one's courage to speak truth to power, one's documentation of warcrimes, etc). And yet, the self-identification of being open-minded, of having a broad Overton Window, can itself entail a narcissistic demand.

Here, there can be a breakdown of mentalization that is likely incapacitated by one's reckoning with their own privilege, inability to be curious and learn about the lived reality of other people, which may all be mediated by their own private or unexamined racism.

They may see their own thinking as superior or more mature, with an increased capacity to think dialectically or to inhabit Klein's depressive position, the capacity to acknowledge, tolerate, and integrate their own affiliative and aggressive tendencies (i.e., love & hate).

They may see impassioned views about international affairs as evidence of a person's frequent use of splitting. Or speaking about world events rather than 'themselves' or their relationships in session as a form of externalization.

Yet, peoples' relationship with 'politics' and what is meant by the political can vary widely. Some see politics as a chosen hobby or a form of entertainment/distraction. And some clinicians are quick interpret experiences of their patients they see in this light as extensions of their personality.

Over the past few years, I've been interested in the intersubjective nature of these windows between dyads (in & out of therapy). Some people pride themselves on being 'open-minded' and having a broad window. In their self-appraisal, they may see others close-minded, stubborn or overly ideological.

🧵 Interpersonal Overton Windows.

Many may be familiar with the idea that at any given time there are a range of policy positions that are acceptable to the general public that can shape the the limits of acceptable discourse. Yet, what are implications for 1:1 interactions? And for therapy?

Tried to thread a needle there to not be too judgmental—I’ll sometimes use a worksheet, but more to emphasize that humans have had the capacity to heal each other for millennia. We have the tools we need, we just need the training.

Hot take: Most therapists ought to be able to help most people without a printer let alone AI.

When do we get ABS for interpretations?

Victory!

Feels wrong when you catch AI in a lie. Aren’t you supposed to be all knowing?

-Oedipus lives

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Avgi Saketopoulou: "What do you do with an institution that doesn't love you back? We have so pathologized leaving and we have so exalted repair."

What was this from?

Goals. :)

One of the funnier things about apolitical therapists is that you often actually know their political beliefs. Whether implicitly or explicitly they sometimes post about them daily.

I gotta look that one up!

Cookie monster is the king of primary process.

Think these ideas about the mind lend to different stances/clinical attitudes.

Read that passage earlier this week. :)

Very clever way to put it.

And yes, behind the joke I was thinking about the implications of an unconscious wish that wants to come forward vs. a wounded/scared memory that needs to hide.

As well as the nature of the preconscious vs. managers.

Its weird how Love is considered weak and cringe nowadays.

Its the most powerful collective shield, tool, and medicine we have and people are too worried about being corny to rely on it.