Embracing Complexity

The above quote comes from author and cartoonist Scott Adams, famous for his Dilbert comic series that poked fun at corporate office culture. Most of us have encountered buzz words that seek to capture complex ideas and distill them into simple phrases, which often end up sounding like meaningless nonsense (anyone care to “circle back on how we can increase our bandwidth to channel synergistic partnerships”?).

The world of mental health marketing and pop psychology is no exception to this pattern. Many people on social media advertise themselves as professionals claiming to know the secrets to “unlocking trauma,” “busting anxiety,” and “curing depression.” Others claim to know how to “fix your marriage in five simple steps” or “find your true life’s purpose through this online course.”

The reality is that mental health issues and relationship challenges are complex, because human beings are complex. If we want to meaningfully address long-standing personal problems in our lives, we need to be willing to forgo the hope for simple, easy answers and embrace exploring the intricacies that make us who we are.

We can get to know and understand ourselves more fully and in doing so experience a greater sense of freedom, fulfillment, and empowerment in our lives. But doing so takes a commitment to learning and potentially changing things about ourselves that get in the way of being the kinds of people we want to be. A meaningful psychotherapeutic relationship can provide an avenue toward this kind of change.