Mental activity v. Mental decline?

[Cyril Haearn]

.................. we are all a bit Welsh

For me, I was born there and have a Welsh birth certificate. Dad had a job based in Chester and he and Mum bought a little house up in the hills above Wrexham when I came along.
Other than that, I'm of Lancastrian descent as far back as I can trace it.

I doubt very much that were's all a bit Welsh. Some of the ancient brits retreated into Wales when the Romans arrived, but not all by any means. Many of us northern types are descended from Vikings.

If one goes far back enough..
You are half Welsh, half Lancashire English and half Cornish by now too
Most PotUSs have Irish blood for example

[al_yrpal]

The lady who lived next to us was in her 90s, she was learning Ancient Greek until she died at 103. She reckoned it was the best sleeping pill. She was an academic, and what I call an intellgent idiot ie brainy, great at argument, but no common sense or practical ability whatsoever. She walked her socks off every day.

Al

[Cyril Haearn]

The secret of happiness is not possession, but giving. She who makes others happy becomes happy
Andre Gide

[Cyril Haearn]

The Guardian has interesting articles about mental health and the like, 'this column will change your life' for example
Yesterday it reported about wives of footballers and ex-footballers, they have problems too, not just too much money

[Cugel]

The Guardian has interesting articles about mental health and the like, 'this column will change your life' for example
Yesterday it reported about wives of footballers and ex-footballers, they have problems too, not just too much money

A problem is just an opportunity in disguise. After all, we humans thrive on being creative. Suffering an adversity in life can be an opportunity to create a better way of life. It can occur at the minor as well as the major levels of "a problem".

There's a notion about in this laughably-named "individualistic" culture of ours that there is a perfect human; a perfect way of living; a perfect appearance; a perfect face; a perfect bum; a perfect partner; a perfect you-name-it. Many suffering mental problems of the modern ilk seem to do so because they are adopting these "perfection" schemas and failing to adhere to them. The social panopticon amplifies the feelings of failure and inadequacy, these days, as various strivers fail to achieve what they have been told is some necessary perfection then get judged as failures by all, sundry and their dogs.

At a low level, many cyclists are familiar with the phrase, "If it isn't on Strava, it didn't happen". Many others strive to achieve some set of data constructs registered by an assortment of gizmos then feel they are inadequate failures when actual performance doesn't meet gizmo demands.

Personally I avoid adopting perfection-schemas. I was lucky enough to learn, somehow, that competence is a far better thing to aim for than perfection. The former is achievable and the latter never is. As a consequence of being uninterested in perfection-achievement, I find myself happy and content most of the time and merely motivated, when I discover an incompetence in myself, to put the situation right.

Cugel

[durhambiker]

The secret of happiness is not possession, but giving. She who makes others happy becomes happy
Andre Gide

Bit sexist

[Cyril Haearn]

The secret of happiness is not possession, but giving. She who makes others happy becomes happy
Andre Gide

Bit sexist

I usually quote/misquote 'she' to try to redress the balance