Yoda's sig has a quotation of which the following is part: "Before you judge my life or my character ... [w]alk in my shoes." Many of us have heard that or something similar to it before in our lives. And I'd guess that many of us have tried to utilize that standard when dealing with other people. And sometimes we feel we have indeed understood (=walked in the shoes of?) someone else, and sometimes we give up trying because we feel we can't do it.

Question: Is there any way of KNOWING, objectively, that one's efforts to "walk in another's shoes" are correct? Are in conformity with the feelings and the facts as seen and experienced by the other person we are trying to understand? How does one test that? Is talking to the person involved sufficient? How do you know that they know what you perceive in them?
This is a very good question and the answer is that there is not really and exact and completely accurate way to KNOW all that is entailed in anothers "shoes" so to speak. But we have come very far in defining different issues that can be presented in the human brain and by exposing ourselves to studieing the minds of different individuals and how these issues present a common struggle we can understand a lot.

Though we are all unique and there are several factors that contribute to each individual's perceptions, it is very possible by identifying and issue and an individual's personal history, we can see how those so called shoes are filled. And we really have made a lot of progress in our capacities to see an individuals perceptions and personal struggles. But I truely feel that we still have more to learn.

Question: How do T's do this, or try to do this, with their clients? Is this a skill they are taught in T-school? Are all T's equally adept in doing this? Can you flunk out of T-school because this task is beyond you? Can you still have a successful career as a practicing T despite being unable to do this?

This is also partly answered in my response above. But given the fact that a therapist is also human and therefore has his own unique perceptions and a history that has created those perceptions, there is room for error in efforts to treat some patients. I personally feel that if we actually took an individual that has presented issues and has also found an understanding of these issues and has gained knowledge and found ways to overcome these issues, that could be an ideal person to treat others that are challenged with the same issues. Because at the very least, this individual will know intimately that base personal struggle.

And I have noticed that in a place like PC which offers support that gives individuals an exposure to others that present the same issues it truely has a very theraputic positive value in a healing process. Having the exposure to others that can truely identify with a personal struggle really provides an individual with a true sense of not being so isolated and alone and misunderstood. And I also feel that it can also provide for a great atmosphere to observe and study and learn for those that are trying to understand the common struggles of different psychological issues. And in seeing the several common inabilites that are present in each group, there can be a method devised to address that common inability and actually provide a way to live a productive life around that inability.



Question: Is it ever really possible to "walk in the shoes of another?" Really? Aren't our efforts, however successful they may be, always falling short of the extent of knowledge implied (at least to me) by that phrase? To what extent, if any, do we all really live our lives in solitude?

I really think that we are gaining in our ability to provide a much better method of helping others find ways to live lives that can help them gain a way out of that personal sence that their issue must only mean solitude and isolation from others.

We do have to consider the fact that what we now know is just a beginning and is really in an infancy stage towards helping human beings learn how to better gravitate towards other human beings in a healthy way. And when I say infancy, I truely mean that. I do see a lot of potential for human beings to possibly get to a point where there will be ways to eventually present a better way to develope each human being in a positive manner regardless of each one of these various challenges within different brains. But we truely have a long way to go before that is truely accomplished. Ofcourse that is if we can allow ourselves to continue to exist and actually evolve.

These are just questions generated by reading Yoda's sig. That's all. Take care.