[quieropienso]

It's self-evident that everybody got standard knowledge as youths....so can I a therapist tell me how to get this?

Is there a reason for an objection? If not, then it's obvious there is some higher life knowledge that is being shared amongst the masses......I simply want in, and I don't care if this offends people, there's no logical reason why it must...

[stopdog]

I would think taking classes would work better if you are talking about knowledge of the western canon. I have not found therapists to do teaching and I do not imagine they would be good at it.

[quieropienso]

It depends...there is a higher life knowledge, and I want my piece of it....I just want a therapist to tell me how to get it, because it's one of my central life purposes now...

Some interesting points of view here:
http://forums.psychcentral.com/psych...knowledge.html

[AncientMelody]

What do you mean by "higher life" knowledge? I think your statement is too vague. Both for here and for therapy. If standard coping skills, self-soothing, then certainly things like that are often developed in youth, and a therapist can help someone develop/learn these things.

If you're on some spiritual journey and are looking for deeper purpose/understanding then there is not one single "set of knowledge" that you were entitled to and missed out on. Each person's spiritual and/or personal internal journey is a path that you explore on your own. Certainly a therapist may serve as a guide to help you along the way but they do not nor should they "answer" this question for you.

Or is there some other meaning of this that I am missing?

[guilloche]

I'm confused too as to what kind of knowledge you're referring to?

And... you do know, right, that most people don't learn everything they need from their families? Even fairly healthy people from good families end up learning some things that just aren't true, and missing some things (i.e. nobody, and no family, is perfect)!

I *think* (if I'm guessing right!) that the stuff you're referring to... you actually learn by going out and doing stuff in the world! It's trial and error, not something someone teaches you. And, yes, if you're more oriented to "thinking" rather than "doing" (me! That's me!) then it kind of sucks... because you have to go out and bump against people and things and ideas to start to figure out how it all works.

It's kind of like school versus a real job. You learn a whole bunch of stuff in school. Then you get your first job, and find out that 90% of what you learned just doesn't matter, because it's not how people do things in the real world. A mentor, or a really good manager, or just older friends on the job - can help with that somewhat. They can listen when you're confused and point out things you may not be seeing (like, "Oh, the real reason your boss' boss is acting crazy is because he hasn't accomplished anything significant since he got the job, and is worried about being fired, so he's freaking out and expecting someone *anyone* on the team to do something brilliant to save his job and esteem!") but in the end... you have to go and do stuff.

Just a thought, I may be totally misunderstanding what you're looking for!

[Lauliza]

Do you mean actual academic knowledge or general social knowledge that seems to be instinctive in other people?

If it's the first, no a therapist won't help. But if it's social knowledge you're seeking, then yes. In my opinion, group therapy, would be most helpful because you have the interactions between yourself and the other members to learn from. Observation and human interaction are powerful tools. Individual therapy could help too but I think it depends on the approach of the T and the specific things you want to learn.

[Anne2.0]

Originally Posted by Mastodon

Some interesting points of view here:
http://forums.psychcentral.com/psych...knowledge.html

Thank you for posting this prior thread with, interestingly, the same title. If anyone is moved to respond, you might want to take a look at the link above.

I have read the link above, and I'm guessing you may be the same poster?

If you saw my therapist I think she would probably explore with you what you think of as normal and would probably challenge you on that as she believes there is no normal, that we all unique individuals of equal value, that all our experiences make us who we are.

When I left home at the age of 18 and I lived with people other than my family I had the thought at times: 'so this is how other people behave'. I'm not sure if that relates to the knowledge you feel you are trying to obtain?

My therapist is helping me to understand my emotions and why I feel the way I do, I also feel that I am learning to talk to someone about my thoughts and learning to be assertive, I suppose this counts as gaining knowledge about myself?

I hope this is helpful to you, and I wish you well.

[A Red Panda]

There isn't any higher standard knowledge that gets passed around. People learn the fundamentals as children: how to eat solid food, how to clean up after using the washroom, how to talk, etc.

Even those are things that we learn through experiences. If you think you're lacking something, then a therapist can help you work on that skill. There is very rarely ever a clear-cut answer to anything. We all learn through trial and error - some people just have better support systems to help them through it.

[missbella]

Originally Posted by quieropienso

It's self-evident that everybody got standard knowledge as youths....so can I a therapist tell me how to get this?

Is there a reason for an objection? If not, then it's obvious there is some higher life knowledge that is being shared amongst the masses......I simply want in, and I don't care if this offends people, there's no logical reason why it must...

If you're talking about social skills, I certainly received no assistance from therapists. One taught me assertiveness, but in a robotic contrived way that no human person talks. "Honey, I felt ANGER, when you stole my bank account."

Furthermore, I've found rules vary to some extent from one social group to another. And "defending my boundaries" resulted in losing valuable connections and opportunities when I handled things with poor political savvy.

I also found therapy can INFLATE events and conflicts, sending me off to inflame situations rather than resolve them.

I still struggle with some interactions others seem to more handle instinctively. I do observe how people I admire handle conflicts or slights and consider how I might handle things for the next time. I've found better ease through time and experience.