tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7012043996452330123.post3946154201814369129..comments2023-09-23T04:44:41.086-05:00Comments on the MS muse: The Troubling Theories of Gabor MatéKaylahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01407273346397749707noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7012043996452330123.post-12435080595772994552013-04-13T20:18:27.230-05:002013-04-13T20:18:27.230-05:00It's interesting - in the first passage you qu...It's interesting - in the first passage you quote, the direction of cause and effect could be interpreted the other way around for some of the correlations Mate has apparently found. That is, someone with a chronic illness could be "terrified of disappointing others who are important to them" because of this illness that leaves them unable to do certain things. But based on the second passage and what you say in your introduction, he seems to believe these illnesses are the effect, not the cause.<br /><br />Causation is such a tricky thing. (I just had a brief lesson about arguing about cause and effect with my Beginning College Writing students, actually.) I'm pretty skeptical about Mate's conclusions, though. What actual evidence has he provided? There can certainly be consequences to repressing emotions, but it would take a lot to convince me that cancer, MS, etc. are caused even partially by emotional repression. <br /><br />Theorizing like this can lead to great things, but it can also lead to unnecessary anguish and self-reproach. I hope you don't feel like crap for long about this far-fetched idea. Gwennoreply@blogger.com