Hi all!

Sorry for the long break...but I see others have been gone too.

I'm getting my out-of-control cells taken care of...just 6 more
weeks of radiation to go.

I finally took a little time to try to think through my confusion
about self-help and determinism. This is my first rough draft. I
need to think about it some more. Any help anyone can give me will
be welcome.

Self-help, Will power, and God's will.

Self-help is the use of knowledge to change yourself, your
relationships, or your life. This knowledge may come from many
sources—reading, wise helpers, accumulated cultural wisdom, and
even "figuring out" by yourself what will work. If the plan for
changing is developed and carried out by a professional, however, it
is not self-help, it is professional treatment. Self-help is based
on better understanding the very complex laws of behavior—the
dependable cause and effect relationships—that permit one to
establish conditions, mental or physical, that control the
subsequent behavior. Scientific knowledge offers a hope of
influencing the future.

Will power is based on the belief that concentration and sufficient
long-lasting motivation will enable a person to achieve
extraordinary goals. It is the change method exemplified by a
motivational speaker, a cheering section, a supportive friend or
group, an encouraging coach, or even by repeated self-inspiration.
If meaningful motivation can be increased and if the existing lawful
habits, attitudes, and environmental conditions do not need to be
changed, future changes are sometimes possible. High motivation can
not alter nature's laws. That is, if the necessary and lawful
conditions, skills, methods, and other factors are not already in
place and functioning the end goal is not likely to be achieved, no
matter how motivated or driven one might be. Another major problem
with this approach is that often motivational drive quickly
dissipates and becomes ineffective unless it is repeatedly or
constantly pumped up.

God's will is a concept widely believed by many people…or at least
applied by many when some outcome is highly desired or dreaded. It
is a fatalistic belief that everything is unfolding according to a
pre-set "divine" plan; thus, humans are urged to accept God's
inevitable plan and to be grateful for or, at least, tolerant of
whatever happens. God's will is a particularly interesting notion
because it would seem to contradict the common belief that God's
plan for everything can be influenced by prayer. The future has to
be either fixed or changeable; it can hardly be both. Yet, believing
God will intervene for you or already has good plans for your future
may leave you hopeful and optimistic, characteristics that are
positively related to feeling better and performing better.

While I don't believe that every event and every outcome in the
future is totally pre-determined by a grand plan, it would be
possible to believe that everything is unfolding in accordance with
fixed, immutable laws, such as the laws of physics, chemistry,
behavior, social interaction, etc. In that case, while every future
event would be fixed in terms of being lawful but also controllable
to the extent that the conditions and lawful relationships could be
understood and manipulated to bring about a desired outcome.
Likewise, every moment and action that has already passed and was
fully determined by the laws involved at the time, i.e. the actor
couldn't have done otherwise. Yet, what happens at a future moment
can be influenced if the actor, a helper, or someone else is
knowledgeable enough of the laws (methods of change) involved in the
future event.

Example: Man might influence his destiny to some extent,
e.g. in the early 1960's the USA decided to go to the moon…and did
it. Or a therapist might draft a plan to reduce a patient's
depression…and do it.


Clay