I see the world in abstractions.

I think I’ve finally landed on this conclusion, where I just see the world through this lens of abstraction.
Abstraction is basically just finding the common thread within everything you look at.

When I look at people's faces, I don't really see individuals, I just see comparisons of facial structures.
And honestly, even when I've had a few drinks—which helps, I guess—it doesn't change anything, I can't escape reducing everything down to an abstraction.

I used to think this was some kind of high-level intelligence, but maybe it isn't? It feels pretty average, so why am I seeing things this way?

No matter how hard I try to look at you all, I just see abstractions; I never actually see *you*.
And when I drink, I'm trying to ground myself, to get back down to earth, but even then, I find myself searching for those patterns.
It's just what I do, I guess. It's my normal.

Everything feels so rigid sometimes, though I suppose we Americans have our own way of being blunt, too.

I've tried different ways to stop, you know, like telling yourself "don't light that cigarette," but it just creates this internal pressure, and nothing actually changes.

Maybe it’s just schizophrenia, maybe... but calling a genuine ability to abstract "schizophrenia" feels kind of lame, doesn't it?

With imported cigarettes, imported beer, and working these export jobs... I don't think it's a mental illness. I think it's something else that's right there, even if I can't quite pinpoint it.

The logical explanation would be some undetected level of intelligence, like high EQ or social IQ, but if I say that, then I'm just using "schizophrenia" as an excuse to feel special.

Man, you seriously need to get laid, ASAP

It’s basically just a mental block caused by certain things messing with your judgment.

Like, take girls who suddenly get obsessed with horoscopes and zodiac signs... they won't even give you the time of day until they figure out what sign you are! They start categorizing everyone instantly. It doesn't even matter what your name is anymore—it's all about the stars.

And honestly, you're making these comparisons because you stumbled upon some abstract definitions and now you're just playing around with them. I don't think it's anything to worry about, really. We all see the world through different lenses, right? Everyone uses some kind of criteria to group people together. Like, my boss at Starbucks divides everyone into "hard workers" and "slackers," and then you've got those religious zealots who split the whole world into believers and non-believers.

Just try to let go of that habit little by little. Start exploring some lighter, more harmless ways of defining things, and those abstractions will eventually fade away. I’d say "abstractions," but man, that word is such a mouthful... I think there's actually a linguistic rule for how the sounds shift when we say it quickly. Assimilation of voicing, I think it's called... yeah, that's it.

Amanda Robinson4 said:It’s basically just a mental block caused by certain things messing with your judgment.

Like, take girls who suddenly get obsessed with horoscopes and zodiac signs... they won't even give you the time of day until they figure out what sign you are! They start categorizing everyone instantly. It doesn't even matter what your name is anymore—it's all about the stars.

And honestly, you're making these comparisons because you stumbled upon some abstract definitions and now you're just playing around with them. I don't think it's anything to worry about, really. We all see the world through different lenses, right? Everyone uses some kind of criteria to group people together. Like, my boss at Starbucks divides everyone into "hard workers" and "slackers," and then you've got those religious zealots who split the whole world into believers and non-believers.

Just try to let go of that habit little by little. Start exploring some lighter, more harmless ways of defining things, and those abstractions will eventually fade away. I’d say "abstractions," but man, that word is such a mouthful... I think there's actually a linguistic rule for how the sounds shift when we say it quickly. Assimilation of voicing, I think it's called... yeah, that's it.

That was a really beautiful analysis.
You totally hit the nail on the head.