Very interesting perspective and well written. It's really cool how you tied your personal experience into an essay about the psychological side of Cartesian dualism.
I do find the idea that dualism is psychologically damaging to be unlikely. It seems very similar to be to the idea that atheism is psychologically damaging. Much more likely is that atheism and dualism are psychologically damaging for some, and psychologically beneficial for others, and it comes out about even overall. I'm a dualist (although I haven't always been one), and it would never impact my decision to exercise or not, for example.
Thank you for reading! I suspect that the degree to which dualism is harmful depends on the degree to which one takes it to heart. The studies I cited showed that priming people with dualist ideas led them to make poorer food choices. Another study, which I am going to cite in my essay about soul-body dualism, showed that Christians who embraced radical dualism felt more shame about their bodies.
As far as exercising goes, I'm glad to hear that you are doing some! I should do more myself. However, and I am not claiming this applies to you, there are forms of dualism in which one uses one's body like a machine or tool, sometimes even abusing it. I call this "I am the master of my body" dualism. Anorexics seem to suffer from this, as well as some athletes.
I'd love to hear more about what kind of dualist you are!
Very interesting perspective and well written. It's really cool how you tied your personal experience into an essay about the psychological side of Cartesian dualism.
I do find the idea that dualism is psychologically damaging to be unlikely. It seems very similar to be to the idea that atheism is psychologically damaging. Much more likely is that atheism and dualism are psychologically damaging for some, and psychologically beneficial for others, and it comes out about even overall. I'm a dualist (although I haven't always been one), and it would never impact my decision to exercise or not, for example.
Thank you for reading! I suspect that the degree to which dualism is harmful depends on the degree to which one takes it to heart. The studies I cited showed that priming people with dualist ideas led them to make poorer food choices. Another study, which I am going to cite in my essay about soul-body dualism, showed that Christians who embraced radical dualism felt more shame about their bodies.
As far as exercising goes, I'm glad to hear that you are doing some! I should do more myself. However, and I am not claiming this applies to you, there are forms of dualism in which one uses one's body like a machine or tool, sometimes even abusing it. I call this "I am the master of my body" dualism. Anorexics seem to suffer from this, as well as some athletes.
I'd love to hear more about what kind of dualist you are!