Being human: it's complicated

There's no doubt that being human is complicated. In fact, being human is so complicated that trained practitioners (psychologists) are needed to help people untangle from the psychological knots they find themselves in. Part of what makes being human so complicated is that the nature of the human internal experience is somewhat paradoxical: if we don't want a particular feeling or emotion (e.g. anxiety, guilt, anger), then we are more likely to act in a way which leads that feeling to persist. And so we often fall into behaviour patterns aimed at getting rid of what we don't want, but which just exacerbate or only give temporary relief: drinking, smoking, watching TV, excessive exercise, binge eating, to name a few. So often, the solution to psychological problems is paradoxical, often involving acceptance of distress, and facing feelings instead of fleeing. And like many psychological interventions, this may seem simple but it's definitely not easy.