House Thought

I would like to share with you two quotes from my favorite episode of House, Three Stories.

"A leg is a leg is a leg."

This quote means a lot to me in that it helps me get over things easier. For example, if I am eating with company, I will avoid picking off items on my food I dislike. To get over that hump, I just think of the previously mentioned quote. This makes it much easier for me. (I'm only a little crazy.)

"It’s a basic truth of the human condition that everybody lies. The only variable is about what. The great thing about telling someone that they're dying is that it tends to focus their priorities. You find out what matters to them. What they're willing to die for... What they're willing to lie for."

This, in truth, is a reminder of the human condition. What is a person? What does this person believe, and why do they take the actions they do? I think about these questions all the time. It means a lot when you think about it. In what set of circumstances does this person act in one way or in another? How can two people so very similar react to a situation in a completely different manner, and then another two people who are completely different act in a similar manner? Of course there are many factors; personality, environment, the event itself. It’s called Triple Typology. This is all true, but, it seems to me that there is an underlying imperative at work, something deep in the subconscious. Is it to be different? To be sure, there are many forces at work in any situation: Behaviour, the urge to eat and sleep and lie. People will lie about anything, for any reason. Is it as imperative as sleep? No... And yes. My working theory, as of now, is that people need to lie in order to maintain their own existence. In order to be happy... or safe.
Lies are something we can tell ourselves as well as others. Cognitive reappraisal is what keeps us from wanting to jump off the roof of tall buildings. We explain away all our problems as not being our fault or their being out of our control. This is a coping mechanism everyone has that keeps us alive.
It all comes down to selfishness in the end though, right?