Miasmic Therapy

An associates councilor gave them the following advice regarding friendships:

"If you use the word 'should' you probably shouldn't."

I think this is good advice, duty and obligation do not the basis of frienship make.

There is shit that eats up my time that I resent, like school assesment, that unfortunately you can't get the education (and qualification) without doing the minimum obligatory amount of assesment (which I still find onerous) but if a friendship or any relationship becomes a drag on your time and energy, betteroff alone.

Another piece of sound therapuitic advice to be plucked out of the air is this excerpt from a book I just read regarding people to avoid. I'm pretty good at avoiding the company of psychopaths and addictive personality types and the other obvious ones but this is worth taking note of as well:

"A group of people to be wary of do not fit any specific category of personality disorder. They do not, in general, seek to manipulate or disadvantage others. They are not necessarily self-absorbed or unkind, and their intentions are usually benign. And yet they are hard to be around for long. They are seldom insightful or reflective, though they may be intelligent and capable of useful work. They tend towards a loquaciousness and are not often good listeners. The quality of their thoughts combined with an irresistable need to communicate them are defining characteristics. They are fools." ~ Gordon Livingston

I am a pretty bad listener, having persisted through most of my life thinking I did listen by observing and remembering, without engaging or asking questions. Or for that matter even acknowledging people. But I try, and I shall endeavor not to be a fool.