Ja. Most processes, and especially biological and psychological ones, are not linear. They are more or less cyclical. Or at least they have feedback loops. This is where a lot of people get it wrong. They think that since mood is largely determined by brain chemistry, that that chemistry is a persons emotional destiny. But that very brain chemistry is also in turn affected by emotions. So changing them to change the biochemistry is a valid technique. There is nothing "airy fairy" or mystical about it. It's just as logical to say "positive thinking" will improve your mood as it is to say prozac will.
I never really used to have this outlook, If anything I used to think most processes were almost entirely linear. But over the years ordinary experience and observation has got me to almost the opposite end. It's easy to see how other people determine their own emotional and physical lives every step of the way. How sometimes they are in a destructive spiral and sometimes in an uplifting one. And how this is in large part, hell, actually entirely due to their own actions and outlook. Seeing this in oneself is a different matter. Actually honestly assessing oneself and really fully taking responsibility for your emotions and circumstances is pretty much near the pinnacle of human development. You now, the bit about "know thyself". Reached so infrequently you may as well say it never is.
Anyway, coming back to the OP's point: We all stand on the shoulders of giants. There's actually a good TED talk (I think by Mat Ridley) about how no single person in the world actually knows how to make... pretty much anything at all. The example he used was a computer mouse. There's a whole host of knowledge required and legions of people needed to construct even the simplest modern object. So we can all be thankful to the creative and productive people and forces in the world who make modernity and this life of ours possible.
I never really used to have this outlook, If anything I used to think most processes were almost entirely linear. But over the years ordinary experience and observation has got me to almost the opposite end. It's easy to see how other people determine their own emotional and physical lives every step of the way. How sometimes they are in a destructive spiral and sometimes in an uplifting one. And how this is in large part, hell, actually entirely due to their own actions and outlook. Seeing this in oneself is a different matter. Actually honestly assessing oneself and really fully taking responsibility for your emotions and circumstances is pretty much near the pinnacle of human development. You now, the bit about "know thyself". Reached so infrequently you may as well say it never is.
Anyway, coming back to the OP's point: We all stand on the shoulders of giants. There's actually a good TED talk (I think by Mat Ridley) about how no single person in the world actually knows how to make... pretty much anything at all. The example he used was a computer mouse. There's a whole host of knowledge required and legions of people needed to construct even the simplest modern object. So we can all be thankful to the creative and productive people and forces in the world who make modernity and this life of ours possible.