Intellectualization is a psychology concept where thinking is used to avoid feeling. A psychologist will read books but from the “intellectual mind” and consume the info without applying it emotionally. They absorb the knowledge with their head, not their heart. And whilst that is great for their clients, the person who suffers is the psychologist cause they are the one who isn’t benefitting from their own knowledge.
This has started happening in body positivity. People read a caption + look for the flaws, whether they agree and whether this aligns with their body positivity but don’t sit with it long enough to impact you. This is important because the emotional side is how the change happens. The intellectual side is me repeating “love yourself”. The emotional side is me showing you the HOW.
Most people are drawn to body positivity due to trauma that is related to their body. In order for you to heal that, you need the info to resonate at an emotional level. Intellectualising it is a defence mechanism to prevent that from occurring. It happens as a result of the ego wanting to be in the “one-up” position where they can prove their intellect.
Before a caption hits your brain, let it hit your heart and soul. This is why I cry writing my captions. I cry when I do my self care + self love + when I connect with my inner child. It’s why I cried when reading @bodyposipanda ‘s book because I was processing some trauma in my love life at the time, and I was reading it as a “consumer” of body positivity, not as a life coach. No matter how much I know, I never stop learning. No matter how long I’m in this, I do my best to not become numb to it. There are too many people declaring themselves an expert, yet refusing to listen.
Education is a privilege, but learning is not.
YOU CAN LEARN FROM ANYONE.
So be critical of what you are consuming but don’t ever become numb to it.
And never feel like being smart requires a certain look, qualification or degree to deserve that label.
You don’t need to prove your smarts.
#ScarredNotScared