These questions are raised by an article I read called "Diagnosing and Treating the Ophelia Syndrome" by Thomas G. Plummer.
Ophelia Syndrome is when a person is "chronically ignorant, chronically dependent, and chronically submissive." They are not able to think independently and just allow all of their thoughts and actions be dictated by what others tell them to think and do. The author lists several treatments for this:
Treatment 1: Seek Out and Learn From Great Teachers, Regardless of What They Teach
Treatment 2: Dare To Know and Trust Yourself
Treatment 3: Learn to Live With Uncertainty
Treatment 4: Practice Thinking from Different Points of View
Treatment 5: Foster Idle Thinking
Treatment 6: Plan to Step Out of Bounds
As I read this article, I decided that I should try these points. Although I consider myself somewhat of an independent thinker, I also find myself dwelling too much on my progress, my grades, my achievements, etc. This is something that was not a part of my personality by any means for quite some time, and I think I developed it when I started doing poorly in school. When I adopted my newfound anxiousness, I think it came hand in hand with a need for approval by my professors and peers, to make sure my efforts weren't going unnoticed. However, as I sought approval, I became more and more submissive and less and less of an independent thinker. I feel as if this is where I am now: too worried about picking up the slack I let out in past schooling, and side stepping from the independent thinker I once was.
So after coming to this conclusion, and after reading this article, I decided that a happy medium between where I was and where I am now is in great need of being found. These treatments are things that will be important for me to adopt into my own educational and personal repertoire, so I can better separate myself from my life and dependence here, and better rely on my own thinking and conclusions drawn while abroad. These conclusions that will be drawn will need to come from me and my own work, not from what I think will get me an A or do the job perfectly.
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ReplyDeleteYou know, Julia, I was just scanning some of our classmates blogs and I found that everyone agreed with the Ophelia Syndrome article. I still am not sold on the idea. But, ironically, I realized that by being skeptical about the merit of this article I am actually doing many of the things the author suggests--I am trusting myself with this opinion, living with the uncertainty, and essentially thinking independently of my classmates, despite both my professor and the author of the text establishing its legitimacy. Isn't that funny? I am going against the grain but, at the same time, going right along with it.
I think a lot of my attitude has to do with my perfectionist/overachieving nature. I do not use the terms perfectionist and overachieving as a compliment to myself. This morning I took a final, had an emotional breakdown, cancelled my trips to London and Paris, decided I should probably change my major, and slipped into a depression because I feel like a failure. There are plenty of negative aspects of overachieving. Whatever it does to me, I am a perfectionist when it comes to schoolwork, and that always involves giving the professor what he or she wants. Does this mean I cannot think independently? Are the concepts mutually exclusive? Perhaps, but I think there is at least a possibility that students can give the professor exactly what he wants without giving up their individuality.
I think this is one of the best readings we have in our class, no matter how it made you respond, it got us all thinking. Great synopsis. Any one in particular you are wanting to strengthen more? I think that I struggle the most with Treatment 6.
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