22 Comments

It's bit strange - human beings crave both routine familiarity and novelty - too much or too little of either or both creates dysfunctional behaviour.

Of course there's fact that we're capable of interpreting experiences in a highly subjective fashion. Which is to say Anomie can be managed.

Some argue in favour of chemical therapy, some cognitive-behavioural therapy, some favour philosophical training. Also hobbies can contribute - withdrawing for a time to an ordered personal space can help manage the issues.

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Good point, David. We like routine and then to break out of that routine. Such a hard line to walk sometimes.

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Yes, for many the pandemic was a form of forced anomie, and after reading your post, I also think anomie is why most initially do not enjoy retirement -the freedom of having nothing to do, lacks normality.

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Oh, good point! I definitely think part of the frustration and terror of the pandemic was not being able to know what we were supposed to do. I haven't reached retirement yet, but imagine it is a similar dynamic. My husband's like 3 weeks away from retirement, so we'll see how he does. The nice thing is that as an academic, I get to practice retirement every year during the summer.

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I thrived during shelter in place, actually I literally flourished and it surprises me that many felt the anomie as extensively as they did. For me it was an introverts dream come true: unlimited opportunity to entertain my thoughts. And I’m not at retirement either, but I mentally practice each day… 😏

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Mar 25Liked by Robyn Ryle

I also thrived in the isolation days!

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It was great, and thanks for understanding because I’ve not met another soul who felt the same

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I certainly didn't mind not having to do all the things I didn't want to be doing anyway. But I did miss people, which made me realize I'm not quite as introverted as I thought I was. Yes, I like to be alone for long periods of time, but they need to be broken up by some socializing.

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Yes to all this. I've always thought it was both hilarious and a bit disturbing how kids pick their seats in the classroom and never, ever change. For that matter, we ALL do it. Maybe it's just that it's one thing we don't have to think about.

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Picking my own seat never seemed to work out for me on long international flights, especially in first class. Apparently there is some space-time continuum tear in anomie when it comes to first class upgrades.

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Ha, ha.

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My favorite moments are when they do change and there so much drama. Just this semester, one kid who always sits at a two-top next to his buddy suddenly moved and you can feel the tension in the room. Like, what is this about?

It's totally easier not to have to think about where we sit. Some students have more than one class in the same room and if their regular seats for those two classes are different, they're so confused.

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I don’t know what to do unless my wife tells me. I guess that means I’m risk averse.

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My husband says being told what to do is very relaxing....most of the time.

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Mar 25Liked by Robyn Ryle

I am a creature of habit. My morning routine is almost always the same everyday. I’m wondering if that is evidence of anomie. I used to tease My dad about having the same breakfast every day. And now I do it. Is it because I think I should or because ‘that’s how it’s done?)

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I love morning routines. I think they reduce your cognitive load. I hate having to decide what to have for breakfast. I have a bagel every morning. Do the same thing almost every morning. There's too many other things in life to figure out.

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We humans are so truly weird!

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Yes, I can't help but think that this whole consciousness thing isn't the peak of evolution but mostly a very bad mistake Nature made.

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Mar 25Liked by Robyn Ryle

I have seen the same dynamic of self-assigned seats in church. We can all tolerate a certain amount of uncertainty and a certain amount of change, but even the smallest change, if it puts us over our limit, catapults us into survival mode where we stop thinking rationally and are more likely to do something dumb. In my experience, if students are educated about how to recognize that they are in survival mode, what their typical reactions are, and how to shift back out of survival, they can--often with only a little support--pull themselves out of their ineffective behavior. This can happen at a very young age and the results of learning this early helps them cope in all kinds of difficult situations.

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Yes, church is another place where I imagine you see the same thing. Thanks for the insights, Sue!

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"I never did assigned seating" How about at home? I get the laz-i-boy. The only power I have : )

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Wow, yes, assigned seating at home is serious stuff. The other day I just casually sat in a different chair for dinner and it was revolutionary!

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