this post was submitted on 12 Oct 2025
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I'm trying to understand the concept of doing things with purpose, and looking at things in term of what their purpose is. Any ex of how you do things with purpose and examine the purpose of things? (hexbear.net)
submitted 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) by HexaSnoot@hexbear.net to c/askchapo@hexbear.net
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Btw, this is really helping to reduce my PTSD symptoms. bear For example I'm seeing rules abusive people in my past have tried to set for me to follow. (Never confront them or theyll victimize you far worse, never resist their orders, always stay quiet about what theyre doing to you, etc...) Instead of getting hung up on those rules and my opinions on them, just see the the purpose of the rules. (The purpose of the rules in this case is for them to tightly control and victimize someone that will never leave or expose them. That is the whole story and you don't need to storytell any further if you catch yourself flashing back.) If the purpose of their rules and your values don't line up, drop them immediately.

Plenty of rules out there dont line up with our values, and not just abuse-related things. I'm new to examining things this way, and trying to widen my scope. What purpose do you feel you have as you do/look at things?

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[–] built_on_hope@hexbear.net 10 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I studied law and became a lawyer for a bit and let me tell you. Nothing disillusions you from rules-based morality faster than that lol

I think it helps to realise that all rules are fallible. They were all made up by humans, who are muddling along, who have vested interests, who make mistakes. No human is inherently born above or better than any other human. You have the same status in the universe as the rule-maker.

It can be tiring to always question everything, but after a while it gets easier to spot the patterns. ‘What does this rule actually achieve in material terms, regardless of its stated intentions?’ is a good place to start.

[–] HexaSnoot@hexbear.net 5 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

I thought about it... Rules make up a game. When you dismiss very unserious rules, you dismiss the very unserious people that set them. Inheritly you dismiss the game they're asking you to play.

In terms of PTSD flashbacks, you can shut down multiple responses to triggers at once because the mind is literally refusing game-mode. At least partially, but when you have PTSD relief can mean a big difference. Spotting the patterns between different people who mistreat me feels like less of a submergence in pain this way.

[–] built_on_hope@hexbear.net 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

That makes sense. I use this weird visualisation technique for PTSD, where I imagine the scene as a movie set and everything in it is a cardboard cutout, and I just walk off the set and see that it's all fake

[–] HexaSnoot@hexbear.net 2 points 2 months ago

That stops my last best visualization, which was reminding myself it's all a puppetshow. Your visual is completely static, still, and lifeless, and I think I like it better.

[–] hellinkilla@hexbear.net 6 points 2 months ago (1 children)

The purpose of a system is what it does?

[–] hello_hello@hexbear.net 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I hit everyone with a

Marxist theory helps a lot with mental health since you can actually evaluate your thoughts through dialectical materialism.

[–] HexaSnoot@hexbear.net 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

The "maintains and shapes + shapes and maintains" part is confusing me. I think it's just saying the step from one to another can go both ways, right?

[–] hello_hello@hexbear.net 1 points 2 months ago

It describes the relation between the two as generally reciprocal, but the material base is the dominant in that it more often shapes the superstructure than vice versa.

The rules and values are just a result of material conditions and class relations. Morality is a product of material forces and is not static.

[–] robot_dog_with_gun@hexbear.net 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

first part seems kinda newagey and meaningless. the rest of it is just "what is this for and what does it do? you've got a decent start there.

[–] HexaSnoot@hexbear.net 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

What seems new agey and meaningless? How does it seem that way?

Edit: Thanks. I can see a lot of things in terms of rules, so that's why I'm focusing on that. But learning beyond rules would also be amazing.

[–] robot_dog_with_gun@hexbear.net 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

specifically "doing things with purpose" sounds like some guru shit that doesn't actually mean anything but seems profound if you don't think about it very hard.

"the purpose-driven life" is a rightwing religious book thing and self-help kinda stuff is frequently downstream of reactionary christian stuff so you gotta be wary..

[–] HexaSnoot@hexbear.net 6 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

specifically "doing things with purpose" sounds like some guru shit that doesn't actually mean anything but seems profound if you don't think about it very hard.

Just because theres a hippy to right-wing pipeline, and gurus base things off a concept, it doesn't mean the concept is entirely reduced to not really meaning anything. Cult leaders start out with actual shit all the time and steer it into bullshit.

I think you're thinking about it too hard. I'm talking about doing things with my own purpose in mind, and not reacting to the fear of other people's reactions.

Thanks for the warning I won't be reading that.