Intensity is Addictive

From the Granny Jones Australian Tarot, Temperance; from the Button Oracle, Flowers:

...people are increasingly seduced into believing that intensity equals being alive. When that happens, the mind becomes wired for drama and the soul is starved of meaningful purpose. 

—Dr. Keith Lee 

          Our society has produced a population that believes mental stability is boring or unnatural; these people are convinced they thrive on the over-stimulation that stressful or dangerous situations can bring. Then there are those who grew up in dysfunctional households or who were exposed to ongoing threats (such as soldiers); their  bodies and minds learned to survive by constantly expecting danger. When the danger is eventually removed, the calm feels so unfamiliar that it produces anxiety. Emotional drama and chaos become a way to reduce that feeling (much like an addict or alcoholic depends on substances). Yet any medical doctor will tell us that continually immersing ourselves in a pool of stress hormones is detrimental to our well-being. The Flowers button is a symbol of transience, the passing away of things, even our feelings and moods. Tools such as meditation and cognitive behavioral therapy can help us become aware of and retrain our bodies and minds. We can learn that sitting in that uncomfortable feeling won't hurt us and will eventually fade away.