Paul Conti

I didn't know the automaticity of the reflex and how pervasive it can be and how it can put blinders on us.

And I mean, it's just one example, but it's an example of something big that happens to people that we don't learn about.

And I find myself sometimes having conversations with a person.

And I can't believe, right, again, I'm saying the things that this person didn't learn in elementary school because like none of us did, right?

And then look at the misery and the suffering.

And then I think this is one person among how many millions among us who, you know, try and go about their way without knowing things that are easily knowable because they don't even know that they're knowable because we don't teach them to ourselves.

Well, it certainly brought me face to face with the truths of life and death.

Because I had not had a major trauma before then, so there wasn't a major trauma sort of in my developmental years.

That what can carry forward is a sort of omnipotence defense, right?

I mean, the thought is that when we're toddlers, we all have like an omnipotence defense, which is like, I can just try and get up and run and move.

And if I run into something, I'll get up and do it again, right?

That we kind of have to...

And it's partly the protection of the parent, et cetera, but we think we can get out there in the world and do things, and we just do.

And if we don't have major traumas, we can sort of carry through the, oh, like, bad things aren't going to happen to me, you know?

Like, I know that they're there, and I know they happen to people, but they don't happen to me, right?

And sometimes what will happen is being confronted with such a tragedy wipes that away very, very quickly, and then the person feels extremely exposed.

Like, oh, I thought...

that I was going to be okay, and now I know that I'm not.

And that can start to lead to, well, what does that mean?

And now, is this all coming for me now?