Are You Happy Yet? UP and DOWN metaphors

Are You Happy Yet? 

UP and DOWN metaphors

It’s common knowledge that news sources thrive on negative news. Afterall, we are hardwired to respond to threats as a matter of survival. Unfortunately, a torrent of bad news can produce sadness or even depression.

Depression as a word fits the up-down metaphor as if our brains had a vertical structure for moods where up is good and down is bad. In banter with my cousin Stan (RIP) his response to “how are ya” was “still above ground.” On leaving, I’d say “I’m going underground” as he delivered me to my London tube station.

Religious folks use up and down metaphors for heaven and hell, which I always thought was funny for those DOWN under (Aussies).

When things are DOWN, we often characterize them as LOWER, CUT, NOT WORKING, BROKEN, AT THE BOTTOM, and ON THE GROUND. When people in important positions leave, they STEPDOWN. And naysayers warn the arrogant that they should watch out for a FALL.

If you consume news, check out the DOWNPOUR in recent days.

Back to the news. 

The financial markets are DOWN this day, month, and year. Lately, many retirement accounts are LOWER. The newsies report stocks SLIDE because of SLOWDOWN worries.

The US budget is being CUT DOWN as quickly as possible. 2

The US Congress is trying to avoid a SHUTDOWN, which may result in LOWER voter support. The DEADLINE is Friday. 3.

The US government staffing numbers are DOWN due to layoffs, which can obviously be depressing. 4

A picture in today’s news showed an empty space at Toronto airport where young tourists usually queue for trips to the US. Air travel is DOWN as a result of the trade wars. 5

Around the world, soldiers and civilians reach the ultimate DOWN as for example recent deaths in Syria and Ukraine reveal. 6, 7

Pathways to happiness

Many of the depressing events in the news are horribly sad for those personally affected by the reported events. The pain of loss when loved ones die can persist for years. Financial ruin with or without job loss can be very difficult to overcome. In such cases, family, friends, communities are vital to recovery. And often, professional healthcare providers are needed.

But for those who are not in the direct line of fire, to avoid the subtle and not so subtle mood-destroying stimuli, we’ll need to take control of our news diet. Some ideas for changing to an UPBEAT LIFE-GIVING WELL of BUBBLY.

INCREASING intake of positive news stories.

Listening to UPBEAT music.

Reading UPLIFTING essays and stories.

INCREASING time with positive people.

INCREASING walking and other types of exercise

INCREASING expressions of gratitude

INCREASING giving time or resources to others when possible

INCREASING expressions of care for others. A call or text or visit can make someone’s day.

INCREASING the consumption of laughter

INCREASING eating well

INCREASING sleep if needed

INCREASING stable recessionary-resistant investments less susceptible to market swings like CDs if possible and with professional advice as needed.

Avoiding news media broadcasts where we have no control over broadcast selected stories.

Avoiding negative talk shows.

Blocking negative news stories in social media feeds.

Blocking DOWNBEAT feeds in social media.

Controlling Metaphors

It takes some effort to recognize metaphors and the influence they have on how we frame life.

For example, marketplace selloffs are opportunities to buy quality investments at good prices for those who understand markets.

Recognizing the DOWN words and related concepts can help us control persistent negativity by blocking, turning off, or avoiding such stimuli as may be reasonably possible.

It takes some practice. And sometimes a psychotherapist can help reframe life events. Decades ago, I learned to pay attention as patients revealed the narratives linked to anxiety, depression, and other distressing ills.

When you catch on to the UP - DOWN metaphors, try thinking of other confining metaphors like TIME = MONEY and ARGUMENTS = WAR.

References

2. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/06/gop-budget-medicare-medicaid-cuts

3. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/congress-races-avert-government-shutdown-friday-deadline-rcna195312

4. https://www.delawareonline.com/story/money/business/2016/01/04/dupont-workers-learning-their-fate-today/78255924/

5. https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=122177874464270823&id=61558124703468

6. https://apnews.com/article/syria-alawites-sectarian-killings-coast-assad-hts-610cdee1d5762d3ecb75c700fb7cf5f2

7. https://abcnews.go.com/International/deadly-russian-attack-overnight-ukraine-kills-11-injure/story?id=119583522

Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

 

See Geoffrey Sutton’s books on   AMAZON       or  GOOGLE STORE

Follow on    FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton    

   X  @Geoff.W.Sutton    

You can read many published articles at no charge:

  Academia   Geoff W Sutton     ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton 

 

Dr. Sutton’s posts are for educational purposes only. See a licensed mental health provider for diagnoses, treatment, and consultation. 

How do you interpret the news?

George Washington Out of Context, 2025
Geoffrey Sutton and Artspace.ai

How Do You Interpret the News?

How Do We Put Today's News in Context?

When asked what something means, we usually respond based on our context, which involves an interaction between ourselves, other people, and our location. By location I mean our geographic place and our historical timeframe.

For example, the words ‘Civil War’ evoke different associations if heard in England or the USA, or through media from different nations. These two events occurred some 200 years apart.

There is a connection. President George Washington’s great-grandfather John Washington was a royalist who supported King Charles I against Parliament. Thus, context is not just about spatial location but also time. President Washington and the Continental Congress likely considered the issues of the Civil War (the English one).

When significant changes occur in a nation, as reported in the news today, we try to put them into context. Unfortunately, we all have different contexts, with various associations tagged with positive or negative emotions or a mix. Often, we respond to images, names, and words without much thought (system 1 thinking). It takes effort to examine a matter carefully before deciding how to respond (system 2 thinking).

*****

Each day, those who read social media posts and news are exposed to contexts linked to different perspectives on history.

Those of us who have lived several decades may well have different opinions when it comes to associations with specific people and concepts that have not crossed the news feeds of younger citizens. 

Context is our current situation and our view of events in that context is influenced by our ever-changing worldview.

Suggestions

On matters of great importance, invest time to think carefully about what a proposed policy or law might mean for us and others. How does it fit in our context like the US Constitution or our local laws?

Religious people might consider their core values and ponder how those fit with a proposed policy or law. What does it mean to have religious freedom?

How does your context influence your views of some classic virtues?

If you value loyalty, are their conditions when you would end that loyalty?

If you value respect for authority, under what conditions would you act to replace that authority with another?

If you value equality, how do you intend to deal with factors placing people in unequal situations such as differences in family wealth, access to high paying employment, ability to perform exceptionally well in various venues like music and sports, or other endeavors where inequality is present?

If you value fairness, then explain what you mean by fairness? 

If you value freedom, then how free are you willing to let someone else live without imposing your values on them?

*****

Here are a few people and concepts that may trigger quick, automatic emotional associations for some Americans. Factors like age, ethnicity, religion, political ideologies are likely to contextualize a response. A "blank expression" may be the response of those lacking a stored context. Others may have a context "injected" by friends or relatives.

Communism

Feminism

Racism

Russia

Hydrogen Bomb

Korea

Vietnam

Richard Nixon

Bill Clinton

Birmingham, Alabama

Little Rock, Arkansas

Freedom of speech

Freedom of the press

Freedom of Religion

China

Constitutional, Unconstitutional

Ukraine

Christian

Muslim

Atheist

9/11

You get the idea.

Resources

Mt Vernon - History

Thinking Dual Process

Thinking, Fast and Slow

Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

 

See Geoffrey Sutton’s books on   AMAZON       or  GOOGLE STORE

Follow on    FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton    

   X  @Geoff.W.Sutton    

You can read many published articles at no charge:

  Academia   Geoff W Sutton     ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton 

 

Dr. Sutton’s posts are for educational purposes only. See a licensed mental health provider for diagnoses, treatment, and consultation. 

IVF 2025 - Who Has the Right to Control Reproduction?

Reproduction

IVF 2025

Who Has the Right to Control Reproduction?

A New Order Stimulates Ethical Discussions

The expensive IVF (in vitro fertilization) procedure made news as the president issued an order that could increase the availability and lower the cost. Some have expressed concern over the declining birthrates in the US. As lawmakers and courts make decisions about human reproduction, the question remains: Who controls women’s bodies?

https://amzn.to/3XG5Kmr

https://www.axios.com/2025/02/19/trump-ivf-order-birth-rate-costs

*****

Not all of the politicians are on board with IVF. 

Why would anyone oppose the procedure that gives hope to so many?

It is well-known that substantial numbers of evangelical Christians supported the president in his campaign during the last election (Pew 2024) and vote for  Republican party politicians but, in some Conservative Christian worldviews, human life begins when a human egg is fertilized. Currently, the IVF procedure creates more fertilized eggs than are used. Those eggs may be discarded, which means killing people—a violation of the Ten Commandments and the prolife stance common to American evangelical Christians.

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/09/09/white-protestants-and-catholics-support-trump-but-voters-in-other-us-religious-groups-prefer-harris/

https://www.christianitytoday.com/2024/01/ivf-pro-life-ethics-christian-fertility-treatments-embryos/

https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2024/the-alabama-supreme-courts-ruling-on-frozen-embryos

*****

Roman Catholics, the world’s largest group of Christians, also officially oppose IVF on several grounds.

The Catholic Church opposes in vitro fertilization (IVF) based on the following theological and ethical arguments: [1] 

1. Respect for Human Life: The Church teaches that human life begins at conception. IVF involves creating multiple embryos in a laboratory, some of which may be discarded or frozen. This is considered a violation of the dignity and sanctity of human life. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] 

2. Unitive and Procreative Meaning of Marriage: The Church views marriage as a union between a man and a woman that is ordered towards procreation. IVF separates the unitive and procreative aspects of marriage by artificially conceiving a child outside of the marital act. [2, 6, 7, 8, 9] 

3. Natural Law: The Church upholds the principle of natural law, which dictates that human actions should conform to the inherent order of creation. IVF is seen as an unnatural intervention into the reproductive process. [10, 11, 12, 13] 

4. Ethical Concerns about Embryo Manipulation: The Church raises ethical concerns about the potential for manipulation and experimentation with embryos created through IVF. [14] 

5. Alternative Options: The Church encourages couples experiencing infertility to explore natural methods of conception and adoption as ethical alternatives to IVF. [15] 

[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15820035/

[2] https://theconversation.com/pope-francis-called-surrogacy-deplorable-but-the-reasons-why-women-and-parents-choose-surrogacy-are-complex-and-defy-simple-labels-220761

[3] https://dphx.org/respect-life/know-the-issues/in-vitro-fertilization/

[4] https://archphila.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IVF-Session-Scientific-Facts-and-Ethical-Concerns-Regarding-IVF_-1.pdf

[5] https://epublications.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3717&context=lnq

[6] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3086456/

[7] https://www.hli.org/resources/responding-to-same-sex-attraction-as-catholic-parent/

[8] https://dwc.org/03-11-24-catholic-teaching-on-in-vitro-fertilization-ivf/

[9] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_response_to_assisted_reproductive_technology

[10] https://www.hli.org/resources/love-and-fertility/

[11] https://www3.nd.edu/~afreddos/courses/264/contraception-whynot.htm

[12] https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/family/documents/rc_pc_family_doc_01021997_rio-themes_en.html

[13] https://crystaivf.com/blogs/what-problems-does-the-catholic-church-have-with-ivf/

[14] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467-9809.12878

[15] https://ivfturkey.com/can-catholics-undergo-ivf-exploring-the-catholic-churchs-teachings-on-fertility/

[18] https://lutheransforlife.org/article/is-in-vitro-fertilization-ethical/

IVF is one part of the larger topic of who has the right to control a woman’s body and the even larger question, who has the right to control human reproduction?

https://amzn.to/3XG5Kmr

Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

 

See Geoffrey Sutton’s books on   AMAZON       or  GOOGLE STORE

Follow on    FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton    

THREADS 

BLUESKY. @geoffwsutton.bsky.social

   X  @Geoff.W.Sutton    

You can read many published articles at no charge:

  Academia   Geoff W Sutton     ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton 

 

Dr. Sutton’s posts are for educational purposes only. See a licensed mental health provider for diagnoses, treatment, and consultation.