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Episode 2795:

Elana Miller reflects with clarity and candor on what a life-threatening illness taught her about the human impulse to help, sometimes sincerely, other times selfishly. Through the lens of her cancer journey and psychiatric training, she exposes the subtle ways people mask discomfort, ego, and fear as generosity, offering a powerful lesson in authentic empathy and presence.

Read along with the original article(s) here: https://zenpsychiatry.com/on-human-nature/

Quotes to ponder:

"The truest kind of generosity, which is offered with no concern for the ego of the person doing the offering, and total love for the person to whom they are offering something, is touching, and beautiful, and rare."

"Everything happens for a reason" or, even worse, "God only gives us what we can carry,"

"Perhaps there isn’t a greater force in the universe ensuring that bad things only happen to people who deserve them. Perhaps life isn’t fair."

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2795: [Part 1] On Human Nature by Elana Miller of Zen Psychiatry on Life Perspective