Recently I watched Serenity, while it is not a new movie it is a new favorite movie of mine. There is a point in the movie that really struck me. Without giving too much away they are looking for 'Miranda'. When they finally find Miranda they realize that "They didn't fall. None of them. They just laid down […] dead for no reason." It struck me for several reasons, a combination of psychological principles and occurrences.
The first is the principle of Flow. It is the idea that people thrive when they experience complete concentration, clarity of goals and rewards and immediate feedback, effortlessness, and ease with a balance between challenge and skills and a feeling of control over tasks. Flow is the right balance of challenge and comfort. It can be found when one is seeking their passions, testing new environments, meeting new individuals who challenge their perceptions. They fail almost as often as they succeed and continue to persevere through bad because they are aware that failure is a learning opportunity. Most of us are able to experience flow, even for short periods in our lives. When we are not experiencing flow, our basics needs for shelter and safety are usually still being met.
When someone is constantly being challenged with no relief, it can physically alter brain chemistry. One occurrence was that if Syrian refugee children suffering from resignation syndrome. A syndrome in which children have given up on life; literally checked out of the world for months or years. It is believed this condition is caused by growing up and feeling from violent environments only to move into new stressful environments with no ability to achieve the basic need of safety. Hopelessness becomes a perpetual state that eventually overwhelms the children to the point of comatose. A real-life sleeping beauty syndrome, only to be awakened by the kiss of safety.
The scene in this movie struck me because it showed the long-term effect of stagnation from too much comfort. They "stopped fighting but also stopped going to work, stopped eating, and even breathing." Even under 'pleasurable' circumstances, having no drive or challenge will ultimately lead one to give up or resign on life. Things may be difficult but they need to be to challenge us and force us to step out of our comfort zone and grow. However, we need to able to some control in this growth. To be able to say "when" if things become too much but also when things become too easy. When things are good we should appreciate the ease and comfort of those times but we should be prepared for challenges and continue to seek out own challenges.
Finding our Flow is the key to mental well-being, even happiness. If we are unable to find our flow, maybe it is because we are not reaching out and connecting with others, maybe it is because we need a change in environment. Have you been trying the same things for years? What is something new you can try to challenge your skills? Is there someone you know struggling to find their flow? Can you reach out and help them find it?
Additionial Links:
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/03/30/521958505/only-in-sweden-hundreds-of-refugee-children-gave-up-on-life
https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-father-of-flow/