Part 6/9:

Individuals lack the capacity to keep their mental spaces organized entirely on their own; sharing the burden of social structure is a testament to human intelligence. When people fall out of regular social interactions—due to circumstances such as isolation or disconnection—they often drift toward chaos.

Constructing Intentions through Progress

To illustrate the importance of goals and structured routines, consider the example of a man, age 35, living in disarray at his mother’s home. This scenario highlights the conflict between intention and achievement. His therapist prompted him to clean his room—a metaphorical first step toward taking responsibility. Yet, when faced with the task, he found himself overwhelmed by thwarted intentions, illustrating the difficulty in initiating change.