Percy, Pooch, and Anxiety

[libertango]

In that Ishida way, Sinfest has been doing a set of comic strips about the cat Percy bustin' outta da house, leaving Pooch the pooch behind.

So we see Percy's decision, and the departure. There are other things going on, too... Ishida hardly ever lets a Percy & Pooch storyline go on uninterrupted. So a while later, we see Pooch's immediate reaction, then Pooch breaking the news to Ishida his-own-self.

Percy comes back, eventually -- with as much 'tude as ever.

But I really identify with the dog.

As usual.

Which brings us to today's reading, from Martin E. P. Seligman's book, Authentic Happiness. Take it away, Marty:

"Which of these three descriptions come the closest to capturing the most important romantic relationship you have had?

1. I find it relatively easy to get close to others, and am comfortable depending on them and having them depend on me. I don't often worry about being abandoned, or about someone getting too close to me.

2. I am somewhat uncomfortable being close to others. I find it difficult to trust them completely, to allow myself to depend on them. I am nervous when someone gets too close, and often love partners want me to be more intimate than I am comfortable being.

3. I find that others are reluctant to get as close as I would like. I often worry that my partner doesn't really love me or won't want to stay with me. I want to merge completely with another person, and this desire sometimes scares people away.

These capture three styles of loving and being loved in adults, and there is good evidence that they have their origins in early childhood. If you have romantic relations that meet the first description, they are called secure; the second avoidant; and the third anxious."

Me?

I wouldn't go so far as to use the word, "merge", but...

I identify with the dog.

Comments

Sam, the worlds ugliest dog just croaked

[rosetta--stone.livejournal.com]

The urge to merge is a human entitlemeant
but bestiality mite be CONsidered going tutu FaR (http://www.livejournal.com/~laruoccobot/info)

[photosprout.livejournal.com]

Interesting that the description for #2 includes the word "nervous," but it's #3 that is named "anxious."

The whole thing is about trust. I've written and deleted a bunch of stuff because right now I don't trust mySELF not to spout gibberish in my sleep starved state. But I wanted to say that there is hope for both dogs and cats to mellow out.

[m-cobweb.livejournal.com]

One reason I'm poly is #3. Dividing my attention moderates my tendencies to merge to a manageable degree.

[singingnettle.livejournal.com]

Yeah, me too.