Sometimes, A Cigar Is Just A Cigar

Apocryphally, perhaps, it is said that the “father of psychotherapy” Sigmund Freud was lecturing a group of distinguished doctors on unconscious drives, sexual sublimation and childhood traumas and so forth, all the while puffing enthusiastically on a cigar. During the question and answer period that followed, a doctor raised his hand and said: “Sir, you have just been lecturing us on phallic symbols and unconscious sexual metaphors and suggestive behaviors. But the entire time, you’ve been sucking on a stogie, a long brown tube giving you pleasure. Please sir, can you tell us what we are to think of this?”

Freud smiled and puffed, and blew a large cloud of smoke. “Sometimes,” he said, “A cigar is just a cigar.”

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I saw a gentleman say that:

“Steven Barnes likes to phrase this sentiment as “BREATHE!‘ I prefer to say, `Stop Moving Your Own Goal Posts.’”

I applaud the sentiment: changing the definitions of success or evidence can be problematic. You can develop a mind set that never admits you have grown, or never admit you were wrong, depending on how and when and why you “move” them. Why you changed your standards.

THIS IS TRUE.

It is also missing my point entirely.

Just as sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, sometimes when a doctor says “take your medicine” they don’t mean merely to take responsibility for what you do (a good practice if you want to be an adult) or to pay…