YES!!! Dancing has been a huge part of many cultures in the world since time immemorial. For every occasion and emotion! My pet hypothesis is that it particularly fell out of favor in the west (as a purposeful practice) because of Christian influence and the mind-body split. Some peoples even dance in funerals as an expression of grief.
It’s coming back a bit now but though it’s slightly hindered by the associations with new ageism etc. but I really wish people didn’t let that stop them from trying it. It does have clear benefits. You can use any kind of music. You don’t have to know how to dance. Just move the body with whatever music you like.
I dance at least a little every day, even if I don’t feel like it. And I very purposefully dance to aggressive music when I’m angry because I have a temper, and I don’t want it get the better of me. It has worked really well.
Edit: Not to devalue talking about your feelings at all btw. But a lot of people struggle with intellectualizing their emotions to the point they can’t connect to them at all in their body. You need a balance.
Dance is like religion or sexual orientation: You can force it to some extent, but you gotta be pre-wired for it. Not everyone wants it as much or the same way. Sure, some enjoy it, and even profit from showing themselves off socially and getting that attention, but it shouldn’t be always required or shamed.
You’re thinking of the social-sexual interaction with dancing. People here are talking about dancing as pure expression, an extension of your inner feeling with movement. Your comment comes off a little red-pilly incelish.
Yes, that was part of the argument, but not the core part, sorry if that was distracting. Social-sexual interaction really clouds all the preassociations people have with dance and layers in a shame element. Dance as a proxy/secondary sexual fitness characteristic creates a false conditional associated with its absence.
I should have emphasized more that even when performed in isolation, dance won’t necessarily tap emotional pathways that aren’t pre-wired or preconditioned. Proprioceptive sensitivity, exertion (endorphin sensitivity), even aerobic fitness will have a large effect on efficacy of this proposed emotional regulatory effect, and those are largely genetically pre-determined. Some people just won’t benefit much from it and shouldn’t be shamed if it doesn’t “fix them”, as if they aren’t in touch with themselves or “close minded”. Maybe being jaded by stuff like this is making me sound “red-pilly”. I’ll have to be more careful, thanks for that.
There have been lots of pop psychology “cures” like these. “Scream Therapy” comes to mind from the eighties. Varied success, really depending on the individual.
All that to say: If it works for you, great. But don’t make people do it and then shame them when they aren’t magically fixed. (I know that’s not what you, particularly, are saying)
Which part? That people can be different? I know religion and sexuality can be triggering, so there’s some risk drawing parallels there, granted. Maybe a less controversial comparison might be “an ear for music” or a “sense of direction”? Something with a both nature and nurture components.
Of course people are different, don’t be like that man. “Ear for music” is better, but I think it’s pretty dang innate and more like breathing. Not talking about learning choreography, just moving your body. Like the guy you’re replying to said
YES!!! Dancing has been a huge part of many cultures in the world since time immemorial. For every occasion and emotion! My pet hypothesis is that it particularly fell out of favor in the west (as a purposeful practice) because of Christian influence and the mind-body split. Some peoples even dance in funerals as an expression of grief.
It’s coming back a bit now but though it’s slightly hindered by the associations with new ageism etc. but I really wish people didn’t let that stop them from trying it. It does have clear benefits. You can use any kind of music. You don’t have to know how to dance. Just move the body with whatever music you like.
I dance at least a little every day, even if I don’t feel like it. And I very purposefully dance to aggressive music when I’m angry because I have a temper, and I don’t want it get the better of me. It has worked really well.
Edit: Not to devalue talking about your feelings at all btw. But a lot of people struggle with intellectualizing their emotions to the point they can’t connect to them at all in their body. You need a balance.
Dance is like religion or sexual orientation: You can force it to some extent, but you gotta be pre-wired for it. Not everyone wants it as much or the same way. Sure, some enjoy it, and even profit from showing themselves off socially and getting that attention, but it shouldn’t be always required or shamed.
You’re thinking of the social-sexual interaction with dancing. People here are talking about dancing as pure expression, an extension of your inner feeling with movement. Your comment comes off a little red-pilly incelish.
Yes, that was part of the argument, but not the core part, sorry if that was distracting. Social-sexual interaction really clouds all the preassociations people have with dance and layers in a shame element. Dance as a proxy/secondary sexual fitness characteristic creates a false conditional associated with its absence.
I should have emphasized more that even when performed in isolation, dance won’t necessarily tap emotional pathways that aren’t pre-wired or preconditioned. Proprioceptive sensitivity, exertion (endorphin sensitivity), even aerobic fitness will have a large effect on efficacy of this proposed emotional regulatory effect, and those are largely genetically pre-determined. Some people just won’t benefit much from it and shouldn’t be shamed if it doesn’t “fix them”, as if they aren’t in touch with themselves or “close minded”. Maybe being jaded by stuff like this is making me sound “red-pilly”. I’ll have to be more careful, thanks for that. There have been lots of pop psychology “cures” like these. “Scream Therapy” comes to mind from the eighties. Varied success, really depending on the individual.
All that to say: If it works for you, great. But don’t make people do it and then shame them when they aren’t magically fixed. (I know that’s not what you, particularly, are saying)
Strongly disagree
Which part? That people can be different? I know religion and sexuality can be triggering, so there’s some risk drawing parallels there, granted. Maybe a less controversial comparison might be “an ear for music” or a “sense of direction”? Something with a both nature and nurture components.
Of course people are different, don’t be like that man. “Ear for music” is better, but I think it’s pretty dang innate and more like breathing. Not talking about learning choreography, just moving your body. Like the guy you’re replying to said