Be Healthy Together — The Social Philosophy of “One and a Half Person”

You’re human. You’re not meant to be perfect. However, you’re meant to help others.

It’s okay to have a few harmless, suboptimal coping mechanisms. You don’t have to “fix” them all. Embrace your imperfections, as being a genuine human means being imperfect by nature. If snacking is your go-to during stressful times, indulge occasionally. Life is too short to be overly strict.

Trusting your instincts and accepting your emotions are far more important than striving to be a flawless, emotionless android who always acts optimally (and reflexively quotes Freud).

However, this leniency doesn’t extend to relationships.

Never take it out on others, whether you’re stressed, scared, or mentally exhausted. Mistreating someone is never justified.

If you dodge responsibility for your actions or create narratives to justify them, the harm you cause persists.

That’s why my personal social philosophy is the “One and a Half Person” approach.

It’s quite simple.

Accept yourself, treat yourself gently, and allow for mistakes. When capable, shoulder your emotional burdens while also supporting someone else.

Imagine a society where everyone adheres to this philosophy. Everyone would feel safe knowing that having a bad day means others would catch them, help them recover, and support them as they regain mental health and act with strength and determination.

We’d be surrounded by empathetic individuals ready to support each other through tough times, promoting a sense of collective mental health and shared emotional space.

The One and a Half Person philosophy, in short

Have the strength to carry your own weight in life while also having the capacity to help others when they stumble.

Why is this important?

Amid discussions about individual mental health, we must not forget about our collective well-being. Strength breeds strength, and by treating ourselves with understanding, we can extend this to others.

How to live by the “One and a Half Person” philosophy?

Consider this analogy: if you need $10 and ask for help, someone without money can’t assist. If they only have $10 themselves, they might help you at the cost of their own safety.

But if they have $200, giving you $10 won’t significantly impact them.

Similarly, if your emotional reserves are low, build them up first, then share your surplus with those in need.

This approach creates supportive families and friend groups, not isolated, defensive, fearful, and judgmental “islands.”

We’re stronger as a society.

As social beings, remember our interconnectedness.

Take care of each other and foster safety. Treat one another with gratitude and thoughtfulness. Be assertive and respectful, and set healthy boundaries. Address problems proactively, criticize constructively, and avoid attacking others with malice or threats. Listen actively, give more than you take, and treat remarks kindly. Share laughter, forgive mistakes, and create a comfortable environment.

Let’s be healthy together.

Take care,

a.

This article is part of a broader series focused on emotional self-regulation, cognitive reconstruction, self-determination, and, ultimately, high agency. The entire series draws from the following sources: “Coping with Trauma-Related Dissociation” (Boon, Steele, van der Hart), “Emotion Regulation in Psychotherapy” (Leahy, Tirch, Napolitano), “Why We Sleep” (Walker), “Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain” (Barrett), “Fear of Life” (Lowen), “When the Body Says No” (Maté), “Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me)” (Tavris, Aronson), “Taming Your Outer Child” (Anderson), “Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving” (Walker), “Conquest of Happiness” (Russell), “Meditations” (Marcus Aurelius), “Enchiridion” (Epictetus), “Man’s Search for Meaning” (Frankl), “The Power of Meaning” (Smith), “At the Existentialist Café” (Bakewell), “The Effective Executive” (Drucker), “Only the Paranoid Survive” (Grove), “Sapiens” (Harari), “Escaping the Self Consumes Regulatory Resources” (Vohs, Baumeister), “The Fast Track Intervention’s Impact on Behaviors of Despair in Adolescence and Young Adulthood” (Godwin, Dodge, CPPRG), and more.