The Power of Dissipative Structures

In a threatening situation it is natural to mobilize psychic energy, draw
it inward, and use it as a defense against the threat. But this innate reaction
more often than not compromises the ability to cope. It exacerbates the
experience of inner turmoil, reduces the flexibility of response, and, perhaps
worse than anything else, it isolates a person from the rest of the world,
leaving him alone with his frustrations. On the other hand, if one continues
to stay in touch with what is going on, new possibilities
are likely to emerge, which in turn might suggest new responses, and one
is less likely to be entirely cut off from the stream of life.
CM