What About the Connection Between Depression and Arrogance?

QUESTION:

In your book Depression is a Choice, you talk about the connection between depression and arrogance. Do you mean denial?

ANSWER:

They are both underpinnings of depression—denial and arrogance. Once deep into depression, we can't imagine that we were ever the slightest bit arrogant. But we mistake feelings of helplessness for humility. There is nothing more stubborn and imperious than abject helplessness. We force everyone around us to relate to us on the basis of our depression rather than joining in with whatever others are doing and concentrating on that. Instead, we continue to focus entirely on how bad we are feeling.

The denial part is that we insist that we can’t interact with others in whatever project they have going on. We deny that it is a possibility for us to do something other than being constantly aware of our own pain.