I responded with a love emoji because I appreciate the chance to consider your idea. Thank you for asking a great question. Short answer? I don't know.
You could be right but none of the other typical generalities made about women vs men tend to apply to the women I know who have been successful in business. Meanwhile, I've used the alter ego thing and found it incredibly fun.. and helpful. I wish I could do it again right now actually but for the life of me I can't probably because of stress or something. It takes a lot of effort. Maybe that's what you mean? That disconnecting and imagining themselves to be a character is just easier for men? That could be true.
I have recommended the whole "talk to your younger self" technique and used it. It seems powerful.
But I know the alter ego thing works. My issue is that it doesn't help AT. ALL. unless you've already begun actively participating in the new arena. Once you're even a tiny bit successful in a new thing you can start using the videogame/alter ego technique but I've never seen or heard of anybody just forming an entirely new version of themselves, whipping up a new alter ego or character they can "play" from whole cloth, without specific, serious help. With a friend group? Sure. With a DND group? Absolutely. But on your own? No.
For some inexplicable reason this is the third convo I've seen (by ppl I respect as highly intelligent) discussing the importance of archetypes or myth visioning or dissociating in order to go farther this week. I'm genuinely trying to understand who it works for because I NEED it to work for a handful of ppl I know and love. I need to be able to explain how to move from point A to point B if you've never stepped foot on point B. They're young and overwhelmed and they don't have the courage to ask these types of questions in a community. They don't know how to network.
If I'm missing something obvious I hope someone here can correct me. I tend to overlook shoelaces while I'm noticing constellations.. and then trip going down the stairs. Lol.
I think it's less about myth visioning or disassociating and more about gamifying the way you look at working towards your life goals. The point isn't to imagine yourself as someone else and then not be you whilst you're that person, it's about imagining yourself as someone who can level up/improve (stats) and then work on improving those stats.
Life is a huge game of balance, everything must be enough and not too little or too much, obviously you'll never get this 100% right but the goal is to get it as close as you can. I work on being selfless and empathetic with my friends and family, and I try to help people where I can. But then when it comes to achieving goals I set out a strict plan and stick to it, of course giving myself some time to relax when I need it.
I think some people definitely take it to the extreme and disassociate and completely lose themselves to the world, and that isn't healthy at all, they probably haven't learnt any emotional tools that allow them to realise that. Don't want to get viral but like Lilly Phillips, she's heavily disassociated on a daily basis and has essentially removed any humanity from herself.
What @EngineerThis said about switching headspace is a great example of the balance required to achieve it. You stay strict for your levelling up goals but when you're in a situation to be empathetic and selfless you have to switch that way. If you're empathetic and selfless with some people, they'll walk all over you. It's about knowing when to do what.
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