We hope. A good test I [try to always but often fail to] use is to stop and ask myself if the reasons I’m giving for feeling the way I do actually explain why I feel the way I do with consideration of my opinions on how one *should* respond [emotionally] in such situations.

This is my PMS test. I find it works.

>>If they manifest themselves as mimicry from last week’s tv episode, time to change channels.

Great line! But this is a common practice, and not just with television shows. People map their experiences around what is familiar to them. It’s similar to how a baby will map out everything in a room relative to their mother; how public transit users map out locations relative to subway stations and bus stops, and drivers map routes out relative to highways. … But now I’m getting too vague that I’ll bet you can’t see my point…

People map their lives around what is familiar. Ok. Well a lot of people spend more time by a tv than with real people building real relationships. And so for an avid tv-watcher, it’s only natural to describe one’s real relationships in terms of tv-relationships. I’m not disagreeing with your sentiment. It’s just funny to me that you bring up this point because I often remark on how I was referred to as either someone’s “Joey” or some other’s “Jen”, and having either a “Dawson” or a “Pacey”. Ah.. “sweet” high school memories.

Anyway, as regards my “balance”, I just take each decision case-by-case. Truthfully, my intention is the only criterion (analogous to a crucial experiment) that defines my action as either selfish or selfless, so I just try my hardest to be as self-aware as I can be. I suppose this is the real task-at-hand.