Scott Alexander presents a partial defense of 'therapy culture', comparing its focus on self-discovery to helping people overcome a form of 'preference alexithymia'.
Longer summary
Scott Alexander discusses the concept of 'therapy culture' and its focus on finding one's 'true self'. He presents a defense of this approach by comparing it to alexithymia, a condition where people struggle to identify their emotions. Scott extends this idea to preferences, suggesting that some people might have a form of 'preference alexithymia'. In this light, therapy culture's emphasis on self-discovery could be seen as helping people recognize and understand their own preferences, rather than imposing artificial ones. However, he also acknowledges the potential risks of this approach, such as therapists potentially convincing people they have preferences they don't actually have.
Shorter summary