« Depressive thinking and, to a lesser extent, sad thinking are like abusive words that are constantly held about oneself and the world. Like a constant murmur that we no longer listen to but which we welcome unconsciously, and which slowly saddens us, worries us, devalues us. One of the most important efforts not to be completely trapped is to pay close attention to words: for example, by defining exactly what they mean. In therapy, if a patient says she doesn't feel up to her work, or as a mother, the therapist will say: "You tell me you feel like a bad mother. I don't know personally, but I'd like you to make it clear: what's a bad mother? What's she doing? What's she not doing? So what applies to you? The idea is to stop passing down biased judgments disguised as neutral statements. And to always bring the patient back from the general judgment to the precise facts. So that little by little the patient becomes vigilant with herself: "I feel bad mother when my children cry at night and have anxieties. But I'm not a bad mother: just, right now, I'm less available to them, and they feel it. That is the problem, and that is what I need to deal with. Instead of harassing me and judging me negatively. »

« Thus, a manned effort is more pleasant and effective than a meaningless effort. This is the story of stonemasons, which is often attributed to Charles Péguy: in the Middle Ages, three men broke stones. The first one looks unhappy and replies to the passer-by who asks him: "I can do nothing but this hard job." The second looks indifferent, and says, "I do my job to feed my family." The third smiled, replying: "I am involved in the construction of a cathedral." If our modern studies are true, he must have lived a little older and a little happier than his colleagues... »

« There is also all the relational damage: the negativism that fills the void, the annoyances that cause conflict, the resentment that prevents forgiveness and which absurdly breaks ties. Not to mention his complication, his overinfection sooner or later by states of guilt, sadness of having made another human suffer, of having added to the misfortune of the world... »