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The word originally describes how grazing animals process food -- a compartmentalized stomach allows them to chew on some grass, breaking it down partially, the
by rzzzt 11y ago
The word originally describes how grazing animals process food -- a compartmentalized stomach allows them to chew on some grass, breaking it down partially, then regurgitate and chew it again, to help with digestion even further.
Mapping this to the domain of psychology, it becomes a thought process where one is going through the same steps over and over and over again; you can pick apart any situation you find yourself in, in excruciating detail. The only thing it doesn't lead to is an actionable plan of what you're going to do about said situation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruminant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruminant
- pbhjpbhj 11y agoI'm familiar with ruminants and the concept wrt digestion - I think what throws me most about the Wikipedia page on the psych concept is what it means to "focus on the symptoms of one's distress". I thought distress was a symptom itself of other conditions. A symptom of distress would probably be inability to focus but then how could you possibly focus on that! >a thought process where one is going through the same steps over and over and over again; you can pick apart any situation you find yourself in, in excruciating detail // That's a very clear description, thank you. If that's all they mean then IMO the page is absolutely terribly written.