There is a psychotherapist who has had great success with treating individuals who have undergone traumatic experiences.
He first asks the patient to describe the event as though it were the worst thing that ever happened.
Next, the event is described as the greatest challenge yet faced.
Lastly, as the funniest thing that ever happened.
Why this should work seems to be intuitively obvious. It makes the patient take an objective look at the event from different perspectives and also highlights the fact that this is something that happened to the patient and is not part of the patient. It also encourages the patient to take an objective view. One can see the Child, Parent and Adult views in action.
Many times we may feel overwhelmed simply because we are taking a Child view of a situation. Maturity helps us to realize this is not the only possible view and to adopt a more constructive view, while an unevolved individual would not have this resource and would feel doomed to misery of his own creation.
Apart from the Child, Parent and Adult views, another view is possible. As a handy label it may be thought of as the “God” view. Fortunately application of this does not require religious beliefs. It simply says that if one could see everything leading up to the event as well as all the consequences of an event right into the distant future, then the event will be perceived to be natural, normal and exactly what had to happen.
The Holocaust, for instance was a terrible event. It was rooted in a build-up of events going back for millennia as well as innate suspicion of anything different. Yet this horrific event has had the beneficial effect of forever changing attitudes towards racism and xenophobia by highlighting the downside of those attitudes in a spectacular way. Before WWII racism and xenophobia were common and accepted. They are still common, but less so. And they are no longer accepted.