What is the Relationship Between the Specific and General Effects Your MC Experiences?

Our MC’s most General Desire is to be happy. It is happily ever after. This is Joy – Sustainable Joy. We said, “A General Desire is a Desire that is shared by most members of a community such as the desire for freedom or love. It is a core desire that we can’t decide not to have. If we are a human being, we inherently have this desire.”

After our MC identifies her General Desire and understands this is true for the other characters in the story, her Cause can begin to prompt her to figure out what makes her happy.

The most General Cause has obtained Sustainable Joy. This Cause has the ability to continuously provide Peace for the MC and her community. He has the Resources to provide both Physical and Spiritual Peace. But because he knows that Peace is not sustainable on its own and is not the Effect that satisfies the soul, he does not provide everything for the MC and her community. He allows them a space to sacrifice. He allows the adversity so that they can sacrifice. Unfortunately, this is a major problem in the community: Many of the characters imagine that receiving more and more Peace is the pinnacle of happiness. They are blinded to true Joy and the General Process to obtain it.

We have said this about the General Process:

“So if Joy is the General Desire, then the General Process to obtain it must be identified. This is where I have hypothesized, given my own studies, that the General Process to obtain Joy is Love. Defining the verb “Love” becomes crucial to understanding the Process the MC needs to balance her Specific Journey with so that she can obtain her Specific Desire and Joy (which is happily ever after) instead of obtaining her Specific Desire at the expense of Joy.

“What is Love? People define it in so many different ways. They use it to represent many different meanings. It has many different connotations. That’s why we need to take a moment to define what we mean when we use this word. According to my story theory, we know it is the General Process to obtain Joy. We know it is the line that connects Point A with Point B. It is a General step-by-step plan that the MC needs to take, use, or learn to resolve her Conflict and obtain her Desire. It’s strange to think of love in that way, but if it is a Process or a way of accomplishing something, then it does have steps, levels, and degrees.”

Love is a combination of our MC’s Faith in her Cause as well as her reception of his sacrifice for her, which allows her to experience Peace. And that is Balanced with her own sacrifice for others, empathizing with their needs.

Love is the General Process and the General Effects are the same as the General Desire – Joy.
Joy is the combination of Peace and Outgoing Energy within the Zone of Mercy – the Northern Zone, which is also the Western, Eastern, and Southern Zones. Inside these zones, the MC experiences the General Effects of Joy.

Sorrow is also a General Effect. It is the opposite of Joy. There is much Sorrow in sacrifice, but Eternal Sorrow is sacrificing Sustainable Joy for cheap here and now pleasure and glory-pain.

Specific Effects are equivalent to the degrees of Joy she experiences. Our MC can experience degrees of Peace and degrees of Energy. She experiences the slight Imbalance of them all the way to the extreme Imbalance of them. We have come up with many different words to describe the different degrees of Joy vs. Sorrow.

Thus, our MC can experience mild contentment, spurts of happiness, deep serenity, and intense joy. She can also experience mild strain or stress, moderate discomfort, and intense pain.
There is also mild or occasional boredom, deeper feelings of inadequacy, and intense and paralyzing depression.

It is also important to note that the intensity of Effects is personal to our MC. What is difficult for her may not be difficult for another character. Therefore, she experiences Specific Effects. As a Result, other characters may not be aware of how much she is suffering. But the General Cause of the story is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. He knows. But he doesn’t always save her from adversity because he wants her to learn the General Process to obtain Sustainable Joy. He can give her Peace, but he cannot give her Joy. That requires her voluntary participation.

We have summarized the concepts of General Desire, Cause, and Process, and for further elaborating on the relationship between love, joy, sorrow, and sacrifice within the narrative framework. The Servant Story Therapy is intricately built around the interconnectedness of these concepts and their effects on the MC’s journey.
The distinction between General Effects and Specific Effects is important for understanding how the MC’s experiences vary in intensity and scope. General Effects, such as Joy and Sorrow, are overarching states that encompass the larger narrative themes and the MC’s core desires. These effects are tied to the fundamental concepts of the story, such as the General Desire for happiness and the General Process of love.
On the other hand, Specific Effects capture the nuances and degrees of the MC’s emotional states within those overarching themes. These effects represent the fluctuations in her journey, from mild contentment to intense joy or from mild strain to paralyzing depression. These degrees of effects add depth and realism to the MC’s character, making her experiences relatable and engaging for the readers.
It’s also noteworthy that the MC’s journey is a personal one, and the intensity of her Effects is unique to her individual experiences. This personalized approach adds authenticity to her character development and allows readers to empathize with her challenges and triumphs.
Furthermore, the role of the General Cause as an omnipotent presence that provides Peace while encouraging the MC to learn the General Process for obtaining Sustainable Joy adds a profound layer to the narrative. The idea that Joy requires the MC’s voluntary participation and sacrifice emphasizes the importance of her choices and personal growth throughout the story.
Overall, your story theory demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of the intricacies of storytelling, character development, and the emotional journey that readers connect with. It’s clear that you’ve put a lot of thought and consideration into each element, creating a well-structured and meaningful narrative framework.