If you had the choice, would you hang out with Eeyore or Tiger? I have had the "pleasure" of working with both types. At first, your heart goes out to Eeyore. How sad, the poor guy can't seem to get a break. It doesn't take long though for you to figure out that the guy just can't be happy about anything. You stop being flattered that he...or she...stops by to use you as a "sounding board." By they time he or she is finished talking with you, you feel drained. That's because "Eeyore" sucked out all the oxygen in the room with his or her pessimism. On the other hand, there is the guy who is filled with energy and all smiles. His or her presence is almost contagious. Everything is coming up roses. Everything is terrific. Everything. These extremes just don't cut it. You want to hang out with this guy...until you find you just can't keep up.
Should we strive for the balance? Be in the middle? Or does that get dull too? Is being balanced, level-headed? Realistic? Does being balanced, pull you out of depressive times?
I think it is a matter of timing and spectrum. If you wake up one morning feeling like you lost your tail, for heavens sake, appreciate how you feel. Just know that you can't stay there for an extended period of time or you will make yourself sick. Love and appreciate the days you wake up ready to bounce around with joy and happiness because it is unlikely that you will do that every single day of your life....and if you do, I want to know what your formula is.
So talk to me about this notion of optimism and pessimism and realism.
2 comments:
This reminds me of that old saw about the half full/half empty glass. Traditionally, the half full glass is the optimistic view and pessimists see the glass as half empty. But is it really that cut and dry? If I’m drinking a nice Pinot Noir and the glass is half full, I’m not going to be optimistic. I going to be depressed that I only have a little bit of an excellent bottle left to enjoy. Conversely, if I’m forced to chug down a glass of Metamusil, even with it’s ‘New and Improved Flavor’, I’m going to feel relieved when the glass is half empty!
Being optimistic sounds like a good thing, right? OK, let’s all decide to be optimists!! Except that we will undoubtably choose diametrically opposed ideas to be optimistic over. What makes you optimistic might make me what to jump of a bridge! For example, the notion of bigger, more intrusive government makes half the country delirious with joy! They are optimistic that Big Brother is going to solve all their problems and make their lives better. The other half of the country, however, feels like moving to New Zealand to escape oppressive governmental meddling. They feel that Congress and the Executive Branch has no business, credibility, expertise or money for such meddling. Well, maybe not the money part, since they will no doubt raise our taxes to cover their tab.
But I digress; in the final analysis, should we get all that excited or depressed over half full vs half empty? How hedonistic are we when a half glass, or half a bowl or half of anything, gives us pause? Here’s a thought, let’s be grateful that there is anything in the glass! Half full, half empty, who cares? You have something in your glass! Shut up!
Tell me more about that Pinot.
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