Тонкое искусство пофигизма

           Constantpositivityisaformofavoidance,notavalidsolutiontolife’sproblems—problemswhich,bytheway,ifyou’rechoosingtherightvaluesandmetrics,shouldbeinvigoratingyouandmotivatingyou.

           It’ssimple,really:thingsgowrong,peopleupsetus,accidentshappen.Thesethingsmakeusfeellikeshit.Andthat’sfine.Negativeemotionsareanecessarycomponentofemotionalhealth.Todenythatnegativityistoperpetuateproblemsratherthansolvethem.

           Thetrickwithnegativeemotionsisto1)expresstheminasociallyacceptableandhealthymannerand2)expresstheminawaythatalignswithyourvalues.Simpleexample:Avalueofmineisnonviolence.Therefore,whenIgetmadatsomebody,Iexpressthatanger,butIalsomakeapointofnotpunchingthemintheface.Radicalidea,Iknow.Buttheangerisnottheproblem.Angerisnatural.Angerisapartoflife.Angerisarguablyquitehealthyinmanysituations.(Remember,emotionsarejustfeedback.)

           See,it’sthepunchingpeopleinthefacethat’stheproblem.Nottheanger.Theangerismerelythemessengerformyfistinyourface.Don’tblamethemessenger.Blamemyfist(oryourface).

           Whenweforceourselvestostaypositiveatalltimes,wedenytheexistenceofourlife’sproblems.Andwhenwedenyourproblems,werobourselvesofthechancetosolvethemandgeneratehappiness.Problemsaddasenseofmeaningandimportancetoourlife.Thustoduckourproblemsistoleadameaningless(evenifsupposedlypleasant)existence.