Half empty or half full?

credits to mattaustin7 for charcoal drawing

Read an article while researching for my coursework.

We all know the theory behind the cup that's half full/half empty. Have we thought a step further, beyond what we've been taught?

Just a portion of THE ARTICLE

"Notice an interesting social phenomenon here. Most people want to be seen as optimists, even those who are usually morose and glum. Aren't we just a planet full of upbeat, sunny cheerleaders? How interesting! Why do we have such a social pressure to be relentlessly optimistic?

Let's look at it from a completely different angle and turn this paradigm upside down. Is it always a negative thing to see the glass as half empty? Suppose such a perception motivates you to fill the glass - so to speak - whereas seeing it as half full leads to complacency. Focusing on the lack in one's life can then be a driving force for success. Not so negative now, is it?

Look at the over-achievers who accomplish great things in any field. They probably started out life with the idea that there wasn't enough water in their glass to suit them, so they worked to fill it up. On the other hand, at the opposite end of the spectrum, we have the under-achievers who dawdle away their lives in torpid passivity. Perhaps they do so because their focus is on what they already possess, rather than the areas of life that can use some improvement."


The right way isn't to force yourself to be happy, but to actually UNDERSTAND the positivity behind the negativity, not just SEE the positivity behind the negativity. That's my take on the article.

Am I having forced optimism? If the reason why people aren't talking to you isn't because you look unhappy, then what other reasons would they have to not want to talk to you? Reflection time.