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Post by Ganbare! on Apr 7, 2010 11:48:39 GMT -5
Probably the most characteristic mood of postindustrial societies, it's everywhere, from your neighbor not reading yet another article about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to your boss telling you it's fine that you're late as your labor is not even paid in the first place, to you denying a hobo spare change despite having your pockets full because you know precisely where that money is gonna end up.
Have you ever thought our outlook on things once was/could be less miserable? How do you cope with it?
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Post by toyomansi on Apr 8, 2010 0:42:05 GMT -5
Could it be that people who focus mostly on the problems of society by selective attention often don't really notice all of the good things there also are? Also, many people pay more attention to their problems than to possible solutions to these problems. I think humankind has always been this way, just that the 'problems' of society has changed over the times.
Before I used to be a very cynical person, mostly because that is my family's outlook on life, so I also inherited the same ways of thinking. Now I can understand why they see the world like that, because of all the past drama in the family history. Only when I could distance myself from them and get to know people with a better outlook on life, was I able to change my ways.
When I learned to apreciate more the good things in life and pay less attention to problems, my life became less drama-filled than before. When I saw more possibilities than limits, I was able to do and achieve much more. Now my way of thinking has made me much different than from my family, and they are still sceptical and cynical about the things I do. I know now that even though I love them, I can't stay with them and go back to looking only at surviving problems, rather than just enjoying myself.
I still easily get influenced by the attitudes of people around me, whether negative or positive. I would try not to get influenced by cynicism, but people would then think of me as a naive child who "doesn't know the real world".
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Post by Ganbare! on Apr 8, 2010 2:21:26 GMT -5
You're right about family influence, that said I'm not a cynical person, more of a mix of pessimist and idealist. In any case, it doesn't prevent me from seeking people with the opposite mindset nor does it prevents me from volunteering or donating money to several non-profit organizations. I can't help myself from observing society or people around me, I just cannot be selfish, not feel empathy for others, I see my own reflection in people' eyes. That's why I can't stand this overwhelming lethargic world filled with apathetic citizens thinking "it's someone else's problem". On a side note, the city's papers are in frenzy over a man who dived into the East Side river to save a toddler, I know that made a lot of people's day, here's the link: www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/07/julien-duret-mystery-hero_n_528503.html
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