Sadness bandwagon full - please try again later
What a miserable world we live in. An alien reading these journals would wonder why many of the authors hadn't slit their wrists a long time ago. Perhaps it is in fact because of LJs that we are able to deal with such hard situations, share our thoughts and feelings with others. Thats the popular view. But on the other hand... aren't we just stuck in a viscious cycle of self depression? What good does all this ranting really do our group as a whole?
I can't help feeling that a problem shared over and over and over and over and over again is sometimes a problem doubled (or more). For example:
A upset over something. B reads A's journal. B gets upset. B writes a depressed piece of spiel about something that has affected them. C reads it. C gets upset and kills someone's rabbit.
End result of A's depression - three depressed people and one very pissed off rabbit.
So how does this help everyone? Does A really feel any better to have shared? Unfortunately, A might, because as well as the massively super depressive LJ writers we also have the amazingly insincere compliment people:
A: I feel awful, how am I ever going to live again? I'm useless, unworthy to roll in your spittle, I should end it all now before something else terrible happens to me.
B (complimenter): Oh darling, despite having only known you for 37 picoseconds in an online context I already know what a truly super special person you are. Angels sing in your presence and lay roses in front of your footsteps, your heart is the size of texas and you are the most beautiful man/woman I have ever seen. Your life will be successful and you deserve everything that anyone could ever desire. *hugs* *kisses*
Bleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech. I'm not sure which type is worse. All I can say is that this dreadful cycle of bad prosaic moaning, followed by false and transparent, empty compliments is probably the biggest waste of time on the face of gods green earth.
My view? If you're happy - great, share it. If you're sad - tell us about it and we'll try to understand and help. But if you are so indoctrinated into the art of being sad, so addicted to the false nirvana of compliments that no one can POSSIBLY mean (see above), then please, please, try to wake up and smell the coffee.
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Footnote: It is a near certainty that a lot of people who read this will think I am talking about them. Paranoia is a very common trait among the self fulfilling depressives. I am sure that I will now be inundated with flaming comments about how cruel I am, how uncaring. Whatever. I offer these thoughts as a plea for some balance in our lives. A bit of happiness with each page of sadness. I'm not talking about one person, or even a few. The problem is far more epidemic than that. We have all been guilty at one time or another, but never so many in the same place.
Take a good look in the mirror people, and try and find a cup that is at least half full.
I can't help feeling that a problem shared over and over and over and over and over again is sometimes a problem doubled (or more). For example:
A upset over something. B reads A's journal. B gets upset. B writes a depressed piece of spiel about something that has affected them. C reads it. C gets upset and kills someone's rabbit.
End result of A's depression - three depressed people and one very pissed off rabbit.
So how does this help everyone? Does A really feel any better to have shared? Unfortunately, A might, because as well as the massively super depressive LJ writers we also have the amazingly insincere compliment people:
A: I feel awful, how am I ever going to live again? I'm useless, unworthy to roll in your spittle, I should end it all now before something else terrible happens to me.
B (complimenter): Oh darling, despite having only known you for 37 picoseconds in an online context I already know what a truly super special person you are. Angels sing in your presence and lay roses in front of your footsteps, your heart is the size of texas and you are the most beautiful man/woman I have ever seen. Your life will be successful and you deserve everything that anyone could ever desire. *hugs* *kisses*
Bleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech. I'm not sure which type is worse. All I can say is that this dreadful cycle of bad prosaic moaning, followed by false and transparent, empty compliments is probably the biggest waste of time on the face of gods green earth.
My view? If you're happy - great, share it. If you're sad - tell us about it and we'll try to understand and help. But if you are so indoctrinated into the art of being sad, so addicted to the false nirvana of compliments that no one can POSSIBLY mean (see above), then please, please, try to wake up and smell the coffee.
---------------------------
Footnote: It is a near certainty that a lot of people who read this will think I am talking about them. Paranoia is a very common trait among the self fulfilling depressives. I am sure that I will now be inundated with flaming comments about how cruel I am, how uncaring. Whatever. I offer these thoughts as a plea for some balance in our lives. A bit of happiness with each page of sadness. I'm not talking about one person, or even a few. The problem is far more epidemic than that. We have all been guilty at one time or another, but never so many in the same place.
Take a good look in the mirror people, and try and find a cup that is at least half full.