Optimism isn't something that should be treated like a slick bar of soap. It isn't something that threatens to fly out of one's hands at any given moment.
Our American lives are faced with several severe factors:
1) "You must work to live." Unfortunately this is true unless you win the lottery. How you work, and how well you and to live are two different concepts.
2) "The outside world is dangerous: don't risk it." People don't have a whimsical view about adventure, and want so desperately to relax that when they spend 'time for themselves' they CONTROL EVERY SINGLE SECOND OF IT FOR MAXIMUM EFFECTIVENESS. In addition to making sure they pick the sort of vacation they're supposed to want: Hawaii, Cruises, Cuba, etc.
3) "True love doesn't exist." This is related to the second point in that it is a result of our national outlook on gratification. We want things now, and we want them to be goddamn obvious. We overlook good potential boyfriends or girlfriends because they're quiet. We dump the nice guy for the douchebag because he's better at sex and we're horny now. We as individuals are the ones who choose to make awful decisions about romance. We can have romance and all of those other things, but it has to be free of many of the other stresses which bombard us.
I do not believe that optimism is something that can fly out of our hands as it isn't something that one can physically grasp or touch. It is a concept that is ingrained in our very thoughts through our experiences. What I do believe is that it is something that can be overpowered and shattered through experiences that are extremely negative. Pessimism has its place and both take turns throughout our lives. We are always in a constant state of tearing down and building up our make of the two ideas as we go on in our living.
I have always worked to live but I have never worked to survive. Those are two very different things and one is harder then the other.
I am the kind of person that wants to take risks because I do feel that adventure is whimsical, that we should do things that are out of our control because it makes our experiences that much more real.
As for true love, what does that mean? I know I have found someone that matches me in ways I never imagined. I know that I don't want to look no further and life has truly given me something wonderful but as for true love... well I am not really sure who came up with that term but it is ridiculous.
Our American lives are faced with several severe factors:
1) "You must work to live." Unfortunately this is true unless you win the lottery. How you work, and how well you and to live are two different concepts.
2) "The outside world is dangerous: don't risk it." People don't have a whimsical view about adventure, and want so desperately to relax that when they spend 'time for themselves' they CONTROL EVERY SINGLE SECOND OF IT FOR MAXIMUM EFFECTIVENESS. In addition to making sure they pick the sort of vacation they're supposed to want: Hawaii, Cruises, Cuba, etc.
3) "True love doesn't exist." This is related to the second point in that it is a result of our national outlook on gratification. We want things now, and we want them to be goddamn obvious. We overlook good potential boyfriends or girlfriends because they're quiet. We dump the nice guy for the douchebag because he's better at sex and we're horny now. We as individuals are the ones who choose to make awful decisions about romance. We can have romance and all of those other things, but it has to be free of many of the other stresses which bombard us.
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I have always worked to live but I have never worked to survive. Those are two very different things and one is harder then the other.
I am the kind of person that wants to take risks because I do feel that adventure is whimsical, that we should do things that are out of our control because it makes our experiences that much more real.
As for true love, what does that mean? I know I have found someone that matches me in ways I never imagined. I know that I don't want to look no further and life has truly given me something wonderful but as for true love... well I am not really sure who came up with that term but it is ridiculous.
Reply
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