We tend to gravitate towards happy stories with happy endings... believing that we ultimately live in a good world, filled with good people.
Earlier today, we got the news that a lost dog — there had been an auto accident from which he had gotten loose and run away — had been reunited with his owner. We shed a few tears of gratitude and joy that a happy reunion had found place.
These days, though, it seems like there are more and more stories — and outcomes — that just aren't so happy.
The world is filled with adversity, and people struggle and struggle... and whereas it would be lovely to think that they persevere... sometimes we simply break, because there is nothing left in the tank to give.
Depending on your personality, perhaps you are inclined to "overlook" these tragedies; to pretend they don't exist, perhaps in service of not having to live with the pain, directly. Perhaps it is only natural, when we feel stretched too thin...
I was talking to a friend, last week.
She said that she wasn't exactly sad or depressed, just bone crushingly weary and worn out. And there was no opportunity for rest in the future.
The conversation was brief... and it made me think about the ways in we we sometimes end up doing little more than existing, no matter how much we may wish for — and dream of — thriving.
I paused for a few moments to reflect on my own life between ages about 28 and 36... which — as a period of time — is perhaps most noteworthy for the fact that I absolutely cannot remember a single happy or joyful time or event that took place. A period of nine years, during which my greatest moment of happiness perhaps was having a $3 winning scratch-off lottery ticket.
So what's my point here?
Perhaps my point is that our society — our world — is sometimes a little too obsessed with "happy" and we don't allow life's down periods to be, because we have been repeatedly told to "not be a downer."
But the truth is that a lot of life IS a downer. What favors do we do ourselves by not recognizing and embracing that the pendulum of life swings both ways?
Social media tends to depress the depressed because it is an artificial highlight reel of happy shiny moments that reflect a version of existence that doesn't actually EXIST.
Makes me wonder whether we might not be happier if we simply accepted that life sometimes sucks, and there isn't always a happy story, or a happy ending.
Just something to consider.
Thanks for stopping by, and have a great weekend!
How about YOU? Do you think people tend to "gloss over" life's stories that don't have happy outcomes? Do we fail to acknowledge there is "dark," as well as "light?" Comments, feedback and other interaction is invited and welcomed! Because — after all — SOCIAL content is about interacting, right? Leave a comment — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!
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Created at 20221202 23:40 PDT
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I felt these words and each or everything you said here deeply in heart.
Ups and downs are part of life and mostly we live in does but this society really don't accept this....
Said very well. This social media had made me depressed over the time seeing people of my ages doing things that I can't do or are way better etc but deep down I know no one show that down side or darkness... Everyone pretends everything is okay and that's not okay at all.
Really Loved the way you presented this whole point of view. Amazing content!
Some people do not want to feel or show negative feelings and some never had soul crushing experiences. Also we have the culture where we need to be happy and content all the time.
It's true. Most people try to run away from being normal. Like feeling sadness or owning up to being depressed because the world stigmatize such humans. But once a while we should let ourselves cry, feel sadness, and pain, so we can truly be human.
All too often things are not happy so it makes sense that we are not always happy. I call it reality, but some folks think that is a problem.
It depends on the person, really. Some do, and others focus way too much on the negative. We can't be constantly happy - or sad. But I do think that we should choose happiness whenever we can :)
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