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The Art And Craft Of Positivity

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by HariLakhera, Jul 7, 2019.

  1. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera Platinum IL'ite

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    The art and craft of Positivity.

    ‘A glass half full or half empty’ as a phrase has taken many rounds after it was first uttered by someone not known. No one can say for certain when this phrase was used first time. Half full indicates optimism and half empty pessimism or positivity and negativity.

    I have a different take. The person considering the glass half empty will try hard for full glass while the one considering the glass half full will remain contented and never will have a full glass and hence a not a fighter.

    Positive people are not affected by defeats. Or they do not accept defeat. Accepting a defeat may be a sign of weakness. They may not try again and move on to another project or may be satisfied with half full glass.

    Negative people accept defeat but will not settle for half empty glass. Someone said he did 1000 times wrong before he could do it right. Accepting defeat gracefully motivates for trying again.

    Positivity is an art and a craft. The mastery in these can hide all failures. All one has to do is keep brave face.

    Both positive and negative people may go to the bar to lessen the burden of failure but the first will be branded as brave and the second as defeatist and depressed.

    Negativism is not defeatism, not trying again is. Positivism is not bravery if not accepting defeat.

    Life is not all bed of roses. It has it’s own ups and downs. We can’t change everything to our choice. We have accept our limits and accept reality. This is not negativism.

    Getting up early in the morning and taking a vow to be positive, think positive, act positive.... is not positivity.

    Positivity is navigating your way out of the mess around without harming self and others. Positivity should be natural instinct and not a cultivated art and craft.
     
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  2. jayasala42

    jayasala42 IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Shri Hari,
    The topic has been dealt with very nicely.
    Of late there is so much of talk about optimism or positive thinking .many people may not even know the benefits orotherwise of positivity.

    True, positive thoughts bring in cheer, build hopes and give us strength to tide over crisis.
    But is it possible to be positive always ? it is a million dollar question..
    When we know fully well, that certain attempts are going to result in failure, is it not better to prepare our mind for the failure? Can it be called negative?
    This applies to individual families also.
    Anticipating mistakes, being aware of negative fallouts and preparing oneself for possible potholes cannot be categorised as Negative thoughts. Getting stuck with imaginary terrors and not making efforts to overcome difficulties alone is negative.In the increasing trend for suicides all parents are advised to train children to face disappointments in life.

    These days, when there are Senior members in a family, they install a railing near the WC in bathrooms to act as support. That is a planning and foresight.

    I fully appreciate ' Dream Big ' theory of Dr. Abdul Kalam Negative thoughts are stated to stand in the way of dreaming great.

    People with rosy outlook sometimes become over confident , refuse to see within and overlook the emergency threats.Pessimists with their expectation set at a lower level get prepared for eventualities and disappointments.

    Practically negative thinking has a decisive positive role in crisis management in business, disaster management during natural calamities, dealing with Railway and Flight accidents. Not to talk of bear trends in stock markets and the importance of Intensive care units in hospitals and ambulance keep up cannot be under emphasized.

    Every optimistic thought has an inbuilt pessimism beneath.People with negative thoughts are so positive about the impending perils and keep ready to face?

    Isn't the world famous mechanism of SWOT( Strength, Weakness-Opportunity and Threat) based on negative thought process also?They advocate conversion of negativity into positivity.
    Negatives are parts of life and they cannot be done away with.Negative things happen even to those who always talk positively.Sometimes it happens that they don't think of 'Plan B.'
    'Hoping for the best, and preparing for the worst' seems to be more practical.

    Jayasala 42
     
  3. Amulet

    Amulet IL Hall of Fame

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    @jayasala42 you do hit those short ones out into the spectators for a sixer !!

    If ever there is to be a thread called "100 Days of Hostility" to counter the ongoing one about positivity, I would expect you to start that. Hooooraaayyy!!
     
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  4. shyamala1234

    shyamala1234 Platinum IL'ite

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    Dear Hariji,
    Isn't life a see saw?We are neither positive or negative always and all the time. For some it is a personality traits. But mostly we dangle both....better to be practical and should be ready to face any situation. In reality do we not face? We do.
    Syamala
     
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  5. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    :hello: In the bar regulars would look forward to the FULL content and would demand replenish empty half. Amateurs will try to look at half filled glass and try to empty it into glass of regulars. I do not see it reveals traits such has positive or negative or positivity.
    2. Both optimists & Pessimists are required in the socitel development. If one invents aeroplane the other invents parachute!
    3, If weather pandits predicts storm or deluge, one wouldn’t like label them as pessimists. If an announcer says train likely to arrive late or train would depart delayed, he or she wouldn’t be a pessimist. Pessimist and optimist will co exist in a single person at different times depending upon his or her standing on a precipice or on a flat but not smooth surface.
    4, circumstances and upbringing determines one to be positive or negative and or optimist and pessimist and for how long.
    5, A batsman like Virat Koli bludgeon the ball to a long on to a high but the trajectory of the ball might reach it out side the boundary or will terminate well before the boundary. It may be a sixes or just a boundary or the ball plucked from space by a fielder down below. Can one say for sure, was Virat at that moment - an optimist or a pessimist or none of these!? But it all depends upon prevailing wind, moisture and light (illumination).
    6. So, in life, one has moments with a mixture of both isms in certain ratios.
    God is beyond isms.
     
  6. jayasala42

    jayasala42 IL Hall of Fame

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    I totally agree with you Thyagrajan Sir.Life is a blend of optimists and pessimists. A well balanced response.
    Jayasala 42
     
  7. shyamala1234

    shyamala1234 Platinum IL'ite

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    You said my thoughts in better words giving various examples. We should think both sides of coin.
    Syamala
     
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  8. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Hari Sir,

    In my view, positivity is not necessarily remaining upbeat all the time. Retreating when someone is hit with a major set back and getting out of sustained concern about that set back is also positivity. Self-confidence stems from positive attitude. The recognition that one has no control on external factors itself is a positive thinking.

    Frankly, both positive and negative stimulation happens at the mind and how that energy is dealt with determines how free one becomes. Excessive celebration when someone receives positive news and feeling depressed when someone receives negative news causes a big swing. Equilibrium of life is achieved in stable mind that is unaffected by either one of them. But unfortunately, human mind swings like a pendulum between these two as pair of opposites happen from time to time. Optimism and pessimism are conditions of mind which itself is an object if we consider our true Self as the subject. Closer we are to equanimity, the quality of life improves.
     
    Last edited: Jul 7, 2019
  9. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    :hello:That says all of it.
    I like the rest of your analysis.
    A mathematician of height 5’5” proud of his knowledge determined he average depth of a large swimming pool depth ranging from 4’ to 7’ turned into optimist dived into the pool.
    Thanks.

    Regards.
     
  10. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera Platinum IL'ite

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    Thanks a lot for elaborating on the subject. It is rather difficult to define either. A movie '3 Idiots' prescribed 'all is well' to face adversity. Someone said 'it will pass'. I guess nothing stays and we can very well be assured that 'it will also pass' good or bad.
    Humans are very fragile because they have emotions.They are not machines. Machines can be put back in operation after repairs or simply scrapped if not repairable but humans are governed by so many pulls and pressures.
    There are self help books for every conceivable issue, but I wonder if they are of any real help. Again, it is not like tightening this screw or plugging that leak.
    Having said that, little will be gained by crying over split milk.
    As you rightly said we have to have our own SWOT analysis and take suitable measures.
     

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