I woke up in the middle of the night to my friend calling me out of bed. One of his neighbors had heard the sound of breaking glass and called the police, who for some reason decided to go knocking on the doors in the middle of the night? It was my auto again, with the interior a little torn apart looking for something else valuable. I was really annoyed, particularly at my friend who should have known his neighborhood better than to suggest I leave it outside again as some sort of test of the broken windows theory. I don't know though. Once I finally got back to sleep (I'm a terrible sleeper), I woke up the next morning and was fine about it. I took it to a repair shop that morning to get the one window repaired and they taped some containerboard over the other window. The good thing is that glass place knew a guy who could fix the glass for cheap in my own town when I was just going to take it to the dealer (my auto is hard to find parts for). So I was happy, because the two broken windows turned out to be cheaper than just getting the one fixed at the dealer. I told my friend how happy I was and he just rolled his eyes, "there's always a silver lining for you." And there is. I can never stay upset or down for longer than 24 hours or so. Ultimately I find myself grateful that things ended up working out how they did.
It reminds me of the old song, "Rose-Colored Glasses". Selected lyrics:
I've said goodbye to Mr. Sorrow
How do you do Mr. Joy?
No need to worry about tomorrow
Look at me and you'll see I'm always happy as can be!
Because I'm looking at this world through rose colored glasses
Everything is rosy now
Looking at this world and everything that's happened
Seems of rosy hue somehow
Others may cry, but I'll keep smiling
No cause for worry or fret.
While there are some who’ll wonder why I keep smiling?
Here is why
We’ll have fun
After all is said and done
Tell me why you or I aught to complain
Now there am I then you’ll find rainbows after everything
Now who’s the boy that said “life’s just what you make it”
He was surely right I vow
So keep looking at this world with rose colored glasses
And everything is rosy now!
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ReplyDeletethe one and only
DeleteMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmadjoe
You keep answering questions I'm too lazy to ask, M.E. ;D
DeleteCould you write a scientific blog post about why we react like this tommorow? :)
M.E. If, only, sociopaths could feel that positive in the beginning of a problem, as this usually is not the case. They do a lot of projecting and devaluing when problems arise. It's something we all could work on.......
ReplyDeleteYes, M.E. it was a good article!
DeleteM.E. If we behaved in the way of my earlier post of 622; we would be seen as strong. I have not mastered this quality, yet.
DeleteI would have been angry, very frustrated, and very annoyed.
ReplyDeleteGood article, M.E.!
DeleteThere is usually a silver lining. Sometimes seeking it out keeps one sane.
ReplyDeleteIt's true. It also keeps one young at heart.
DeleteWhere you be, Dude?
ReplyDeletethis reminds me of when I have gotten a last-minute job I don't want to do and it's nighttime. I don't like it, but then I remember I have an annoying house-guest and I am glad I will be out.
ReplyDeleteFrom the first line I had that Broken Windows theory run through my head.
ReplyDeleteI envy you {all} sometimes. I've been much better as of late, but I lived nearly 18 years of my life in a never ending depression. Being upset or down is my default state. It sucks.
Amusingly, I'm one of the more optimistic people I know. Realistically optimistic anyways. Everything can fixed, changed, or chosen differently from the current point forward. Maybe that's the hyper-logic kicking. It's funny, I can see a physical problem, or someone else's, and see a way to fix it, for pretty much anything. My own problems though? Never so easy to see your own reflection.
Here's a fun one for you too.
ReplyDeleteComing Soon to a theater near you: Seven Psychopaths
http://www.hulu.com/watch/391453
We actually very briefly discussed this on the forum recently. Psychopathic focus seems to indicate that if you're not directly focusing on something, it's not really going to phase you, if you even notice it at all.
ReplyDeleteAnd what are you doing having sleepovers at your age, M.E.? I mean, really. Bone them or grow up.
I keep trying to get involved with the forum but it doesn't hold my interest. It makes me sad, and also, not care at all even a little, at the same time.
DeleteBullshit post with a few artificially kind remarks and not much discussion to follow.
ReplyDeleteI wish UKan was there to remark on this post. TNP's is the only one that os close to a just reaction.
Eternally optimist? You've gotta be kidding me.
I'd agree if you put it this way: When the mistake is a result of my own choosing I seem to be ok with whatever follows. But when I am inconvenienced because of someone else's stupidity I'm a raging maniac.
You almost reacted because your friend should have told you but then you slowed down because after all you made the choice to stay.
ALso, I got the feeling you got something out of staying out there that made the dealing with the car bullshit piece of cake. SO, level, and tell us what you got out of staying out there?
Oh, what happened to Rich and Monica, where the hell have they been? I guess they hooked up finally and busy talking to each other, unbelievably sweet thought. Had I been a sociopath I would have said 'maybe indeed we're optimists.'
Haven and TNP. thank you for being real by the way.
thank you for the acknowledgement. Being real here often means "ridicule welcome", but why the hell not. I try anyways.
DeleteSW Famous Couples Series
ReplyDeleteTheme for Rich and Monica
DeleteWho would you couple me with Themes? Just out of curiosity?
DeleteHmmmm Haven
ReplyDeleteI have to think that one out.
::smiles:: take all the time you need.
Delete<3
ReplyDelete"Nothing seems to bother you."
ReplyDelete"It's like you don't care about anything."
All I see here is an inability to learn and projection and blame swirled with some martyr sprinkles. Stupidity is not optimism... its stupid.
ReplyDeleteSocipaths only get half of the picture. Just as empaths do. Sociopaths, I am realizing, are just as much sheep, actually probably more so, than the rest of the population. What makes them worse is the delusion that They are the creations of other people whilst believing they are the ones creating themselves. If they could be those same creations of others without the God delusion, then their power would be very real, instead of the facade they believe in. The God delusion is nothing more than a reaction to pain, whether they feel it or not.
ReplyDeleteStupidity is not optimism... that is absolutely correct.
^^ and you know this because you are one?
DeleteTo Anonymous #2, who for some reason I can't reply to (I guess you can't reply to replies of replies?)---who said, "and you know this because you are one?" Uhm. being one doesn't necessarily give the person any more insight than someone who isn't one. In the same way that a non-schizophrenic professional (such as a psychiatrist) probably knows more about schizophrenia than the average schizophrenic.
DeleteAnd anyway, many murderers, for example, who've been interviewed by psychologists, were told that they were being interviewed so that they could learn more about why they did what they did. And a common response was, "I'd like to know, too..."
Being a diabetic doesn't mean you're an expert on diabetes. You may be relying on non-diabetic professionals in the medical field to teach you about it. So, again, just because you are one doesn't mean you know anything about it. Most antisocials don't have insight. Of course, sociopathy is not psychopathy. Sociopaths usually have below average intelligence, which explains why they do stupid things and can't avoid jail despite having been there more than once. They also often hurt themselves because they're too dumb not to.
As for whether it's optimism or stupidity: while I do believe they are optimists, I do think it was stupid to give the public another opportunity to smash windows and steal shit from your car. In the same way that psychopaths can often spot vulnerable people to use or abuse (knowing that they've been violated before), the car is like one of those persons (having been violated before). Speaking for myself, I'm more likely to loot a vehicle that's clearly been "violated" before. It had clearly been sitting there, window busted out, and no one had done anything about it, because it's still sitting there. Not that I would engage in such activities to begin with (I don't happen to be a criminal).
But, it was clearly a risk this person was willing to take. For whatever reason.
Re the God Delusion: I find that sociopaths can be highly suggestible, but most of the time they're only using religion as a protective shield. They don't really believe in that nonsense, but it's often useful for them. I know of one who became religious only after she spent years being a sexual predator. As her victims got older, she got scared they'd talk, and moved away to put distance between them, and joined a church, in anticipation of accusations. After joining the church, she began calling her victims "sinners".
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