Isn’t is a Bit Negative?
This question was asked of me by Lynne, the only person to ever bother to respond to (version 1 of) the Tannish Page. Five years on the net is long in computer time, not that my site is a high-profile, traffic-grabbing, gotta-check-this-out kind of site,and considering the inherent limitations of personal web sites. Still, one would think a couple of people would dash off a quick email now and again. Not so.
In my typically negative style, I’m inclined to reflect on the numbness of the American mind-set and how people go through life not giving a S#*!. In fact this type of observation is the core of content on the site, so of course I had to mention it. The bottom line of the Tannish Page is: Why do people act as they do? I ask this because I really want to know. Insanity of various proportions abound in our society, and is evident to anyone looking at it. Why are we not looking? The answers, and there are many, necessitates an inward focus. When I speak in generalities of other people I cannot exclude myself; as I can’t speak for others, I can only use personal experience as a guide. So the journey to find these answers begins within.
But, “Isn’t it a bit negative”? I had to chuckle. It’s a combination of subject and personality. As inferred above, the subject of my writings - how shall I say - lacks brightness. Straddling the borders of philosophy and spirituality, the answers I find tend to be weighty. It’s serious stuff, but that leads back to personality; I’m quite the serious guy, not taken to whimsy or frivolity. I wear dark, solid colors, smile a small, lopsided smile- when I smile at all, and my sense of humor leans toward irony and sarcasm. I have a strong aversion to slapstick and situational comedies; who needs to see people acting foolishly? I notice this all the time, and it’s not funny! Sheesh! I sound downright bleak!
But I am improving, doctor.
Lynne also mention how she likes to “express the positive things instead of dwell on the negative”. This is an interesting proposal to me. I wonder about the motivation of such thoughts. While I have to assume Lynne’s motivations to be pure, some people I know would like nothing better than to shut out all ugliness from their life, expending a lot of energy to invalidate the unsavoriness of life so that they can live their lives in blissful ignorance while they happily select just the right wallpaper for their third bathroom. Others might stress the positive as a way to “negate the negative”, playing an ever-complicated game of denial that, eventually, becomes harder than the original effort needed to confront the difficult realities we all face. To quote a favorite movie: “Life is pain, Your Highness. Anyone telling you different is selling you something.”
Few among us would see the less favorable aspects of humanity, look it in the eye and not shy from it. The benefit to such an approach is an open-hearted acceptance of what it means to be human, a deep understanding of one’s own inherent limitations, and a willingness to be vigilant in thought, word and deed. To fully express our humanity, we must accept the unpleasant in the same way we accept the pleasant. This, to me, is the best approach because of an ironic twist: Only by being attentive to your own thoughts, words and deeds can you make a substantial improvement to the world at large. By being aware of ourselves as we go through the motions of our lives, by attempting to minimize the damage we cause to others, to our environment, to ourselves, by understanding the ripple-effect of human interaction, we can make a positive impact on this planet. Only by fearlessly looking at the negative, by understanding it’s causes, and by vowing to minimize our own negativity, can we make a lasting change. This is why I dwell on negatives in my web site, because I am aware of my dark nature, and I intend to understand it and overcome it. But a balance must be reached, and this is perhaps Lynne’s point: to look for the positive in others while acknowledging the negative in ourselves. How ironic.
Speaking of irony, it is largely due to the research for this web site that has brought on such humble improvements as I might own. No, I haven’t been as idle as this web site lingered, I’ve been reading. Calling it research might be stretching the point a bit, but I have pursued over the last few years a line of inquiry directly related to the articles here. It is perhaps not the only line of inquiry possible, but one that speaks to my heart, to my experiences, and to the annoyingly logical tenacity of my mind. Perhaps it is time to write down some of what I am learning. So, Thank you Lynne for writing me and for liking my site despite the negative rants. Thanks, as well for inspiring this article; the first I’ve written in far too long. Hopefully you’ve nudged me to freshen up the dusty old site a bit.
We’ll see.