Thursday, October 20, 2022

Optimist? Pessimist? Or Just Plain Mean?

Reposting.  Just 'cause.

This is who I am.  Take me or leave me.

I posted this right here in 2011.  I haven't changed.







Every once in awhile I just feel the need to have a good rant.   And, actually, I was going to title this blog "It's My Blog and I'll Rant If I Want To."  But.  I already did that. In a blog I published here quite a while back -  with that very title.  And guess what.  It's a rant about the very same thing.

Negativity.  And a lot of you commented.  Remember?

Here's the link if you'd like to see and see what you had to say - http://www.meanderingsandmuses.com/2009/11/its-my-blog-and-ill-rant-if-i-want-to.html

And then, by golly, I found another post where I did it again - http://www.meanderingsandmuses.com/2009/08/what-makes-you-crazy.html

So, I guess, it's times like this that having your own blog is a lovely thing.

Not only can I rant whenever I want to.  I can even repeat myself.  HA!

and more than once!

HA!


So.

Negativity.

If there's one single thing that pushes all my buttons and makes me nuts it's being around someone who is constantly and consistently negative.  Ugh.

Does it make you nuts, or am I just totally off the wall about it?  Do you think I might need professional help with this 'cause I react so strongly to it?  Seriously.  Do you?

'Cause I admit - it makes me pretty crazy.

It makes me crazy to the point of wanting to just reach out and grab some people and give 'em a good shake.

I think if we have our choice about who should get sucked up off the earth, it should be all the negative people who suck the life out of the rest of us.



Now, I know we're all gonna have a bad day.  But you know what I mean, right?  That's different than those people who can't stand seeing someone else have a smidge of joy.  You know people like that.  Don't you want to weed them out of your life?  Truthfully?!  Don't you??  But maybe you can't 'cause they're family, or they've been a friend for so long that your history makes you feel like it's just not possible.

Grrrrr.

They're the type of people who find it easier to be your friend when you're down and out than when you're on top of the world.  IMPOSSIBLE for them to work up some enthusiasm and wish you well.  That is just sad.  I'd like to feel sorry for them, and I guess I kinda do, but mostly I just want them out of my world.

We all know I'm not a total Pollyanna (pfft - imagine that), but I hope to God if I EVER become a complete and total 100% all-the-time-bitch-on-wheels (or a witch on a broomstick, since I couldn't really find a bitch on wheels image I liked), I hope someone will give me a reality check.  Someone out there promise me this, please?  I am quite happy being one of those people though, who prefers to think of the glass as being half full as opposed to being half empty.  

So.

Where am I going with this?  I'm not sure.  Just ranting, perhaps.


But.


I do have a theory about all this.

Aside from those moods we all have, I think people tend to have a negative spirit or a positive spirit, and whether they know it or not - it shows.  Loud and clear.  They may be able to hide that mean ol' self a lot of the time - even most of the time - but the true self reveals itself.  What do you think?  Am I being too harsh?  And what do YOU do about these poor ol' sad negative souls who inhabit your world??  You can't kill 'em, so do you just put up with them?  Do you try to talk to them about how very boring they are, or how pitiful they are?  Recommend LexaPro??  Or have you walked away from them?  Or are you all just much more understanding and patient than I am?  I really want to hear, so if you don't want to post your comments publicly, post anonymously.


10 comments:

Molly Swoboda said...

Joyophobia -- a horrible ailment. Frequently contagious. Purulently toxic, usually congenital, and nearly always incurable. I recommend carrying a lovely atomizer filled with Holy Water, and some green neon Mr. Yuck stickers for surreptitious placement on the backs of the afflicted.

Julia Buckley said...

Definitely, negative people bring me down. I even agree with the idea that we have a negative or positive spirit--except sometimes I fear I have them BOTH within me, and they are at war. :0

But I try to be positive.

Eve Barbeau said...

I hate the ones that are not only negative, but also fear mongers. They go around telling stories of dire consequences and infect everyone and everything in their path. Horrid wretches!

Vickie said...

I have little to no patience with negative people. I avoid them when I can. If you make eye contact, you're lost....

I like Molly's comment. I smilingly concur.

Bobbi Mumm said...

Kaye, this happens to be one of my favorite topics (and I spelled favorite the American way just for you). I used to think that becoming elderly made people cranky but now I've lived long enough to see that it's the young grumps who turn into the old crabs. I work with a lot of seniors and 99% of them are cup-half-fullers. I say, let's cherish the pleasant folks and try to ignore the others.

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

I believe that every morning when you wake up you have a choice about how you will approach the day - with a positive or negative attitude. It's your choice.

Perhaps, just perhaps, this negative attitude has been learned and they don't even know they could change it if they really wanted to. Maybe my hidden psychiatrist gene is coming out.

We knew a "hard to get along with" man and he ate at the same restaurant every Friday. The manager was a friend of ours. We asked one day how she tolerated him and I'll never forget what she said. "I just remind myself he will be going home soon."
Sam

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

I think Sam is right--we have a choice each morning on how we'll approach our day. And it's always better to think positive!

Wendy said...

One of my favorite topics, Kaye! Because I'm a super cheerful person I'm with Bobbi...I just try to hang with the Happy Kids (like you, Kaye!) and ignore the others. Let's face it; their best punishment is being themselves :)
Have a HAPPY CHEERFUL YEE HA DAY y'all !!!!!

Brenda Buchanan said...

I'm an optimist's optimist, and don't understand any other way of seeing the world so I'm flummoxed (love that word!) when I run across negative people. Over the years I've become adept at sidestepping such people if I see them coming but sometimes that's impossible.

A few years back a local political debate rocked a wonderful community where I lived, tearing it in two. The negative-thinkers poisoned the debate with sarcasm and misinformation. Anyone who challenged them (including moi) was ridiculed (and pollyanna was one of the nicer things we were called.) It was heartbreaking.

Whatever it is that motivated you to post this, Kaye, you have my sympathy. Keep the faith.

Brenda Buchanan

Patty said...

I'm with Kaye, I really hate negative people (Molly, can I steal Joyophobia?)

I don't run across them often but there is this professor on campus who is the most unhappy person I have ever met, and I try to stay away.