MyDoorsAreOpen
Bluelight Crew
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2003
- Messages
- 8,549
^ That doesn't prove that delusion causes happiness, though, or that it's impossible to be happy without being deluded.
How is any one perspective on things judged to be demonstrably less 'real' than another? If I've lived it, it's real to me. There's many different angles with which one can view any situation. Choosing the one that best improves your relationship with this situation isn't the same as lying to yourself, necessarily. Thinking positively is putting the best possible spin on things, key word possible. There's definitely no shame in being the willow that sways and bends to accommodate the wind that blows through it. Wishful thinking, on the other hand, is deliberately deciding not to think about something, so that you're not forced to face the conclusion you know in the back of your mind is inevitable. For example, consider two murderers. The first murderer thinks, 'Well, at least I've stayed alive long enough after what I did to be able to reflect on it and come to terms with it. I'm going to pay the ultimate price for it, but I can't say I won't be getting exactly what I deserve, so I might as well be at peace with the consequences'. This guy is thinking positively. The second murderer comes up with justifications in his mind for why it wasn't 'really' murder and wasn't 'really' wrong, and he's not 'really' guilty of anything. This is sheer delusion, because it's patently false and he knows it. Guy number one, I'd say, has a higher chance of dying a happy man than guy number two.
How is any one perspective on things judged to be demonstrably less 'real' than another? If I've lived it, it's real to me. There's many different angles with which one can view any situation. Choosing the one that best improves your relationship with this situation isn't the same as lying to yourself, necessarily. Thinking positively is putting the best possible spin on things, key word possible. There's definitely no shame in being the willow that sways and bends to accommodate the wind that blows through it. Wishful thinking, on the other hand, is deliberately deciding not to think about something, so that you're not forced to face the conclusion you know in the back of your mind is inevitable. For example, consider two murderers. The first murderer thinks, 'Well, at least I've stayed alive long enough after what I did to be able to reflect on it and come to terms with it. I'm going to pay the ultimate price for it, but I can't say I won't be getting exactly what I deserve, so I might as well be at peace with the consequences'. This guy is thinking positively. The second murderer comes up with justifications in his mind for why it wasn't 'really' murder and wasn't 'really' wrong, and he's not 'really' guilty of anything. This is sheer delusion, because it's patently false and he knows it. Guy number one, I'd say, has a higher chance of dying a happy man than guy number two.