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Heraclitus would shed tears whenever he went out in public - Democritus laughed. One saw the whole as a parade of miseries, the other of follies. And so, we should take a lighter view of things and bear them with an easy spirit, for it is more human to laugh at life than to lament it.”
Seneca, On Tranquility of Mind, 15.2
This is one of my favorite lessons on the pragmatic life, as it highlights, for me, the Ziglarian adage: Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. (Ziglar, See You at the Top, p. 204)
When we get angry or sad, it’s often due to circumstances or factors beyond our control. If we can manage, we take a breath, return to the present moment, gain pragmatic perspective… and choose to laugh about it.
Why?
Because if we were watching a sitcom, we’d be laughing our asses off at some dumbass character getting comically frustrated over something they had ZERO control over. Think I’m wrong? Find someone who knows the 1970’s sitcom All in the Family… they’ll tell you all about Archie Bunker, a “kind-hearted” racist and bigot who’d spend 30 minutes every week getting the nation to laugh at our own stupidity and ignorance for getting worked up over things beyond our control through his antics and abusive dialogue.
I mean, shit… who wouldn’t laugh at that? (#Sarchasm #RacismIsNeverFunny)
But what about now? Now, in a world where the US is now synonymous with ignorance, bigotry, and racism (as if it wasn't before)? Do we curl up into a ball and cry? Do we go to the nearest streetcorner and loudly complain about the state of things? Do we use our social media like that streetcorner? Do we choose to be like Heraclitus?
If we relate to the problems, and the -isms in such a way where we’re always lamenting about them, we can never hold in our hearts the joy of something better, something different.
A light spirit rises above, is able to laugh, AND steps forward to change the world.
Laughter lightens, and attitudes alter.
(See y’all tomorrow)
When we get angry or sad, it’s often due to circumstances or factors beyond our control. If we can manage, we take a breath, return to the present moment, gain pragmatic perspective… and choose to laugh about it.
Why?
Because if we were watching a sitcom, we’d be laughing our asses off at some dumbass character getting comically frustrated over something they had ZERO control over. Think I’m wrong? Find someone who knows the 1970’s sitcom All in the Family… they’ll tell you all about Archie Bunker, a “kind-hearted” racist and bigot who’d spend 30 minutes every week getting the nation to laugh at our own stupidity and ignorance for getting worked up over things beyond our control through his antics and abusive dialogue.
I mean, shit… who wouldn’t laugh at that? (#Sarchasm #RacismIsNeverFunny)
But what about now? Now, in a world where the US is now synonymous with ignorance, bigotry, and racism (as if it wasn't before)? Do we curl up into a ball and cry? Do we go to the nearest streetcorner and loudly complain about the state of things? Do we use our social media like that streetcorner? Do we choose to be like Heraclitus?
If we relate to the problems, and the -isms in such a way where we’re always lamenting about them, we can never hold in our hearts the joy of something better, something different.
A light spirit rises above, is able to laugh, AND steps forward to change the world.
Laughter lightens, and attitudes alter.
(See y’all tomorrow)
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