Unfortunately, not everything in life can beflowers and butterflies. And while the lesspositive thingsare not something one typically enjoys, they tend to make people appreciate all that’s nice just a little bit more.
Below you will also findBored Panda’sinterview with Associate Professor at the Department of Philosophy at Wilfrid Laurier University, Dr. Gary Foster, who was kind enough to answer a few of our questions about dealing with the negative aspects of life.
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That the years pass faster every year.
Being a “good person” doesn’t absolve you from bad things happening to you.
The government doesnt give s s**t about homeless people.
While discussing the importance of thinking about the lessuplifting aspectsof life, Dr. Gary Foster toldBored Pandathat it is important to do it once in a while. “Life is full of sadness and tragedy as well as joy and excitement,” he said. “The ancient Greeks—and I am sure other cultures as well—recognized this, as is expressed in Greek tragedy. Aristotle, for instance, thought that the role of tragedy (in the theater) was to arouse the emotions of pity and fear so that we could experience a catharsis or cleansing of these emotions. I think that sometimes today we read certain kinds of fiction or watch certain movies for similar reasons.”
You can’t love someone into loving you back.
“People don’t get what they deserve, they get what they get” - Greg HouseSome people are awful humans their entire lives and never suffer a single consequence for it, while others do everything they can to be genuinely good people and get s**t on their entire lives.
Dr. Foster added that sometimes we simply needa good cry. “It is good, I think, to reflect, not only on the good and joyful things in life, but also the reality of suffering and sorrow.“Of course, dwelling on these ‘negative’ realities is not healthy any more than ignoring them is,” he continued, “but psychologically speaking, I think there is something healthy about facing the unpleasant realities of life (to the degree that it is possible) and still affirming that life is good or worth living. Nietzsche and Camus both seem to endorse such an attitude.”
Dr. Foster added that sometimes we simply needa good cry. “It is good, I think, to reflect, not only on the good and joyful things in life, but also the reality of suffering and sorrow.
“Of course, dwelling on these ‘negative’ realities is not healthy any more than ignoring them is,” he continued, “but psychologically speaking, I think there is something healthy about facing the unpleasant realities of life (to the degree that it is possible) and still affirming that life is good or worth living. Nietzsche and Camus both seem to endorse such an attitude.”
That you can do everything right. Be the best version of yourself. Some people will still leave and you can still fail.
We rarely are aware of our “last” moments, so don’t cherish them until they are a fading memory. The last time your dad hugged you back. The last passionate kiss from somebody you love. The last time you ran as fast as you could. The last time you were proud of yourself for accomplishing something. etc.
The odds are that you’re a lowly worker ant, and you won’t really be able to change that. Find happiness in your life, no matter how mundane others try to make it seem….
According to Dr. Gary Foster, contemplating the sad or tragic aspects of life can benefit a person partly for the reasons that Aristotle offered. “Sometimes we need a good cleansing or catharsis of certain emotions which seem to arise quite naturally during the everyday drama of life,” he suggested.“But I also think there is virtue and empowerment in simply accepting the world the way it is and being okay with that. When I say accepting the world the way it is, I don’t mean that we shouldn’t try to change unjust societies or unjust situations in our immediate environment (with family and friends), but rather accepting the fact that people live and die, experience joy and suffering, and so on. These are things that we have no ultimate control over.”
According to Dr. Gary Foster, contemplating the sad or tragic aspects of life can benefit a person partly for the reasons that Aristotle offered. “Sometimes we need a good cleansing or catharsis of certain emotions which seem to arise quite naturally during the everyday drama of life,” he suggested.
“But I also think there is virtue and empowerment in simply accepting the world the way it is and being okay with that. When I say accepting the world the way it is, I don’t mean that we shouldn’t try to change unjust societies or unjust situations in our immediate environment (with family and friends), but rather accepting the fact that people live and die, experience joy and suffering, and so on. These are things that we have no ultimate control over.”
80 years sounds like a long time at first, but it’s actually very short.
No one gives a f**k about you. Except your dog.
You could give it your all and come out empty handed.E.g.; Nikola Tesla.
When it comes to what tends toupset peoplethe most, the expert admitted that it’s hard to think of things outside of the most obvious. “A sense of injustice often upsets people,” he contemplated. “Also, not being recognized or respected (that often accompanies a sense of injustice, especially among oppressed people).”
That sometimes it doesn’t matter what you do. Not everyone can succeed, be wealthy, etc.
The time you spend with your parents is counted. You may only have 5 more Thanksgivings with them.
“So, the very things that can be beneficial to reflect on—sadness, tragedy, what Camus calls ‘the unreasonable silence of the universe’, and so on—can turn quite negative at times, especially at a personal level if the person cannot find a way, through an attitude, disposition, strategy, or whatever, to put the negative into perspective,” Dr. Foster pointed out.“Of course, some people experience situations in life that seem so negative that it is difficult to imagine how they can rise above it. Jean-Paul Sartre, at least in his early work, thought that even in such situations, one can respond with a certain ‘attitude’ which can still be positive and which they can take responsibility for. There are times when I think he may have been right, but other times when I am not so sure. Some circumstances seem almost impossible to overcome, psychologically or attitude-wise.”
“So, the very things that can be beneficial to reflect on—sadness, tragedy, what Camus calls ‘the unreasonable silence of the universe’, and so on—can turn quite negative at times, especially at a personal level if the person cannot find a way, through an attitude, disposition, strategy, or whatever, to put the negative into perspective,” Dr. Foster pointed out.
“Of course, some people experience situations in life that seem so negative that it is difficult to imagine how they can rise above it. Jean-Paul Sartre, at least in his early work, thought that even in such situations, one can respond with a certain ‘attitude’ which can still be positive and which they can take responsibility for. There are times when I think he may have been right, but other times when I am not so sure. Some circumstances seem almost impossible to overcome, psychologically or attitude-wise.”
Youth is truly wasted on the young!!!!
Your body does wear out eventually. Take care of it early. 62 male. It won’t happen to me, I’m invincible. Superhuman.It does and will happen. Listen to your “olders” we have been there done that.
Life is unfair. You can try your best and still not succeed and someone else can have it all without any effort.
You will be forgotten.
All relationships end in loss.
See Also on Bored Panda
We’re all trapped in a dystopian nightmare but it is real life.
A lot of success relies on luck.
That you gain wisdom when you’re too old to steer your life anymore.
That no matter what you do in some way you will always suffer, suffering is part of the human condition.
Life isn’t fair, and not everything happens for a reason.
You are mostly destined for what situation you arrive into. If your Dad has a commercial real estate business when your born. Chances are, more likely than not you will be a commercial real estate owner and be filthy rich and there’s nothing you did great or wonderful to put yourself in that position besides being born into that family and then basically not becoming a d**g addict and ruining your opportunity.Most of us aren’t born into money and that’s why most people don’t have a lot. It’s pretty straight forward. There are outliers and success stories of paupers to princes but the fact is- that’s not very likely. I’m sorry. It doesn’t mean you won’t have a good life, but if you get too fixated on the American dream you will always come up short.The American Dream is no longer for any American- it is for the top 10%.
You spend your life creating memories to look back upon when you get old just to have your mind to forget them.
Living everyday even if you don’t want.
Mine is that every beginning has an end, and everything we hold dear today might be just a memory tomorrow.
I just created 2 amazing humans who I love with all my heart and they will grow old and die. What’s the point?
No matter what you do, there will always be someone that outshines you at whatever it is. For me it’s art.
Each person has a ceiling. Some are higher than others.
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