Personally, I don't always agree with the "if you haven't got anything nice to say, don't say it". I agree with it if it's taken in a way to mean "don't be a complete bitch and be mean to people when they didn't want to know your opinion". However, I don't agree with the side of it that means you shouldn't say anything negative at all. Constructive criticism can be negative, but it's motive is to help people improve, which I think leads to a positive result. Also, some things are negative and I think we should be able to talk about these negative things in a negative way. We shouldn't just avoid every negative thing; that wouldn't make me more optimistic or positive. If anything, I'd feel worse for not having an outlet to talk about negative things openly.
"they can get time cards allowing them to be negative for a certain period of time."
I'm not sure how that'd work, though. Maybe I'm just speaking for myself here, but my emotions aren't like a switch. It's not like I can switch from "positive mode" to "negative mode". I can't manipulate my feelings like that. I'll be negative when I feel like it, not when I'm "allowed" a set time to be.
To be honest, I really just don't like the idea. If you'd wanted to focus on helping people deal with their negative feelings in a way that's effective for them; helping them find ways to de-stress, to control their anger (if that's a problem they have), help them deal with situations properly so that they don't have to bitch behind people's back and never solve issues they have with people because of it, *then* I'd be more on board. I've took what you've said as repression. Telling people it's illegal to act in a way that they normally would. That doesn't seem effective to me, unless you want to scare people into submission and make them change themselves. Although, I probably took that too far, especially as you haven't even said what the punishment would be. Plus, this is hypothetical.:P And you have got this aspect across more in your reply to me, in the third paragraph.
I've been called pessimistic before. I've been called cynical too. There are cases where someone else is responsible for those negative feelings. For example, politicians are an obvious example. A lot of people don't trust or like politicians. Should we be expected to remove all our negative feelings about politicians rather than dealing with the cause (politicians:P)?
My theory, is that everyone is born good and positive, but because of their environment, they form into what they are today. And the longer you think a certain way, the longer and harder it is going to stick.
So if people truly wanted to be more of a positive person (which may even be the only type of people we want for the show), then it's going to take time and practice. And if they need help adjusting, then we have people on hand for that.
I read a story about a woman addicted to cigarettes. She wanted to stop, but tried everything and couldn't. Her last resort was to punch the first cop she saw in the face, so she could get about 60 days in jail, and be forced to quit cold turkey. A little unorthodox, but it works.
I'm not sure about that hypothesis. People have negative emotions no matter what environment they live in and were brought up in. Demonising negative emotions isn't going to make people learn to be happier - it's going to make them feel guilty for not being happy which will in turn make them feel worse. It's a vicious circle. You can train behaviours, but I don't think you can train people to feel emotions since emotions are so much more complex and they're not conscious; I can't just snap my fingers and decide to be happy or sad or angry regardless of whether I want to.
At the most basic level emotions are chemical reactions to stimuli, and you can't control the your body's chemical reactions to stimuli. Not allowing people to feel perfectly natural emotions without guilt is repressive not matter which way you look at it and it causes huge amounts of stress.
How about instead of repressing people's negative emotions, you teach them about the benefits of positive thinking? Allow people the freedom to feel negative, and instead of demonising negative feeling you can be more positive yourself and show the benefits of positive thinking.
No, you don't have to remove feelings for politicians, and if you want to express them to someone, then write your congressmen or tell people online (which my mom has PLENTY to say about all the wrong/bad things the government is doing, and she tells her state representatives and newspapers about it). But bitching, moaning, and arguing about it isn't going to do a thing, and is the type of unnecessary negativity that makes me uncomfortable.
Things like constructive criticism which are intended in a positive way, wouldn't be considered negative.
The whole idea of the show is to help people practice seeing the good in things, and after practicing nothing but positivity for a period of time, then their minds may be more apt to think of things more positively in the future. So in order to do this, people need to stay positive through out, in order to train their brain. Retrain your brain? Yes! RE TRAAAIN YOUR BRAIAIAIINN (sorry that commercial came to mind)
Personally, emotions are a thing I can simply turn on and off whenever I feel like it. But how the time cards would work, is that you have a card to hold onto, so you don't have to "turn your feelings on." And as you live your life, if you have something negative that you absolutely have to say, then you use the time card. Maybe it can be a punch card instead.
But like I said, when faced with a positive reward, or a card allowing you to be negative, which one will people choose?
I can see that this isn't the world for you, which is fine. I just know that if a genie granted me one wish, it would be to live in a world full of nothing but positive energy. So I think maybe if the experiment worked out, and it made the people want to be more positive, then maybe other people will see this and maybe give it a chance. There is nothing in this world like the power of positive thinking.
What do you think of this social project?
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Personally, I don't always agree with the "if you haven't got anything nice to say, don't say it". I agree with it if it's taken in a way to mean "don't be a complete bitch and be mean to people when they didn't want to know your opinion". However, I don't agree with the side of it that means you shouldn't say anything negative at all. Constructive criticism can be negative, but it's motive is to help people improve, which I think leads to a positive result. Also, some things are negative and I think we should be able to talk about these negative things in a negative way. We shouldn't just avoid every negative thing; that wouldn't make me more optimistic or positive. If anything, I'd feel worse for not having an outlet to talk about negative things openly.
"they can get time cards allowing them to be negative for a certain period of time."
I'm not sure how that'd work, though. Maybe I'm just speaking for myself here, but my emotions aren't like a switch. It's not like I can switch from "positive mode" to "negative mode". I can't manipulate my feelings like that. I'll be negative when I feel like it, not when I'm "allowed" a set time to be.
To be honest, I really just don't like the idea. If you'd wanted to focus on helping people deal with their negative feelings in a way that's effective for them; helping them find ways to de-stress, to control their anger (if that's a problem they have), help them deal with situations properly so that they don't have to bitch behind people's back and never solve issues they have with people because of it, *then* I'd be more on board. I've took what you've said as repression. Telling people it's illegal to act in a way that they normally would. That doesn't seem effective to me, unless you want to scare people into submission and make them change themselves. Although, I probably took that too far, especially as you haven't even said what the punishment would be. Plus, this is hypothetical.:P And you have got this aspect across more in your reply to me, in the third paragraph.
I've been called pessimistic before. I've been called cynical too. There are cases where someone else is responsible for those negative feelings. For example, politicians are an obvious example. A lot of people don't trust or like politicians. Should we be expected to remove all our negative feelings about politicians rather than dealing with the cause (politicians:P)?
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My theory, is that everyone is born good and positive, but because of their environment, they form into what they are today. And the longer you think a certain way, the longer and harder it is going to stick.
So if people truly wanted to be more of a positive person (which may even be the only type of people we want for the show), then it's going to take time and practice. And if they need help adjusting, then we have people on hand for that.
I read a story about a woman addicted to cigarettes. She wanted to stop, but tried everything and couldn't. Her last resort was to punch the first cop she saw in the face, so she could get about 60 days in jail, and be forced to quit cold turkey. A little unorthodox, but it works.
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I'm not sure about that hypothesis. People have negative emotions no matter what environment they live in and were brought up in. Demonising negative emotions isn't going to make people learn to be happier - it's going to make them feel guilty for not being happy which will in turn make them feel worse. It's a vicious circle. You can train behaviours, but I don't think you can train people to feel emotions since emotions are so much more complex and they're not conscious; I can't just snap my fingers and decide to be happy or sad or angry regardless of whether I want to.
At the most basic level emotions are chemical reactions to stimuli, and you can't control the your body's chemical reactions to stimuli. Not allowing people to feel perfectly natural emotions without guilt is repressive not matter which way you look at it and it causes huge amounts of stress.
How about instead of repressing people's negative emotions, you teach them about the benefits of positive thinking? Allow people the freedom to feel negative, and instead of demonising negative feeling you can be more positive yourself and show the benefits of positive thinking.
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Geez, I've always wondered why there is so much hate in this world. Apparently it's because people don't even want to be good, not that they can't be.
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Umm... what? I never said that.
No, you don't have to remove feelings for politicians, and if you want to express them to someone, then write your congressmen or tell people online (which my mom has PLENTY to say about all the wrong/bad things the government is doing, and she tells her state representatives and newspapers about it). But bitching, moaning, and arguing about it isn't going to do a thing, and is the type of unnecessary negativity that makes me uncomfortable.
Things like constructive criticism which are intended in a positive way, wouldn't be considered negative.
The whole idea of the show is to help people practice seeing the good in things, and after practicing nothing but positivity for a period of time, then their minds may be more apt to think of things more positively in the future. So in order to do this, people need to stay positive through out, in order to train their brain. Retrain your brain? Yes! RE TRAAAIN YOUR BRAIAIAIINN (sorry that commercial came to mind)
Personally, emotions are a thing I can simply turn on and off whenever I feel like it. But how the time cards would work, is that you have a card to hold onto, so you don't have to "turn your feelings on." And as you live your life, if you have something negative that you absolutely have to say, then you use the time card. Maybe it can be a punch card instead.
But like I said, when faced with a positive reward, or a card allowing you to be negative, which one will people choose?
I can see that this isn't the world for you, which is fine. I just know that if a genie granted me one wish, it would be to live in a world full of nothing but positive energy. So I think maybe if the experiment worked out, and it made the people want to be more positive, then maybe other people will see this and maybe give it a chance. There is nothing in this world like the power of positive thinking.