This week’s podcast is all about the creative power that comes with being positive…and negative. This episode is about much more than attitude’s effect on productivity, though. We talk about the power of apathy as it can relate to happiness (or at least reducing stress from one’s life). There’s a bit about Pollyannas vs. Doomsayers, and how being extremely positive isn’t always a good thing. We ask if one’s attitude really is as simple as making a decision to be a certain way; also, how people use social media as a platform for their moods. Finally, the episode wraps up with a simple conclusion about life.
Disclaimer: We make a very clear distinction between negativity and depression in this episode. We know that negativity and depression are not synonymous, even though they sometimes move in each others’ shadows. When we speak of negativity in this episode, we are talking about learned behavior or making a choice to be a certain way — not the clinical reasons for some people’s moods beyond their control. At various points in our lives, we have both struggled with depression. At various points in our lives, we were simply negative. We know the difference and do our best to make that distinction in this episode.
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Love the irony how you tell everyone to chill the f@(k out and your music bumper is a song titled Panic Attack 🙂
It’s training, Curtis. If you can endure the Panic Attack and stay chilled, you are as Zen with everything as The Dude in Big Lebowski! (That’s what we all aspire to, right?)
Speaking of The Dude, seen this?
http://www.amazon.com/Dude-Zen-Master-Jeff-Bridges/dp/0399161643/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1365708499&sr=1-1&keywords=jeff+bridges
Nope, did not know that existed — thank you for bringing it to my attention. As a process geek, it looks like a great read. That, and I like the movie, Jeff “What’s Tron” Bridges, and approaching complicated things from a relaxed starting point. Also, I love the Coen Brothers/Koan Brothers thing mentioned in the introduction. Maybe we’ll have to do an occasional episode devoted to particular books. Or a MiGS book club 🙂
Interesting take on writing dark fiction. I tend to write (and read) dark fiction, for the most part. A lot of psychological horror. I find myself flogging my protagonists relentlessly. Gleefully. (Then I edit, of course.)
Also interesting is the friendship thing. I love my solitude, and don’t make friends easily. Also tend to drop friends easily. “Tend” is the key word here. Most of my socializing is online, and even then I limit my interactions.
Recommendations: Lewis Black is a brilliant angry comedian. On youtube, check out Pat Condell and The Amazing Atheist for sarcasm.
Yes, Devo is better than Van Halen. Obviously. 🙂
CMS: I think when one explores darker things, it makes a sense of hope matter more. I was surprised by how upbeat Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore was — and how much I loved it. It’s not the kind of thing I’d want to read all the time. Not that it’s slap happy…there’s still plenty of tension and things happening, but the whole purpose of the story is positive. In a way, I can appreciate how hard that can be to pull off without coming across and sappy and too much.
For me, it’s rare to drop friends. Sometimes I may drift apart from friendships, but I can think of only a couple cases where I was happy even a negative influence was no longer in my life. As I get older, I can see a tendency to not deal with bullshit like I once did; fortunately, even with some of my friendships lasting decades, there’s no baggage.
I like Lewis Black, although when one yells a lot, it becomes hard for me to watch too much. It’s more an appreciation. I meant to mention him in this episode. As I get older, I find I like quieter things. I’m not much of a fan of the Amazing Atheist for that reason. (That, and while I’m a life-long atheist, I don’t seek out atheist stuff online, really. In my own weird way — because I’m an atheist — I tend to not care to argue matters or get myself worked up because my time here is it (I don’t get an afterlife, although I’ve been told by some I’m going to Hell for not believing), and I’d rather look back at the end of my life and see great relationships and things I made instead of realizing I spent countless hours arguing to no avail. That, and I just don’t like arguing about things anymore when I can seek out things I like and people who share those interests that make me happy, instead of having this constant tension building in my shoulders from getting myself worked up.)
Yep, Black does yell, and I normally don’t care for that kind of delivery, but . . he yells so well. lol Maybe it’s his charisma. I enjoy The Amazing Atheist because his delivery is an odd combination of casual and manic, which in my brain, translates as funny. 🙂 Plus he doesn’t limit himself to pointing out the foibles of cults – he tackles a wide variety of foibles. I don’t always agree with him, but I appreciate his sense of humor. 🙂
In his own way, Lewis Black has a positive message to me. He’s like the crazy uncle who’s smart and fed up. When he holds that finger up and gets going, in his own way, he’s saying, “Let’s pull our heads out of our asses, people — we’re better than this!” The points he makes are great. He’s one of the few loud people I’ll let in.
I was a bit surprised by how much credit we gave negativity in this episode. As Shawn and I mentioned, we’re positive almost to the point of annoying. I think we’d both agree that there’s a lot to be said for having gone through darker days, especially when it comes to creative things. Few things, to me, shed light on better things than being able to go genuinely dark with something and show people that — while the world can be a very ugly place — if you’re fortunate enough to not be in one of those ugly places, it’s kind of goofy to sit on Facebook all day complaining about a headache or some tiny thing you’ve allowed to whip you into a frenzy. To me, if that’s the worst thing going on in someone’s day, they’re pretty lucky when compared to most of the world…so lucky that I look at them and think, “Man, you sure make a good thing seem so damn hard!”
I think it was from that view that we eventually came up with “Chill the fuck out, and make the damn thing!” Neither Shawn nor I will claim all everyone needs to do is take it easy and do things they enjoy, but I know there are a lot of people I see online and in person each day who really could be happier if they simply made the choice to not post cryptic jabs at people or spend their time slagging on coworkers and talking about things they actually like.
Words of wisdom, Christopher, including your reply to Wonder below! 🙂 And I admit I kind of envy your ability to set aside all the negativity in the world and just focus on living a good life. But I am better at that compared to a few years ago. I think your environment has more to do with your mood and attitude than people want to admit. Personally, I seek out points of view that are different from my own, so I know what’s going on with the rest of the world. But when I find myself surrounded – in real life – by people who are the complete opposite of me ideologically, behaviorally, philosophically, I find myself irritated and angry more often than not. I now have a deeper understanding and appreciation of “birds of a feather.” Oy vey.
Great show guys.
I agree.
I’m pretty negative and in creativity it plays a major role. Not just in writing but, in comedic values too. I think being surly makes people laugh. Look at Archie Bunker!
On the otherhand, being an atheist, I feel as though I have to balance those two emotions so that way I don’t give atheists a bad name.
Though the more I get older I hate “music these days”.
Keep up the good work!
Thanks so much for listening, Dan; glad you liked what you heard. We usually come up with a few points to discuss before recording, and sometimes we even chat a bit before a show so we know where we’re going. This show surprised me because I think Shawn and I intended it to lean quite a bit more in favor of positive, but we gave negativity — or at least a hearty dose of skepticism or cynicism — its due. As you point out, All in the Family was very popular, and Archie Bunker was a very negative guy (and such a great character). CM Stewart above points out Lewis Black, who — by being “negative” — sheds light on certain things in a way being positive couldn’t. Marc Maron, mentioned in the podcast, it a negative guy but has a huge following…and not just a following of negative people.
Like you, I never want to come off as the angry atheist…there are more than enough of them out there. I think it’s one of the reasons I just…don’t seek things out online having to do with atheism; it’s easy to get wrapped up in it in the same manner I see others with a cause consumed by things. It’s not that I turn a blind eye to things, but if I think about it too much, it does me no good. I suppose in a weird way, one could say I’m an optimistic nihilist, believing there is no purpose to anything, really, except what we make on our own. In that light, it’s a big choice, and I choose to be positive and do the things that make me happy. I really could sit here right now and think of all the horrible things going on in the world and let it rule my day. It’s not that I’m kidding myself or that I do nothing for the causes I believe in; I just know that, for me, the positive choice is the right one.
It’s weird because in some ways, it’s not easy, especially when you’re not a Pollyanna believing all is good. I know how ugly most of the world is. I remember when I was negative — it was an easier choice for me, but it took a greater toll on my productivity and health. There’s more of an effort (for me) in being positive, but it eventually became this thing that fed itself and is now just the way I am. I get more done and don’t drag around like I once did. More effort, but a better reward.
As far as “music these days,” I think I always disliked most popular music, even when I was younger and supposed to like the music that was fed to me. Now…I think there’s more great music out there than any other time in history, but you have to dig a bit for it. There are so many genres that some genres don’t fit into where people try putting them, and I think that’s great. Being able to hop online and find people who like similar music and ask, “Hey, I like this band — what else is similar?” or even using the algorithms of Amazon, Spotify, and other services, I can now find an obscure band on the other side of the world doing what I like. For example, through Creative Commons licenses, I found a surf band out of Belgium called Pirato Ketchup and I’m now what, I guess, you’d consider online buds with a couple members. That wouldn’t have happened when I was younger. Unless it was on the radio, or found in a record store, a wider variety of music simply wasn’t available to me.
Thanks again for listening and replying. Hope we keep doing stuff you find interesting!