Sometimes I get into funks where, not only does nothing feel right, but it feels like nothing can make anything feel right.
If you know what I mean, we should talk. If you don't, stay with me for a little bit.
The way I see it, when a person is unhappy, there are only two ways that they could have reached that state. Either:
1) Something unusually unsettling has happened externally that has caused some sort of trauma to a person -- for example, a car accident, getting yelled at by a boss, heat exhaustion, getting lost, facing racism, or disappointment and so on and so forth.
-Or-
2) An unhappy thought, once started, is allowed to feed continuously on a stream of negative emotions. In other words, a person becomes so fixated on one unhappy thought that all events that occur thereafter are experienced, understood and reflected upon in the dark blue light of that one unhappy thought. Therefore, good experiences are no longer as good, not because the experience itself was not good, but because a person, in the fixation of their unhappy mind, has chosen to believe that that experience was not good enough in light of their unhappiness.
The more volatile of the two would be, I say, the second one. The first one can be very traumatic and physically dangerous, but the reason why I say the second one is the more volatile one is because it is the one that is spiritually oppressing, and when a person is spiritually oppressed, then that is when they become a danger to themselves and to others. When a person allows him- or herself to become spiritually oppressed by unhappiness, then they become desperate and start considering risky, irrational, and/or rash solutions. Depression, anger, discontent, apathy, all come knocking with tempting explanations for why it's everyone else's fault for why you feel the way you do.
For myself, I know that as a person that finds a sense of release and fulfillment in artistic expression, I am highly susceptible to unhappiness (in the #2 sense). Sometimes it begins with a metaphysical flirtation with unhappy thoughts; the desired result being inspiration for a profound piece of writing. It sounds wrong, but I don't believe it's an uncommon occurrence for people to make themselves unhappy because they believe life becomes more romantic (not in terms of love interest; more like wistful or otherworldly) or meaningful that way.
We were all constructed for fulfillment (emotionally, physically and spiritually) by God in order to experience the greatest fulfillment in God (in the fulfillment of His divine plan, of His will in each of our lives, and in the "uninterrupt[ed]...communion with [God]" <Matthew Henry, paragraph 3>). The problem is that instead of seeking that fulfillment out in God (in meditation on His word, good company, prayer and daily living out the calling laid out by Jesus Christ), we try instead to look for ways to bring about the symptoms of fulfillment.
Examples of symptoms of fulfillment include: feelings of elation, having good things, winning the approval (or, in some cases, just the attention is enough) of others.
When people make themselves unhappy, it's two things at once: a response to not having fulfillment and another attempt to fill the void of unfulfillment. The sad and sick sense of satisfaction that there is in being perpetually unhappy can come from placing blame (on everyone else, of course) and feeling something identifiable yet inexplicable at the same time, making it seemingly mysterious and deep, when really it's all just shallow appearances stemming from a deep need.
Basically, my conclusion is that there is no good reason for being unhappy. So, speaking to myself as much as to anybody else, since there is no good reason for being unhappy, don't be unhappy. Don't feed Unhappy with wanton emotions, because he will bite your freaking hand off, then grow into a monster and eventually completely consume you.
I don't mean to make any sweeping statements about people and trivialize depression and other real biological/mental disorders. People with depression, bipolar complexes, or other emotionally disturbed disorders need and should get treatment for it.
Lots of abstract thought going on here. If you've made it this far in reading, I commend you and ask that you respond with any thoughts, musings, thoughtful questions or counterpoints you may have.
Gratzi, and God bless.
If you know what I mean, we should talk. If you don't, stay with me for a little bit.
The way I see it, when a person is unhappy, there are only two ways that they could have reached that state. Either:
1) Something unusually unsettling has happened externally that has caused some sort of trauma to a person -- for example, a car accident, getting yelled at by a boss, heat exhaustion, getting lost, facing racism, or disappointment and so on and so forth.
-Or-
2) An unhappy thought, once started, is allowed to feed continuously on a stream of negative emotions. In other words, a person becomes so fixated on one unhappy thought that all events that occur thereafter are experienced, understood and reflected upon in the dark blue light of that one unhappy thought. Therefore, good experiences are no longer as good, not because the experience itself was not good, but because a person, in the fixation of their unhappy mind, has chosen to believe that that experience was not good enough in light of their unhappiness.
The more volatile of the two would be, I say, the second one. The first one can be very traumatic and physically dangerous, but the reason why I say the second one is the more volatile one is because it is the one that is spiritually oppressing, and when a person is spiritually oppressed, then that is when they become a danger to themselves and to others. When a person allows him- or herself to become spiritually oppressed by unhappiness, then they become desperate and start considering risky, irrational, and/or rash solutions. Depression, anger, discontent, apathy, all come knocking with tempting explanations for why it's everyone else's fault for why you feel the way you do.
For myself, I know that as a person that finds a sense of release and fulfillment in artistic expression, I am highly susceptible to unhappiness (in the #2 sense). Sometimes it begins with a metaphysical flirtation with unhappy thoughts; the desired result being inspiration for a profound piece of writing. It sounds wrong, but I don't believe it's an uncommon occurrence for people to make themselves unhappy because they believe life becomes more romantic (not in terms of love interest; more like wistful or otherworldly) or meaningful that way.
We were all constructed for fulfillment (emotionally, physically and spiritually) by God in order to experience the greatest fulfillment in God (in the fulfillment of His divine plan, of His will in each of our lives, and in the "uninterrupt[ed]...communion with [God]" <Matthew Henry, paragraph 3>). The problem is that instead of seeking that fulfillment out in God (in meditation on His word, good company, prayer and daily living out the calling laid out by Jesus Christ), we try instead to look for ways to bring about the symptoms of fulfillment.
Examples of symptoms of fulfillment include: feelings of elation, having good things, winning the approval (or, in some cases, just the attention is enough) of others.
When people make themselves unhappy, it's two things at once: a response to not having fulfillment and another attempt to fill the void of unfulfillment. The sad and sick sense of satisfaction that there is in being perpetually unhappy can come from placing blame (on everyone else, of course) and feeling something identifiable yet inexplicable at the same time, making it seemingly mysterious and deep, when really it's all just shallow appearances stemming from a deep need.
Basically, my conclusion is that there is no good reason for being unhappy. So, speaking to myself as much as to anybody else, since there is no good reason for being unhappy, don't be unhappy. Don't feed Unhappy with wanton emotions, because he will bite your freaking hand off, then grow into a monster and eventually completely consume you.
I don't mean to make any sweeping statements about people and trivialize depression and other real biological/mental disorders. People with depression, bipolar complexes, or other emotionally disturbed disorders need and should get treatment for it.
Lots of abstract thought going on here. If you've made it this far in reading, I commend you and ask that you respond with any thoughts, musings, thoughtful questions or counterpoints you may have.
Gratzi, and God bless.
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