“Positive” by Peter Graf
On a news report today about living longer it says that optimist leave longer than pessimist. For most of my life I have been called an optimist but probably now many would say I am not. Part of the reason was a change in myself and part a change in society.
In the society being critical used to be considered an asset. Questioning things, debating, critical conversations were a sign of respect and good will. Now days if you criticize too much or enter into a creative conflict of differences you are seen, often, as a troublemaker. You can criticize conservatives or liberals, Democrats or Republicans but to criticize both sides of one or the other is considered being negative. “If you cannot say anything nice just do not say anything.”
The other change has been in me. After the shadow of death descending upon me I have been more aware of the communion of people and more sensitive to death destruction wherever it occurs. Being aware of death can be peaceful but people do not see it this way. If you remind them of the terrible deaths “Killer Drones are causing in Pakistan you are being a pessimist and people do not like to listen to a pessimist.
So as society changes to avoid personal conflict among friends and loved ones and I change to be more aware of suffering and death in the world around me some would say I am no longer an optimist.
But I believe I am the same old optimist. On the other side of death and destruction is life and wonder. Part of the criticism and pointing out flaws comes out of love and respect for the other person or institution. If I did not care about a liberal friend who are silent when Democrats do things they would criticize if a Republican did the same thing or about the Catholic Jesuit institution of Marquette University training killing, I would simply be silent and indifferent when they do things I find going against the values or standards they stand for. As Elie Wiesel said: “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.”
The above is not to excuse myself from being negative. Being negative as a reaction to something is not good. It is better to take in the negative, as nonviolence teaches, and keep on moving ahead, if that means taking positive action, resisting or criticizing. A person with a positive and optimistic attitude will live longer, I believe, as long they are true to themselves.
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