RE: Prompt of the day “Small Talk” - New Age Philosopher
Yea I totally agree the question “how are you?” is a standard greeting with the expected answer of “fine” or “good” followed with “how about you?” I find it fairly impersonal though I still feel compelled just by asking to actually take a look at myself to give an honest personal answer.
I tried for years to hide my depression with a smile, your definitely correct there but as of late I find the energy required to uphold that facade evades me. I would much rather just “keep it real” so if I’m feeling extremely low unless you wish to know the truth asking me is going to be more then your bargaining for. I have asked myself several times who am I presenting this false state of happiness for? Who does it benefit if the energy it takes to uphold the state drains me feeling lower in the end? Now I’m more on a search for peace within my ups and downs rather then a search for happiness because in my mind searching for happiness does not being peace but searching for peace does bring happiness. Sometimes that may mean peace and quiet 😉 as it’s hard to fully explore your low feelings if constantly distracting yourself from them.
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Totally agree! We have this discussion a lot around here. For one, why mental unwellness is still so stigmatized. If someone has an upset stomach, everyone feels sorry for them.
If the same person has an upset mind, nobody wants to know about it.
I have a feeling that the non-acceptance is part of our new society of being shown happy, happy wherever you look.
While it is true that people always kept up the facade, I think the bombardment with fake happiness (FB, Instagram, even Steem) hasn't been that constant. The "odd" person was very much part of society as was the grandma sighing all day.
On top, we have the New Age teachings that we are responsible for our own happiness and if we aren't happy, we are failures - that make it hard to be real.
don't get me wrong, I do like a lot of the New Ageism, and I do think that we have a lot of control about how we feel in general - like food, exercise, the people and things we surround ourselves with - but we aren't 100% in control.
Embrace the dark times - they often give birth to the next great thing... At least that is what I am trying to do...
Yea I think your on to something there, we are encouraged to be happy even if being fake for the sake of others which just furthers the stigmatism if feeling any other way. Further that happiness is pushed through materialism for a consumeristic agenda, seems like a never fulfilling cycle to me.
The embracing of the negative feelings to give birth to new things is a good way of describing how I ended up on Steemit and my journey once I got here.
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