RE: Glass Half Empty Or Half Full?
I am. I think we all are, until we give up life.
You've introduced a very compelling aspect of that dichotomy.
There is an additional element to determined whether or not the assessment of the half-fullness or half-emptyness of the glass is a psychological attitude that may or may not be good to have.
Time:
When was the assessment made?
If the glass had just been served and is, say, a half-glass of scotch and someone says, "what a pity, only half", this person obviously needs to be institutionalized! :)
It's a scotch, damn it and it is about to be enjoyed!
Some people do have that attitude about just anything and become very annoying.
But even if it is half a cigarette that have been handed out. Some may see it as an insulting leftover, while for others just a suck-in may mean the world.
In any case, it is always good to add layers to the palette of possibilities. empty or full is as extremes as good or evil, black or white.
Well said, @hlezama.
Being able to enjoy what is in front of us, even if we wish for more, is how we're going to get through life without making ourselves and others around us miserable. Wanting more is not so bad, as long as we're willing and able to work for it, which many more of us are than those who can't do it. Sacrifices may be needed, and it may mean years of hard work, and it might not show until the next generation, but the opportunity, however small, is there, and so must be the will.
And reassessing our situation on a regular basis is a good thing. Not obsessively, but periodically, so that enough time can pass to see where we're going and how fast. Also, humans have a fascinating way of acclimating to new norms on a regular basis, so what may have seemed so bad is viewed as somewhere in between (and likewise for what appears good), even though materialistically, little has changed.
Always more than one way to look at things—the layers of which you speak—and the more we're aware of them and know what they mean and interact with one another, the better decisions we can make, and the better off we'll be. :)