[Ailist] Re: "staying positive"

[Howard Ditkoff]

The point I've been trying to make is that the words "positive" and "negative" in describing emotions really don't have any meaning. Try defining them and you'll find that you have to use other, much more specific words, to say what you really mean by them. And you'll also find that those other words make clear how much confusion there is in trying to label these emotions.

Why is sadness "negative"? Sadness can be an indicator of a situation that you need to leave, leading to a very "positive" outcome. Is joy necessarily "positive"? What if you get joy from doing something that in the end turns out to be very unhealthy? Then was it "positive"?

It's clear to me that what most people mean by these words are simply things that feel pleasant vs. things that feel unpleasant in the short term. If all we're after is short-term pleasant feelings, then we're basically just preaching hedonism. And I'm sure that isn't what we really are preaching.

For me it, it comes back to health which equals wholeness which encompasses everything - pleasant and unpleasant - that helps one reach their full potential.

Best,
Howard
Website: http://www.SystemsThinker.com
Blog: http://blog.SystemsThinker.com
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----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael L. Schwartz" <mschwartz at positiveconcepts.biz>
To: "'Cheri'" <cheri at mobileteamchallenge.com>; "'Plummer, Carolyn'" <Carolyn.Plummer at uhn.on.ca>; "'Howard Ditkoff'" <howard at emergentassociates.com>; <ailist at lists.business.utah.edu>
Sent: Saturday, November 22, 2008 11:37 PM
Subject: RE: [Ailist] Re: "staying positive"


Are "positive" and "negative" emotions opposites?

Consider the Eastern philosophy of yin yang. These are "opposing" forces that are "rooted together". Without darkness there can be on light. Without summer there can be no winter. Or, maybe, it's really that without darkness light has no meaning and without winter summer has no meaning.

Ca we extrapolate, the, and say that negative emotions (sadness, depression, etc) are what give positive emotions (happiness, joy, etc) meaning?

Michael L Schwartz, PE, PMP
President
Positive Concepts, Inc.
Phone: 248 828 7701
Fax: 248 828 7708
Email: MSchwartz at PositiveConcepts.biz
Web: www.PositiveConcepts.biz

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