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:: Thursday, July 03, 2003 ::
I ran across a marvelous article on the Star Tribune web site. It's titled "Defending the right not to have a nice day." Ever get tired of people telling you to "Have a nice dayyyyy." George Carlin, once one of America's greatest curmudgeons had a great bit about "Having a nice day." Too bad he's become such a parody of himself, now he's just an old asshat. Anyway, here's a quote from the article:
Indeed, these are tough times for America's cranks, complainers and curmudgeons. Maybe Americans aren't in the mood for pessimism because so much is genuinely wrong. And in a culture dominated by the relentlessly cheery ethos of the self-help movement, grumps and contrarians are frequently dismissed as mildly delusional, or worse, viewed as malignancies that must be isolated and cut out.
Great, now I feel like a tumor. I like this part of the article in particular. We cranks have been driven underground, complaining is for wussies, and to be a curmudgeon is just plain NUTS. HA! Read on.
"It's telling people there's one way to be -- smile, be positive," she said. "First you feel bad, then you're told you're defective for not being cheerful about it." Held added that the pervasive feeling that iconoclastic ideas are unhealthy may be depriving younger Americans of what she called "the right nutrients to grow a curmudgeonly attitude."
The first question that came to *my* sick mind when I read this passage was: OK, just what ARE the right nutrients for growing a curmudgeonly attitude? Hmm. Time to get youngsters drinking strong black coffee, chain smoking, and chewing on rusty nails I think. If that doesn't make you gnarly, nothing will. But I like her angle. These positive touchy-feely types tell us "Feel good because you feel bad!" SMILE! Phooey. When I feel bad, I want to feel bad, get your smiley face away from me! Grrr. Another excerpt.
In laboratory studies, she said, she has found that defensive pessimists can do better at everything from puzzles to throwing darts if they are allowed to engage in anxious worrying beforehand. Show the pessimists a nice relaxing nature video before the tasks, and they do worse. The lesson, Norem said, is not that everyone should be negative, but rather, that pessimists and curmudgeons should get in touch with their inner negativity and embrace it.
YES! To hell with "finding your inner child," Cranky Pants' unite! Grab your inner curmudgeon and turn that smile upside down.
Have what ever kind of day you want.
:: PokemonGuy101 11:16 AM [+] ::
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