Empathy, Sympathy, and Positivity

For a class I was tasked with being positive for an entire day. Nothing but positivity. I have officially struggled with anxiety and depression since freshman year of college but I was undiagnosed long before then. Positivity day came and went relatively smooth for me, because on any typical day I regularly have to tell myself to be positive. Positivity day however, got me thinking about what it means to be positive.

In the class we had a light discussion about positivity, just so we could get some direction as to how we should act on positivity day. A lot of the conversation described positivity as, “blocking out negative thoughts and focusing on the positive.” That definition didn’t really sit quite well with me. It felt a lot like sympathy. I define sympathy as looking for the silver lining to counteract the negative feeling.

“You came in last place at the district track meet, but at least you made it this far.”

“You didn’t get the job, but that place sucked anyway.”

“You’re girlfriend broke up with you, but at least you don’t have to pay for any more expensive dates.”

These are examples of sympathy that a person who is bad at comforting others says to someone who is hurt. While it probably isn’t voiced, the class description acts in the same way. It blocks out the negativity and focuses on the positive. I don’t know if you’ve ever head the above examples said to you before, but it doesn’t do much good to help me feel better.

I want my definition of positivity to be based in empathy. Empathy is recognizing and understanding emotions and connecting with the person having them. I want to have a deep understanding of my negative emotions, let them flow through me like water, but rather than acting on them I choose to put out positive energy into the world. By not rejecting negativity, this not only helps me understand myself, but also the world around me. The world is what I make it, so I won’t waste it crying over spilled milk.

Blessings,

Gerundio

I don’t normally write articles. I don’t have a website or a mailing list, but you want you can follow me on my insta @willsinfluence lol.