Comments on: 4 Reasons To Read Meeting Your Half-Orange! http://thedatingoptimist.com/theblog/4-huge-reasons-to-read-meeting-your-half-orange/ a little dose of love and life positivity Fri, 03 Sep 2010 06:08:40 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: admin http://thedatingoptimist.com/theblog/4-huge-reasons-to-read-meeting-your-half-orange/#comment-409 admin Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:19:29 +0000 http://thedatingoptimist.com/?p=1810#comment-409 Wow, those are a lotta big words for a midnight posting! Here's what I'd (dare to!) say: Optimism is a struggle sometimes, not just because it takes energy and determination and seems futile sometimes, but also because so many people see it as too flippant a concept: "Oh, everything's just going to work okay, is it?" It really brings the cynics flocking. I think you're right -- it takes a life lived, fears faced, doubts questioned and hecklers damned to really be able to find the strength in yourself to embrace optimism about something. I don't think we all need to optimistic about everything and it's probably not healthy to be (i.e. we're allowed to, say, be hopeful about our career and pessimistic about the passing of the healthcare package). But I think if we ARE going to be optimistic about anything in life, love's the thing to choose. In fact, in a quick search on Schopenhauer (about whom I knew nothing), I found this quote: "The ultimate aim of all love affairs ... is more important than all other aims in man's life; and therefore it is quite worthy of the profound seriousness with which everyone pursues it." How interesting that for a man who seemed, from what I briefly read, to feel that desire is futile because we'll never get what we want anyway, to feel that love *is* worth it? Gotta love him for that. Guess it's what's behind my perkiness on the subject, too: I just think that love is worth it and optimism will help get you there. Hmm, now I wonder: Did I at all just address what you were commenting on? :) Thanks for writing! —Amy Wow, those are a lotta big words for a midnight posting! Here’s what I’d (dare to!) say: Optimism is a struggle sometimes, not just because it takes energy and determination and seems futile sometimes, but also because so many people see it as too flippant a concept: “Oh, everything’s just going to work okay, is it?” It really brings the cynics flocking. I think you’re right — it takes a life lived, fears faced, doubts questioned and hecklers damned to really be able to find the strength in yourself to embrace optimism about something. I don’t think we all need to optimistic about everything and it’s probably not healthy to be (i.e. we’re allowed to, say, be hopeful about our career and pessimistic about the passing of the healthcare package). But I think if we ARE going to be optimistic about anything in life, love’s the thing to choose. In fact, in a quick search on Schopenhauer (about whom I knew nothing), I found this quote: “The ultimate aim of all love affairs … is more important than all other aims in man’s life; and therefore it is quite worthy of the profound seriousness with which everyone pursues it.” How interesting that for a man who seemed, from what I briefly read, to feel that desire is futile because we’ll never get what we want anyway, to feel that love *is* worth it? Gotta love him for that. Guess it’s what’s behind my perkiness on the subject, too: I just think that love is worth it and optimism will help get you there. Hmm, now I wonder: Did I at all just address what you were commenting on? :) Thanks for writing!
—Amy

]]> By: Simon http://thedatingoptimist.com/theblog/4-huge-reasons-to-read-meeting-your-half-orange/#comment-396 Simon Wed, 03 Feb 2010 05:18:53 +0000 http://thedatingoptimist.com/?p=1810#comment-396 Hi Amy! I was wondering what you thought about that eternal philosophic pessimist Schopenhauer and how his theories might fit in with your half-orange approach. Like you, I am a writer, and sometimes I feel as though we are tempted to package ethereal qualities like optimism in a confining corporate package. I find that I struggle with being optimistic, because I sense it may need to be rooted in a deep confrontation with spiritual doubt, with the temptation of nihilism or aberrant hedonism, with our chilhood heartbreak and trauma, and a consequent triumph over these - to be a really fulfilled, deep optimism. What do you think? Anyway, I love your perky insouciance, and you are really neat looking and cute. Share your thoughts, if you dare... Yours, The Midnight Writer Hi Amy!

I was wondering what you thought about that eternal philosophic pessimist Schopenhauer and how his theories might fit in with your half-orange approach. Like you, I am a writer, and sometimes I feel as though we are tempted to package ethereal qualities like optimism in a confining corporate package. I find that I struggle with being optimistic, because I sense it may need to be rooted in a deep confrontation with spiritual doubt, with the temptation of nihilism or aberrant hedonism, with our chilhood heartbreak and trauma, and a consequent triumph over these – to be a really fulfilled, deep optimism. What do you think? Anyway, I love your perky insouciance, and you are really neat looking and cute. Share your thoughts, if you dare…

Yours,

The Midnight Writer

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