Masayuki SatoIn everyday life, human beings get hurt mentally and are depressed about themselves or relationships etc. Whenever we are in this situation, we want to be helped or encouraged by another person to release a pang as much as possible. However Mark Twain’s saying is completely reverse from our ideas. “The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.” It means if we want to cheer ourselves up, we should cheer somebody else up, even if we are in bad condition. It is really tough to do so because we have no room to encourage someone else when we are down.
Indeed, I have been taught the same thing before from the person whom I respect. When I was very busy and tired from many things, I read the book written by him and found almost the same statement as Mark Twain said. So I tried to encourage a person who was disillusioned at that time. I went to his house and talked with him for a long time. When I went outside to go home, I realized that I was fine more than before coming here. You may not trust me but it is a real story. I must have become high spirit in order to buoy him. And sometimes the things I said by myself lead to my own distress. When I am pessimistic, for instance, I try to say “Don’t think negatively!! Be positive!!” This is encouraging someone else at the same time as encouraging myself, too. As a result, I feel better than before, I think.
It is really difficult to cheer somebody else up when you are depressed. But if you bear your distress with clenched teeth, you may be able to overcome your own suffering and also start to forget about your distress. I will continue to try to cheer up someone who is down from now on.
When things are going wrong and I get very angry, my mother always tells me that thing could surely be even worse. This doesn't help because I get even more angry, but it is true. We, people who live in the civilised word, are far from being the most unfortunate people, but when something doesn't go as planned, we just close our eyes and want it to be solved automatically, we should toughen up!! Life is a rough road, so you better learn to get used and cope with the irregularities of its surface or you will be quite sad.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, as you say, try to find the positive aspects of a certain situation!!
when I was depressed, i would play with my dog, so i think pets can really help to cheer you up!
ReplyDeleteYou're right, I think. Sometimes it is probably even easier to cheer someone else up instead of cheering up yourself.
ReplyDeleteTo make someone happy or laugh lets you forget your problems quite easily i guess.
About the things Santitos said:
Sure, bad things happen and it might help to harden up, cause then it doesn't bother us anymore. The problem is - it doesn't solve the problem and doesn't change the situation.
But you're right when you say it could get worse - "oh no, it rains - well at least it doesn't snow."
Now you have mentioned laugh as a way of making someone else happy, I cannot help remembering a sentence which was once said by a very famous doctor: "Laugh is the best cure against diseases, and, in addition, there is no problem if you exceed the intake".
ReplyDeleteObviously he is talking in a metaphorical way, but isn't it true that you feel better after having had a good laugh?
Laugh is for me one of best weapons that we have to master the struggle against sadness, so please use it as much as you can!!!