You've managed to pack almost every paragraph with some point that invites elaboration. Good stuff.
I'll touch on just one for now - "In general I think we can admit that people complain about things with far more energy, creativity or gusto than they would ever employ for praise." - assuming you imply humans and/or things, situations, etc created by humans, I think it's just objectively so. In this world there are much fewer things to praise, apart from maybe nature. I personally have no problem complimenting anyone or anything when indeed it's called for.
The culture, though, calls for expressing positivity always - smiling, praising, etc - but when there's no underlying reason for it, it just looks and sounds fake.
Oh for sure, fake positivity is one of my biggest pet peeves, especially because it’s usually just so airy and meaningless. ‘Oh just put yourself out there!! The right job/ person/ opportunity will manifest itself!’ Like it might…. It might not?
But I specifically meant that people seem keener, sharper, funnier, more poetic even when they’re criticizing. Not just in the sense that there are many things to criticize (I totally agree by the way). But imagine, say, a movie you love, and a movie you hate. Imagine having to describe them both to someone who hasn’t seen them. In my experience, your hated movie description will often have more zing and passion than your loved movie description.
"But I specifically meant that people seem keener, sharper, funnier, more poetic even when they’re criticizing." - that indeed seems the case.
Could it be the state of liking in a way is less nuanced, less "controversial"? More difficult to express colorfully? Which would be an indictment to the human condition indeed - humans just spend more time hating (probably objectively too) and managed to develop more intricate language/emotions there 🤷♂️
Yes I think this is it exactly!! Basically we like things by going ‘I really like this’ and we hate things with the passion of a thousand burning suns. Possibly dislike has been more advantageous in the evolutionary sense. It also reminds me of Leo Tolstoy and his "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way” quote. There is depth to suffering that joy doesn’t reach?
You've managed to pack almost every paragraph with some point that invites elaboration. Good stuff.
I'll touch on just one for now - "In general I think we can admit that people complain about things with far more energy, creativity or gusto than they would ever employ for praise." - assuming you imply humans and/or things, situations, etc created by humans, I think it's just objectively so. In this world there are much fewer things to praise, apart from maybe nature. I personally have no problem complimenting anyone or anything when indeed it's called for.
The culture, though, calls for expressing positivity always - smiling, praising, etc - but when there's no underlying reason for it, it just looks and sounds fake.
Oh for sure, fake positivity is one of my biggest pet peeves, especially because it’s usually just so airy and meaningless. ‘Oh just put yourself out there!! The right job/ person/ opportunity will manifest itself!’ Like it might…. It might not?
But I specifically meant that people seem keener, sharper, funnier, more poetic even when they’re criticizing. Not just in the sense that there are many things to criticize (I totally agree by the way). But imagine, say, a movie you love, and a movie you hate. Imagine having to describe them both to someone who hasn’t seen them. In my experience, your hated movie description will often have more zing and passion than your loved movie description.
Also your user name is really cool ⭐️
"But I specifically meant that people seem keener, sharper, funnier, more poetic even when they’re criticizing." - that indeed seems the case.
Could it be the state of liking in a way is less nuanced, less "controversial"? More difficult to express colorfully? Which would be an indictment to the human condition indeed - humans just spend more time hating (probably objectively too) and managed to develop more intricate language/emotions there 🤷♂️
Yes I think this is it exactly!! Basically we like things by going ‘I really like this’ and we hate things with the passion of a thousand burning suns. Possibly dislike has been more advantageous in the evolutionary sense. It also reminds me of Leo Tolstoy and his "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way” quote. There is depth to suffering that joy doesn’t reach?