Dispersing Negativity

Speeding tickets, traffic accidents, random arguments, overwork, underappreciation--throughout everyday existence, life doles out numerous situations that produce stress. And it provides countless encounters with individuals making our words a less-enjoyable place.

Even browsing the Internet can suffuse your once-bright reality with endless dollops of misery. The web is awash with hateful comments, with hurtful insults, with insensitive individuals deriving personal enjoyment from your pain.

Negativity surrounds us at all turns, and at times seems pervasive across this reality. Yet over it we have great power, for it can only spread when we make the mistake of paying it forward.

Human beings have an interesting response to negative stimuli. Upon absorbing that energy they store it inside, then release it anew unto others. We suffer through situations that make us unhappy, then pass those agonies on to those around us.

A man comes home from a stressful day of work then starts a screaming argument with his wife. The wife runs off sobbing then ends up yelling at her children. The children attend school the next morning and get in fights on the playground.

Like a virus, negativity spreads virulent across those who come into contact with it. Like a plague, it slowly destroys everything it touches.

That cycle has been going on since time immemorial, and forever it will continue--unless we each choose to do something about it.

When negativity strikes our lives like lightning, when it ignites our world aflame, we can allow instinct to dominate and store it inside until it seeps out into others. Or... we can make a voluntary choice to let it disperse.

Upon suffering some calamity, upon experiencing something undesirable, upon getting irritated and fed up with life--instead of letting that negative energy use your body as a conduit to spread itself further across the world, let it perish with you:

Make a vow to let it spread no further. Set an intention to suffocate it until it dies.

Instead of paying it forward, murder it incessantly. Slaughter it on the spot and let that sickness continue no further.

Irritants strike us all. Aggravating situations strike at random. But when they occur, do everything in your power to keep a smile on your face.

Do everything possible to keep those adverse emotions from infecting others--and let that negativity atrophy until finally it'll disperse.

a reply to: Trachel

I so agree, negativity breeds negativity. Not much to elaborate on for me, you said it all so well.

Except laughter really is the best medicine and also it helps to try and see the humor in situations when at all possible. And take a look around, there is no end to ridiculous things going on around us constantly.

I say it's not life and death, well unless it really is life and death.

a reply to: Hidinout

I think you said it really well too... after all, I only addressed the problem. You gave the solution.

Laugh it off when possible, find the humor and magic in the world.

Or if all else fails, do it like Taylor Swift and shake it off.

a reply to: Trachel

Please man at least keep your drug fueled nonsense self consistent

If you get the life you deserve through karma then any negatives are also karmic and you deserve those too

ugh this new age woo is ridiculous. ..

or any be it's my lack of that "medicine" you love

While it may not be the healthiest approach, what I do when getting the receiving end of negativity is to simply not get offended by it. I picked up on this simple solution from a psychologist (Dr. Ray Guarendi) a while back. Not only do humans pass the rage pipe so to speak, but on the other side of the spectrum is this self righteous forgiveness people may inflict upon themselves thinking they must excuse everyone for their transgressions... however minute they may be. This creates a false sense of martyrdom in the individual, giving the illusion of insults when an offender wasn't even trying.

Personally I try not to let people bother me at all, in particular if they're a stranger. Their opinion shouldn't mean diddly to you, especially if you just met them. As for holding onto grudges, it's like continuing to let the person bother you. How does that benefit you? All you're doing is continuing to let them harm you even after the incident:



Thanks Buddha.

a reply to: Trachel

Well thank you so much. It's almost too simple isn't it.

Some people however don't seem to have any sense of humor or a sense of the absurd.

Life is too important to take seriously. Oscar Wilde

a reply to: Another_Nut

Starred your posts. I star all your posts towards me.

And I genuinely hope your life improves.

Take care!

originally posted by: Septimus
While it may not be the healthiest approach, what I do when getting the receiving end of negativity is to simply not get offended by it. I picked up on this simple solution from a psychologist (Dr. Ray Guarendi) a while back. Not only do humans pass the rage pipe so to speak, but on the other side of the spectrum is this self righteous forgiveness people may inflict upon themselves thinking they must excuse everyone for their transgressions... however minute they may be. This creates a false sense of martyrdom in the individual, giving the illusion of insults when an offender wasn't even trying.

Personally I try not to let people bother me at all, in particular if they're a stranger. Their opinion shouldn't mean diddly to you, especially if you just met them. As for holding onto grudges, it's like continuing to let the person bother you. How does that benefit you? All you're doing is continuing to let them harm you even after the incident:

Awesome point(s)--the best outcome is letting negativity pass through you without allowing it affect you at all. Second best is avoiding passing on those adverse feelings until they disperse.

Good quote by the Buddha, but WHY IS THE MONKEY QUOTING BUDDHA? Riddle me that!

a reply to: Septimus

A persons needs to let things roll off their back, like water on a Duck.

When I start to read some of the posts on this forum, the really negative posts from people, I tend to side step them, like a dog turd on the sidewalk, it's good to be aware of them, but sidestepping, instead of walking right in it is the best approach.

a reply to: Trachel

Never stick up for your self, be a passive victim, feign positivity because it makes you look happier—this sounds like the quick road to depression.

Turn the other cheek so your master can strike you another time. The morality of slaves.

originally posted by: LesMisanthrope
a reply to: Trachel

Never stick up for your self, be a passive victim, feign positivity because it makes you look happier—this sounds like the quick road to depression.

Turn the other cheek so your master can strike you another time. The morality of slaves.

Unsure where those ideas came from--they certainly weren't in the OP.

My personal philosophy is more like always stick up for yourself, never be a passive victim, and remain positive so it makes the lives of OTHER people better.

Never once did I advice turning the other cheek. Respond to aggression in kind, if you so choose. But don't pass that negative incident onward towards other uninvolved parties.

Cheers!

The key is to not engauge, never go near a snake giving it the chance to bite you. Never ever be a target, snipe at long range if you want to hit back. Be like a ninja and dont let them know it was ever you. Revenge isnt the best way, taking away your opponents target is golden.

Well understanding what you are and what you arent may be part of the key. You are god made to see duality, thus you do see it, so in essence we are the objects of wish fufilment and the absense of them. We are those who drop the bombs and those who have the bombs droped on them.

However knowing this doesnt stop negativity from thrashing you on a daily basis in fact it may throw gas on the fire. The mind will not let go of various stressful situations and they will repeat over and over even after the actual event stressing the individual out.

The remedy for this is in my opinion finding new activities for the mind to grasp onto, before it obsesses on yet another negative situation. Keep away from those who carry negative energy towards you, shun them like a plague, do not let them infect you with thier venom, for it is a mental posion which acts against the mind.

Find new friends, jobs, assosiations, relationships, and activities that bring joy and happiness into your life. There is love all around us we just have to open our eyes to see it, and take the right steps to revieve it.

a reply to: FormOfTheLord

Good post, awesome reply!

For sure the long term goal is to whittle away all sources of negativity from our lives--whether that involves changing jobs, getting in a new relationship, or avoiding harassment from various sources. Too many people are willing to subsist in toxic relationships, and because of them end up consuming endless torrents of misery.

a reply to: Trachel

A trick I use is a dot of marker pen on my thumb. I constantly see it throughout the day, it reminds me not to get stressed .... A bit of a mental reminder. Only used at work where losing my cool would look bad.

originally posted by: Trachel
a reply to: FormOfTheLord

Good post, awesome reply!

For sure the long term goal is to whittle away all sources of negativity from our lives--whether that involves changing jobs, getting in a new relationship, or avoiding harassment from various sources. Too many people are willing to subsist in toxic relationships, and because of them end up consuming endless torrents of misery.

Just remember nothing lasts forever, and eventually with consistent effort to achieve a certain goal it will come to pass, if not now then later, just be patient. I also prefer to not feed the trolls in my life whenever possible, but I slip every once in a while and give them something to talk about. However they just become tounge waggling trolls from then on and I dont go near them if I dont have to, problem solved.

a reply to: and14263

That's a good one. For sure giving yourself a visual cue is a great way to recall your individual objectives.

I like setting my daily intentions while deep in meditation each morning. I find it's way easier to recall my personal goals throughout the day if I hammer them into place through concerted recitation and visualization.

a reply to: LesMisanthrope

Thank you Les Mis....Effective and eloquent as always at showing the other side of the coin. As necessary to achieving balance. " Love your neighbor as yourself". As was outlined in th OP negativity is always present...as it should be. 'Pray for your enemies and do good to those that despitefully use you that you may be perfect as your father in heaven is perfect ". without enemies and those that would despitefully use us...how could we enter this perfection ??

But we should seek out and promote those things which are true and lovely and of a good report. And if any man be a slave it is to his own wants and desires and not those of another.

originally posted by: Another_Nut
a reply to: Trachel

Please man at least keep your drug fueled nonsense self consistent

If you get the life you deserve through karma then any negatives are also karmic and you deserve those too

ugh this new age woo is ridiculous. ..

or any be it's my lack of that "medicine" you love

I am now dispersing the negativity you forced upon a calming thread.

Bob walks into a bar, what dies he say?

"0ww!"

Lol. Always liked that one.

originally posted by: Hidinout
a reply to: Trachel

Well thank you so much. It's almost too simple isn't it.

Some people however don't seem to have any sense of humor or a sense of the absurd.

Life is too important to take seriously. Oscar Wilde

Star for quoting anything Oscar Wilde. I am actually going to star anyone in this thread that positively contributes.

originally posted by: reldra

originally posted by: Another_Nut
a reply to: Trachel

Please man at least keep your drug fueled nonsense self consistent

If you get the life you deserve through karma then any negatives are also karmic and you deserve those too

ugh this new age woo is ridiculous. ..

or any be it's my lack of that "medicine" you love

I am now dispersing the negativity you forced upon a calming thread.

Bob walks into a bar, what dies he say?

"0ww!"

Lol. Always liked that one.

Here is some non violent comedy to ease your tension.