Lately, it’s been mentioned to me quite a few times that I am a really, really positive person. It never really crossed my mind, but I suppose that’s true. I do tend to always look on the bright side of things. And I tend to believe the best about people, rather than projecting the worst on them.
For example, that rude guy in line at Starbucks might have been rear-ended on his way to work and was then late for a meeting and reemed out by his boss. He’s probably a really nice person – he’s just had a bad day. (his boss probably had a bad day too)
Or that woman yelling at her kid in the park – maybe she’s a single mom who doesn’t get any sleep because she can’t find a job that pays her enough to keep up with the bills and her ex won’t give her the time of day to help her. (her ex probably has issues of his own as well).
I know – I’m an eternal optimist glass-half-full thinker. I’m not sure where this optimism comes from. But I genuinely believe that although we, as humans, come from such expansive and varied backgrounds, we all really do want the best for eachother and for ourselves. And if that’s tinged with selfishness or rudeness or anger or indifference, it probably has something to do with what has happened previously in our day or in our lives. No one was just born an asshole, right? There can’t be some “asshole gene” out there that can be identified in our DNA chain.
That being said, I know a few people who are self-proclaimed assholes. One, in particular, who was adamant that although they were an asshole by attitude, they weren’t really an asshole. Confused yet? I think I figured it out. This person cared. They cared so much about the others around them, that it showed up completely overwhelmed in passion. In an almost asshole-y kinda way.
I dunno, maybe it’s the sickeningly positive optimist in me. But I don’t believe there are assholes out there. I choose to believe that there are really passionate people, either with really big beliefs or really bad days.
Then again, maybe I was just born with the “Overtly Optimistic” gene.