Which are you more likely to read: a daily horoscope, or an advice column? Has your answer changed over time?
Share why if you wish.
Category: Advice
How Do You Deal With Disappointment?
Disappointment is something that we all have in common. The way we deal with it, though, can vary drastically.
When something disappoints you, it is only natural to be sad. You expected one outcome, and it didn’t happen. How else should you feel?
It depends on the situation, of course. Another common emotion that you might feel is anger. You might be mad at the universe, or at someone specific, or even at yourself. Who feels the brunt of your anger is difficult to predict.
You might also feel confused, depending on your level of certainty prior to the disappointment. How could such a thing happen?
One thing these emotions have in common is that they are negative emotions. It is rare indeed that being disappointed leads to happiness, or contentment, or joy of any kind.
The resulting actions, though, can be positive or negative. Sadness might lead to depression, or it might lead to empathy for others dealing with similar situations. A violent outburst might result from anger, but it might strengthen your resolve. Confusion could cause you to give up; alternately confusion could trigger curiosity.
How do you deal with disappointment? Has that changed over the years? How is it different when you are the one experiencing it, versus helping someone else who has been disappointed?
Related questions: How can we turn sadness into constructive action? What is the right amount of emotion? When is it useful to fail?
How Do You Prepare For A Crisis?
The sad reality is that each of us will face a crisis — or even more than one — over our lifetime. What, if anything, have you done to prepare?
Climate change threatens all of us. Rising sea water, stronger storms, weather disruption, even species extinction are all possible consequences of runway global warming. What might you do to be ready for this future?
But maybe you don’t think this is a serious threat, or you have confidence that we will address this problem before it becomes too serious.
The western coast of the United States is due for a major earthquake. Tectonic plates have been shifting, building up energy, the release of which could flood entire cities, impacting millions of people. What can individuals do to prepare for this eventuality?
But maybe you don’t live there, or know anybody who does.
Artificial Intelligence could very well reshape our entire society over the next decade or two. The worst case scenario would see mass layoffs and a collapse of the job market. And that doesn’t include the possibility of A.I. becoming self-aware, and the dangers that might pose. Are there steps that could be taken with this in mind?
Even if you discount any one of these possibilities, it seems like one or more of them could very well happen. Another financial Great Depression, a global pandemic, a meteor strike from the heavens, the rise of dictators across the globe threatening another world war, any of these could happen. Or something we haven’t thought of could catch us by surprise.
But we shouldn’t simply react. We can anticipate bad things, and prepare ourselves for them. So: How do you prepare for a crisis?
Related questions: What is the greatest problem facing humanity? How do we prepare for the next pandemic? Should we try to predict the future? How can we turn sadness into constructive action?
How Do You Deal With Situations Beyond Your Control?
There will always be some things in life that are beyond your control. When that happens, how do you deal with it?
Knowing the difference between things you can control and things you can’t is an important task. One of the most important, in fact. And yet, even if you successfully determine which things are controllable, some things will always elude you.
For example, no matter how hard you try, you can’t change the weather. Some days will be sunny; others rainy. If you live far enough north (or south) there will be snow and ice at some point.
Of course, while it is not possible to manipulate the weather, it is possible to do something about it. You can follow forecasts closely, and dress appropriately for the type of weather predicted. Then you won’t be caught without your umbrella, or sunglasses, or heavy jacket.
What are some other examples of phenomena that are beyond your control? And for those examples, what can you do to lessen the disruption that might occur?
Or maybe you believe that there is nothing that we can’t control if we just try hard (or smart) enough. To use our earlier example, there are plenty of historical examples of rain dances, praying to your god or gods for rain, or planes seeding clouds with crystals. We certainly have evidence of human behavior impacting the planet’s climate.
So how do you deal? Hope for the best but prepare for the worst? Ignore it and hope it goes away? Learn everything you can and try to make change, even when it seems impossible or unlikely?
Related questions: What can you control? How do you deal with uncertainty? What should you let go of? How is climate change impacting you?
What Reminds You That You Are Not Alone?
Despite an unprecedented ability to connect, more people than ever are reporting feelings of loneliness. How do you combat feeling alone?
With the internet, and specifically with social media apps, in theory we are the most connected generation in human history. We have the ability to reengage with old friends on Facebook, perform career networking on LinkedIn, find groups of like-minded people on MeetUp, purchase homemade crafts from artisans on Etsy, and so on.
Celebrities or popular influencers might have millions of followers. Even non-celebrities can be connected to hundreds, thousands, or even more people.
Of course, the quality or strength of those connections can vary drastically. It is not humanly possible to interact in any meaningful way with that many people. As a result, the communication is superficial at best, and might be in one direction only.
In addition, people naturally curate their online life, and most only share the highlights. Smiling pictures while on a vacation in an exotic location. Happy news of a promotion at work. An engagement announcement. A new car, or house, or baby. Photos or videos are from flattering angles, with good lighting.
By contrast, the viewer gets the news while in the same job, living in the same house, in a seemingly unchanging life. It is only natural to feel that others are having success and doing well, while you are being left behind, alone and isolated.
So how do you fight against that? When you feel left out, what do you do?What reminders are there of your friends and loved ones? What sorts of events, virtual or in-person, help you build fulfilling, meaningful connections with other people?
Related questions: Do you feel lonely? How do you make friends as an adult? What are you doing to build community? How do you choose a hobby?