I've seen it on every social media outlet I have. It's the common tweet with thousands of favorites, the Facebook status with hundreds of shares, and even the Instagram caption to the ordinary selfie. For a while now, the idea of removing negative people from your life has become all the rage just about everywhere. Because who wants to hang out with someone who is gloomy all the time? Or complains all the time? Or doesn't see the glass as half full?
Well, as someone who can often see the glass half empty, I couldn't disagree more with such ignorant encouragement. What kind of person finds it so easy to abandon someone when they don't have a smile on their face? You don't know what they're going through. They need someone to talk to, and for that, one is encouraged to isolate them due to their negative attitude? I just don't seem to get the logic, or maybe I'm just a nice person.
When I see someone is not having the best day, I try to talk to them and cheer them up. I try to empathize and sympathize whenever I can because I don't like to see somebody upset. I wish nobody was upset, but the fact of the matter is, people aren't always happy all the time. And the last thing they need is to worry about is isolation from a friend, family member, or anyone because of how they feel.
Now, I believe there are several ways to interpret a negative attitude from someone, and when to truly isolate them from one's lives. Maybe you have a toxic boyfriend who consistently doesn't treat you well. For that, I would say adios. To the friend who always excludes you or the family member who has caused you harm time and time again, I would show them the door.
But there's a difference between these instances and a crying baby or an anxious toddler. There are friends in your life who may be upset about a bad grade or a family member who often complain, but these aren't the types of negative people you should put on the chopping block. These are the people you should accept for who they are - not always happy. And when they're not always happy, it's best to be the shoulder to cry on or the attentive listener.
They need people to go to and talk to, and so do we. Heck, everyone does. We can't survive without having someone to laugh, smile and have fun with, but we especially can't go on without someone to cry, rant and scream with. We can't shun those who are negative, because then we would be just trying to get rid of an emotion, and that's simply impossible. We're all going to be unhappy at one point or another, so we might as well live with it.
I could go on and on about my enmity for this type of lifestyle. There are few things more ignorant, incompassionate and heartbreaking to do to someone. But I think it's just important to stress that we be mindful of others and how they feel. Be aware of those around you and not just you. Be open to talking to others who may not be wearing the biggest smile. Most importantly, be the person you would want to comfort you when you're not happy. You might just be making their day.
