Unhappy about how to be happy
Usually the responses I receive to my web site material are very positive, but the Life Skills page on “How To Be Happy” – a fairly lighthearted set of ideas – has attracted an uncharacteristically vituperative e-mail as follows:
“What planet are you from then? You should never advise anyone to be happy through having a child, that is the most ridiculous thing i’ve ever heard, as for the rest you must be a typical upper class gimp. but overall your ridiculous ideas did make us temporarily happy by laughing at them. so thank you.”
I always respond to comment unless it is totally aggresssive and this was my e-mail back:
“Most people appear to find these tips helpful so I’m intrigued by your response. On the one hand, there seems to be a certain amount of anger in your reaction, so I wonder how happy you are. On the other hand, you say that I made you temporarily happy, so that must be good.
I did write towards the end of my tips: ‘Remember that all generalisations are dangerous (even this one). So don’t regard these tips as instructions, but as suggestions.’ Of course, you can be happy without being a parent and parenthood should not be embarked upon lightly, but you are so dismissive of the idea that I wonder how old you and your friends are and whether any of them has experience of being a parent.
In short, I suggest you lighten up and be happy.”
What do you think? Check out the tips here.
April 19th, 2007 at 12:49 pm
I wonder why people respond so negatively.
We were taught if you cannot say something constructive or nice ‘Hold your tongue’.
Is it a sign of my age that I am finding that people in general are not as nice as they once were?
Should sign myself as ‘Grumpy old woman’.
April 19th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
It takes all sorts I suppose. One of the great things about running a weblog is the comments you get, but it’s a double edged sword at times!
Good response. A shame that there’s no way of folk commenting on the page itself.
You’re not alone though. I’ve three current commenting ‘problems’. Some rather childish comments on my (old) review of To Kill a Mockingbird,, the almost unmanageable number of comments on this thread, and most seriously of all a comment I’ve received from a prominent BNP candidate in the forthcoming elections, which I very much need to respond to when I’ve got some time.
April 19th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
You do get an amazing number of comments, Richard.
I receive few and am pleased to see any sensible comments.
April 19th, 2007 at 3:09 pm
If everyone was as polite and caring as you, Mavis, the world would be a better place.