Think deep thoughts

Diagonal

I receive the Smithsonian e-newsletter every so often and sometimes find gems of articles in there, like this one here. It's about melancholy and the English professor who was interviewed believes that Americans are too happy. They should be a bit more melancholic so that they can be more creative. That's his thesis basically.

Being melancholic is not the same as being depressed he said, because depressed people are passive whereas melancholic folks are actively trying to understand their world better and their place in it.

When I was in Germany, I remember there being an exhibition of art that had the title "Melancholie". The exhibit featured artwork that were melancholic in nature. I think that melancholics are romanticized. Melancholy is just a fancy way of saying sad or maybe introspective.

However, I do tend to agree with what he said about Americans being too happy and addicted to happiness. Often Americans think they have the power to control everything - be it other countries, nature, or their own appearance. Just consider all the plastic surgery that is on the market these days. People can fix any little imperfection they have or think they have. You can bleach your teeth so that your smile sparkles, you can get implants of all sorts, and the list goes on an on.

I also agree with this passage on authenticity, which is such a rare find these days.

"An authentic life is an endless interplay between these oppositions in which one tries to put them in a creative conversation with one another, realizing that the light shines more brightly when compared to darkness and the darkness becomes richer and more interesting when compared to brightness. I'm just trying to call people to return to a balance, to consider that part of human experience that many people seem to be repressing, ignoring or flying from."