Photo by John O’Nolan
Something that has always stuck in my mind, throughout studying English at school and then at university, are all those literary devices and the terminology for all of these – things like alliteration, hyperbole, dramatic irony and anthropomorphism. I think we had them drilled to us so much, and had to apply them to so many different texts that they have just stayed in my mind. One that I will always remember from those long nights spent studying dense texts and all that poetry is pathetic fallacy – when the mood of the character is reflected in the weather or inanimate objects.
I bring this up now because I have noticed of late, since I have been feeling a bit blue, that things around me seem to be mimicking how I am feeling inside. I don’t know if I am just more aware of the negatives that are always present, or whether there is more sadness around me, but either way something is going on. I have spent the last two weeks writing the most depressing collection of stories on a range of topics including two terminal brain tumours and terrible hospital care that has left a man to be fed through a tube. It is horrible to have to write such painful stories and really has challenged me as a journalist, but all I can think is how much this should be putting things in perspective for me when really it is just making me feel even more confused.
It’s just left me wondering whether this sudden influx of sad stories is just coincidence or whether the world really is just a cycle of energies and I just seem to be attracting the more negative stuff at the moment. I’m not really sure what I believe but could certainly do with some more upbeat and happy stories to cover now so if you are in Norfolk and have a tale to tell that will put a smile on my face, it would be much appreciated!
What do you think? Are we all releasing good and bad energies and in turn attracting them? Or is it all just in my head?
AbsolutelyLucy 
I get the same. When I’m sad, the world seems to be way more negative than usual.
I think it’s both. I’m sure when we’re feeling a bit blue we focus more on the negative. Everything seems worse than it actually is or we just overlook the good things.
But I also believe that if you’re feeling depressed/ angry etc. you attract more ‘bad’ energy. You know, Karma and all that. I mean if you walk around with a smile on your face, chances are, people will smile back. But if you walk around feeling depressed, you probably act like it as well, so it’s less likely to meet a friendly face?
That is such a good point, we do definitely focus more on the negative at times like this which just makes things seem even harder and more hopeless – strange to look at how we are programmed mentally to cope with these situations. I completely agree that we bring more negative energy back towards us by pushing out bad vibes – such a good example. This is why no matter how bad the situation, I always try to be cheerful and smiling, even if only in appearance. A simple smile can really change someone’s day and I really believe that by just extending that small gesture to a complete stranger, you could really turn their day around and even save them from their own terrible situation. For example, the other day, I was having a particularly terrible day and a complete stranger told me I was beautiful – so out of the blue and such a kind thing to say, it really changed my attitude and the way I was looking at and treating people. Thanks so much for your comments xx
I tend to think that what we see in the world is just a reflection of what we expect to see. Hamlet did say ‘There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so’. I reckon there’s a lot of truth in that! Interesting post.
Thanks for your comment – interesting quote and I think you’re right, a lot of it is the way we view the world. But what about when you apply this to terrible crimes such as rape or murder? Are they just bad because of the way we view them – perhaps because we are sad or angry about something else, or are they intrinsically wrong?
Hmm well I think this depends a lot on perspective too – think about the way that killing someone during war is brave and heroic, but outside of a war context is a terrible crime.
This is so true – amazing the effect the right kind of spin can have on how you look at the situation! This is why it is so important to strip away the bullshit and just deal with what is really going on, rather than what is happening in our heads… thanks for your comments!
Thank you for the food for thought!
some people actually really do get their mood affected by the weather, when I was younger I would get really sad and withdrawn on rainy days and during particularly cloudy winters, sunny days on the other hand could make me really happy for no reason, its called seasonal affective disorder. Mine went away after a while but sometimes a lot of rain can cause people co be sadder (because of the lack of vitamin D which lessesens our serotonin production)
This is so true, I definitely know the feeling – think we all have a touch of this with all this wind and rain we’re getting at the moment. It definitely changes the way you look at things – everything just seems to much better in sunlight! Thanks for your comments x