Suggestion regarding a "Happy Place"

Post Reply New Topic

Hi there.

Possibly this has been suggested before, but would there be any chance of creating a subforum that's purely dedicated to happiness and positivity?

I started running a poll earlier in the week, and the percentages seem to show that quite a few folk think it's a good idea (I'm aware that the poll size is very small given to number of members here).

I'm generally quite an optimistic person, and think it might be helpful. It would allow people who don't want to have a good mood dragged out of them by the not so happy folk to have somewhere specific to go.

Here's my poll and accompanying thread:-

http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt223853.html

Let me be clear in saying that I think it's very, very important that the people who are hurting have somewhere to vent and get support.

I just think that a dedicated Happy Place for the more optimistic types would balance it up a bit.

Thanks for reading.

I do agree with putting up a forum because I believe in obtaining greater truths. If your sub-forum dedicated to positivity is put up then I request to be able in this sub-forum to be allowed to refute the premises behind positivity in its current form.

One of the issues I see is my attitude is treated as though it is the building blocks of time and space and all one has to do is believe and it will come true. I do not agree and my experiences says no. There is an objective reality outside of myself with certain laws and rules to it.

Another issue I have is when I have an issue at hand I'm always told my attitude is my problem. To me, it makes no logical sense. How is it logically possible for my attitude to cause the issue. Isn't one's attitude a reaction to a stimulus? If I am struggling with things like how to switch lanes wouldn't the better course of action to help someone is to show them what they're doing wrong and think through what the person may be doing wrong? In my case, I was missing information. Instead, my attitude was focused on first. I do not get the logic behind this.

For me it is like saying that the birth of a child caused the pregnancy of a child.

Genuine positivity comes from actual success and actual ability not the other way around. Self-Esteem comes from performance, ability and actually achieving success. The converse to these things makes no sense and I do not logically grasp it whatsoever. I believe genuine positivity and self-esteem comes from critical thinking as well and thinking through these issues.

I have a major problem with a person putting on a fake smile when they may not be happy. To me, this is deceptive and dishonest.

Why focus on people's emotional state instead of the problem(s) or issue(s) at hand?

Okay, I'm possibly find ing your use of language a bit confusing, I'm not entirely sure what it is you're asking for here.

Are you seriously asking for permission to go into a forum dedicated to allowing people who have managed to get to a point in life where they are happy and contented to share this without having their good mood dragged out of them and tell them that they're wrong to feel that way??? And that anyone who is smiling and happy as well as being a Aspie is faking it???

If that's not what you're saying, my apologies, but that's how it's coming across.

To be quite frank, I'm not getting into a debate with you here on whether positive thinking is real or fake. If you have a reason that you think a forum dedicated to positivity is a good or bad idea, crack on and air it right here. Otherwise you need to discuss your theories elsewhere I think....

If they are genuinely happy, I have no problem. If they are forced to do so on a constant basis because to do so otherwise is considered inappropriate I have a major problem with it. From my experience positivity, especially in the USA, is forced by social standards.

Positivity as it stands comes from a belief called New Thought. Positivity(fake version) was originally a cure for Calvinism and puritanism. People during this time period kept trying to rid themselves of sinful thoughts out of their minds which literally made them bedridden.

I have read this women's book and going by my experience I think she is correct. http://www.barbaraehrenreich.com/brightsided.htm I affirm what she says.



There are those out who need help and genuine help. They are not getting it from others and are told to develop a positive attitude. I'm fighting a belief system that is tyrannical in nature which has taken root in the USA and it looks like it has spread to other parts of the world.



which means these beliefs are not open to question, challenge, scrutiny or debate is this correct? I have received this from many NTs as well in which the tenets are not open to discussion whatsoever. I did not expect this from aspies but I was wrong.

I meant here in this thread. I have no problem discussing this elsewhere in the forum, but I made this thread to suggest a new subforum, not get into a debate about the nature of positive attitudes....

Such debates would be inevitable in such a sub-forum. Other members would ask questions about the "happy post" or otherwise compare it with their own experiences, not necessarily in a positive way. It would be impossible to moderate too, trying to find some vague line between what would be happy / positive posts and those that were neutral or a mix of positive and negative. What would we do as moderators - tell someone their post had been removed from the sub-forum because in our opinion it didn't express enough happiness?

Your wish is my command

Can we discuss it on my attitude post?

http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt206352.html

I have H’ordeuves if you want any

Seriously, if I have premises in my writing that is off will you please show me? I believe in obtaining objective truth. Herein lies the problem. I need to go out of my own neurology and personality to do that. I have to get my own personal outlook out of the way.

Rawsugar is correct I do tends towards pessimism but I do believe in maintaining consistency. My own beliefs, experiences, and tenets make me less objective. I have reached the apex of my own thinking.

That I figured, and I wasn't necessarily meaning it had to be happy and joyful at all times- discussions about the nature of staying positive would be inevitable and welcomed if they could help someone foster a happier mental outlook. I guess I found it hard to find positive threads, so my idea was that if they were gathered in one place, it would be easier for folk to find them.

I take it your response means that this is a bust then?

Not my decision. New forums can only be created by Alex, the site owner, and he is extremely reluctant to change anything without a lot of members pushing for a very long time.

I appreciate what you say though. There is a lot of negativity on the forums and some more positivity and rays of sunshine would be appreciated by many I'm sure. I just don't think it could be organised as such.

The problem with a forum like this is it's utterly unenforceable - it would, in a very literal sense, turn the mods into the thought police.

I knew you were going to say that.

I'm nothing if not consistent

Ah well. I'll just continue to hang out here being annoyingly cheerful. *shrug* its a sad thought that a happy forum basically wouldn't be allowed to be happy....

Could this kind of thing be tried as a Sticky Thread? Maybe under Politics, Philosophy, Religion?

It doesn't sound like everyone has to be on happy pills, but have a genuine discussion about finding contentment at least.

I think it's an idea with potential. Almost a counterpart to The Haven.

A counterpart to the Haven was what I was aiming for. Same sort of protected status, but focussed on the happy rather than the depressed end of the emotional scale. Don't know if PPR would be the right place for it though, threads in there often seem to turn a bit confrontational. Would kind of defeat the object if you find yourself having to constantly defend your happy mood!

This has been an interesting endeavor from a sociology point of view though. I may do another poll, this time asking if people believe that Aspies can be truly happy. Many of the responses I got would suggest that a lot of folk don't think so. Sad.

You can open a thread asking members to post something good that happened in their lifes(I recall a thread like that when I started) on members discussion or wherever you saw fit as long as its not general autism discussion and if several people are interested on it becoming a sticky we d have no problem doing that(too many stickies on that section, we have been asked by alex not to add any new one)