People get very passionate about their causes, their religion, their business. People are awesome that way.
Some passionate people are “sunny” and others are “angry”. Not surprisingly, I’ve always gravitated toward those who are sunny.
There are sunny Republicans (Schwarzenegger) and angry Republicans (DeLay). There are sunny religious leaders (Rick Warren) and angry ones (Farrakhan). There are sunny technology blogs (TechCrunch) and angry ones (gossip blogs).
And while more optimists are sunny and more pessimists are angry, there ARE plenty of angry optimists and sunny pessimists. But sunny people are far more pleasant to be around. They may be just as passionate, just as intense, but they usually have a deeper love of humanity.
Sunny people are lovers. They enjoy the success of others … in fact, they celebrate others’ successes. They trust others. Innocent until proven guilty. People in Silicon Valley tend to lovers.
Angry people are haters. They can’t stand the success of others and want to bring those people down. They’re jealous of innovation and attention that isn’t directed to them. They’re suspicious that everyone is trying to screw them over and take them for a ride. Guilty until proven innocent. A lot of people in New York and L.A. are really angry.
Great American leaders are generally sunny. Great Russian leaders are generally angry.
Roosevelt (both of them), Reagan, Kennedy, Eisenhower, and Clinton were sunny. Nixon and Johnson were angry. (Ford, Carter, and the Bushes are not entirely sunny nor angry). Mike Huckabee has ridden up in the polls because he is sunny while Sam Brownback (both with similar ideology) faltered because he wasn’t perceived as a lover. John Kerrey was angry in 2004 (which is, my theory, why he lost when he should have won). John Edwards is an interesting candidate – he can be a lover and a hater both in the same day (and sometimes in the same debate).
If you’re liberal, you are angry if you hate George W. Bush but you are sunny if you hate the war in Iraq. If you are conservative, you are angry if you hate Hilary Clinton but you are sunny if you hate her plan to raise taxes. Demonizing people – whether it be the President of the U.S. or an ethnic group is what haters do. Lovers debate ideas.
Are sunny people more successful that angry people? Not sure. They are certainly happier. Angry people have a real sad life.
If you have a choice, be a lover, not a hater.
Great post, Auren. The way that I judge people is to ask myself, “Do I feel energized and excited after talking with someone, or depressed and dispirited.”
The people in the former category are to be treasured, and the people in the latter avoided (something which, alas, becomes well-nigh impossible around holiday season!).
It must be nice to live in a world where everything is so simple, straightforward, and black and white. Have you ever thought about that fact that it’s a lot easier to be ‘Sunny’ and ‘Happy’ when you’re wealthy and have achieved moderate success? Your post suggests that happiness and a sunny disposition are a simple matter of choice. There are many people in this world who are beset with misfortunes you’ve never had to experience. Do you blame them for their sadness and anger? Would putting on a happy face make everything better?
For someone so successful, you are so woefully naive and insensitive.
Asher — i don’t agree with you. there are PLENTY of sunny people that are poor (i’m in india right now and have encountered lots of them). and in america, there are tons of angry people that are rich. there might be a slight correlation between sunniness and wealth, but it is only slight.
I stand by my criticism, though I didn’t intend to imply the financial wealth was the only path to happiness. Add to that feeling safe from personal, political, or religious persecution; being free of hunger and disease; and, having a safe roof over your head.
Having said that, the personal attack at the end of my post was immature and unnecessary–I guess I wasn’t feeling very ‘sunny’ at the time. I’m sorry.
It is absolutely true and couldn’t agree with Auren more. Life can be either sunny or not and it is not always your choice. BUT, having said that, you can deal with anything with either a sunny disposition or not. Life is what you make of it, and even when dealt with sour grapes, you can make the choice of how to handle it. Money has nothing to do with it. Personal energy (or a sunny disposition) has everything to do with it. Positive energy moves a populace (and any human) in a way that negative energy never will.