I am currently stuck in a catch-22. I don't want to come across as all negative on this site, but I personally think most interesting writing is negative. At the least, most humorous writing is negative. I have said this earlier but it bears repeating; people are generally funnier when they are pessimistic. So what do I do?
I have written posts that were not negative, but they are always the ones that simply relay information without any attempt at humor or any form of hyperbole or even intellectual insight. Writing something without humor or insight is fine for a lot of situations, but usually for me that leaves factual telling of a story (which I have done) or a touchy feely post (which I will probably never do).
I keep asking myself whether it is all that bad that I want to post as a pessimist. I still don't have an answer. Knowing me, I probably never will.
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12 comments:
people are generally funnier when they are pessimistic...
UP TO A POINT AND THEN THEY GET ANNOYING.
So go ahead and write with humor and insight. You are not equating that humor and insight only come with pessimism, right? If your feeling a little frisky, try writing a touchy feely and see where that gets you.
YOu don't have to have it all figured out and have an answer to how you should write. You've got the rest of you life to do that.
...besides no one probably read these anyway.
(now was that funny?)
ghjuqdbl
So long as the reader picks up the correct tone from the comment, it is funny. :)
When pessimism turns into complaining, that is when it is annoying. Noone wants to be around a complainer. The tone in what you say means everything. Tone is sometimes hard to pick up on blogs.
I think you should write what you feel like.
I have to say that I disagree with you if you are saying humor is spawn from pessimism though. I know of plenty of things that are funny just because they are. If I remember your blog from before that is the silly humor or not grown up humor or PB and J humor. I think your safe to say that the humor you enjoy comes from pesisimism, but not all humor and to rate one humor as more superior based on intellect isn't fair either.
But I still think that if you want to write things that you feel are funny but may have a negative spin...do it. The worst that can happen is we all gang up on you and tell you that you are being too negative and not funny! :) You're up for that, right!? A little blog bashing!?
You could rename your blog to "Negative Humor for the Pessimist" to be descriptive of the type of humor you are displaying!? :) :) :) :)
I thought you might appreciate my comment above going from touchy feely to pessimistic. (wink, wink)
scqyh
What's wrong with being pessimist?
Well, like golden says not everyone likes constant complaining.
Well, I think I will continue with the tone that I have started on this site. I am a little concerned that it will sound like I am always complaining.
Actually, I have really tried writing positively, but it comes off kind of cheesy and was never funny. Part of that is my sense of humor and sarcasm, but I do still think that writing about negative things tends to be funnier and leads to insight.
Positive Example:
I woke up and realized what a wonderful day this is. I am so happy. I couldn't wait to go to work and accomplish something. The thought just gave me the warm fuzzies.
Negative Example:
I woke up today to the stupid droning of my annoying alarm clock. I just knew it would be a rotten day! The only thing I looked forward to was scowling at that person at work who always looks happy. He must be on some kind of medication.
===
The first example is only not cheesy if it is sarcastic. The second example has no chance of not being sarcastic.
gosh i'm not sure what to say...i could prolly do it better in person, BUT
um!
1. not everything worthy of reading needs to be funny!
2. I know your example is made up, but we want to hear the truth. If something positive happened, let's here the goodness. If something negative has happened let's hear the badness.
3. I am not sure how negative experiences lead to pessimism. They can but don't have to.
4. You are overanalyzing yourself again.
5. always use poetry when you get in a bind.
Just be. Just do.
Don't second guess.
Learn along the way,
like the rest of us
6. remember if you set yourself up for a higher standard of writing and humor you make the rest of us look bad. How are we not to take this as a commentary on our own writing styles?
7. I hate to say this but maybe pessimism is a cop out for real humor. Funny people should be able to make any topic or take funny. If you rely on pessimism you become a one trick pony.
I don't know why i just did this.
hmmm... I think I should address some of these because I may have come across wrong. I am most concerned about point number 6.
1. Yeah, I know everything doesn't need to be funny. I feel I have been slipping as of late, though. I'm trying to keep it entertaining.
2. For most situations there is a positive and negative aspect to it. For some reason I am often drawn to the negative.
4. I always will. :)
6. I realized after writing this that it may appear that I am dogging people who write in a style that I am not proficient at. That isn't my intent.
I am not a person who can relay positive information interestingly without it becoming touchy feely or at least sounding a little awkward. I am in my element when I get to exaggerate the negative. Things that aren't negative can be funny and insightful, but it is much easier to reach those goals with negative writing, in my opinion.
7. That is a danger, though I don't know that it is always a cop out. There are different forms of pessimistic humor.
I got nothing for 3 or 5.
There are different forms of pessimistic humor.
Here is the next task for you: I would like to see your analysis of the above comment.
sorry about my 7 points, I was writing off the cuff and something overcame me and quite doggin' my writing style. :)
Sarcasm, satire, and banter come to mind.
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