Tinted Glasses

I do not see the world the way it is; I see the world the way I am. – Talmud

Just about everyone knows one of these people. Some of us associate with way too many of these people. Some of us are these people and are going to be very ticked off about this post. Tough.

You may have heard of the phrase “looking at the world through rose-colored glasses”. It means seeing things in a positive light, to the point of overlooking the bad and seeing only the good. That’s not the only kind of tinted glasses out there, though.

Some people believe that they didn’t get a job because of their race, gender, haircut, weight, or whatever. Same reason why their girlfriend or boyfriend dumped them or why the cashier down the street didn’t give them a friendly hello today and a whole host of other slights and problems. They sincerely believe that everything bad happens because of this thing, and they resent anyone who tells them otherwise. Their “life glasses” are tinted by their belief that others see them in a particular way, so they see others’ actions in that light.

It is entirely possible that there was someone better for the job. Or that the entire interview process was a sham, and the company was going to hire X no matter who put in an application. It may have had nothing to do with “whatever”. But that’s what they’ll think, and no amount of reasoning will make them see otherwise. Even if you grab the president of the company, drag him down to your friend, and have the president explain exactly why your friend didn’t get the job, your friend still won’t believe him. It was due to “whatever” no matter who says what.

People break up for a whole variety of reasons. It doesn’t have to be about “whatever” (though it could be about your obsession with it). The cashier may be having a lousy day or doesn’t like you because you use too many pennies. Who knows? The point is, the world does not revolve around your “whatever”. But your life apparently does.

Until you can get rid of your glasses or at least clear them up a bit, you will continue to see life out of focus. You will continue to see what isn’t actually there, and because you are too busy seeing the non-existent, you’ll miss out on some really wonderful things.

Clear off your glasses and enjoy the wonders of your life.