Day 61 - The Eeyore Syndrome

Pretty much everyone I know loves Winnie-the-Pooh. A.A. Milne created a special world of childish innocence that Disney took to a whole new level of saccharine. I really love the sweet cluelessness of Pooh Bear and the pure innocence of Piglet. What I have never cared for is Eeyore. His unending negativity has always gotten on my nerves. I could never understand how everyone in the Hundred Acre Wood tolerated his endless gloom.

Unfortunately, I have known several Eeyore's in my life. These are the people who walk around with a perpetual cloud over their head. They are the victims of everything: life, circumstance, and their own choices (which they never take responsibility for). They definitely see the glass as half-empty, if they can even see the glass at all through their self-absorption. No matter what the occasion, their conversations are always about them and their latest problems.

It seems that Eeyore's sole purpose is to bring everyone else down. He starts every interaction with an "Oh dear," followed by his latest complaint. The thing about Eeyore though, is that he isn't hateful. He isn't the type of person that we avoid just to save ourselves. Instead, he is the type that will slowly spiral into despair, dragging anyone down who feels mildly sympathetic. When we first meet Eeyore, we think we can help cheer him up by just listening or being cheerful. Unfortunately, Eeyore does not want to be cheered up. He thrives on the sympathy and attention that his sorry life brings, and he will continue to invent new sob stories to share with anyone who will listen.

The problem with Eeyore is that his constant steam of negativity can be very draining on a person that is trying to find joy in the world. "Oh dear, I've lost my tail." "Oh, dear, nobody loves me." "Oh dear, why does it always have to rain when I'm planning a picnic?" Not only that, but on some occasions, when you try to point out the positive things that surround them, they suddenly kick at you like a mule. "What do you know about it?" is a typical response. The fact is, they don't want your help, they just want your sympathy. Of course, when you are tired of listening to Eeyore and have been kicked for trying to help, your mood spirals into one of anger and frustration, leading your further from the path of happiness.

So what do you do? Cut the ties. Nothing says you have to listen. From this point on, I am done with Eeyore. I have enough in my life without letting others drag me down. If you need a sympathetic ear for a situation, I'm your gal, but if you just want to go on and on about how your life sucks, save it for someone else. I want to attract positive energy, and I need to surround myself with positive energy. On the same note, I will not let myself be an Eeyore either. There are so many good things to think about, and I don't have time to worry about my tail. ;-)