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“People seem not to see that their opinion of the world is also a confession of their character.“
Ralph Waldo Emerson
A person’s opinion of the world they live in really seems to be a foolproof test for their character. The tendency towards blame and disdain seems to vary inversely with the virtues of courage and compassion.
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The wisest people I know invariably revere the world, and the most ineffective ones hate it. When a person is defeated at every turn, they tend to blame the whole world as the culprit. This relieves them from the painful responsibilities of humility and growth.
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I have been on both sides. Knowing the world as an enemy removes responsibility for oneself. Behaving and speaking as though the world is against you is only a clever way of abandoning any accountability for the state of your life and the world you live in. Knowing the world as an ally instead of an enemy leaves no room for excuses.
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Over time I have come to recognise disdain for the world as sure sign of weakness, not just when I see it in others but also when I catch myself thinking that way. Whenever I am caught up complaining about this or that, it is a clear message to any smart observer that in that moment, I have lost my calmness and maturity.
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If you want to know if a person is a suitable teammate, lover, boss or employee, watch out for their opinion of the world. It reveals a lot.
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“If you see the world and yourself through a lens smudged by negativity then you’ll find much misery. If you look outwards and inwards through lens brightened by positivity you’ll find much to be happy and appreciative about.”
Henrik Edberg
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