https://similarworlds.com/3724831-I-Challenge-You-to-Challenge-Me-to-Write/2586217-WRITERS-WEEKLY-CHALLENGE-WEEK-OF-MARCH-28-2019 Choose at least four of the words below:
Turn World Universe Shout Notice Stop
For what it's worth, here's my contribution, using all 6 words...
I once saw an interview with playwright Arthur Miller in which he stated that "most human enterprises don't turn out very well".
This was quite a while ago (Miller passed away in 2005) and I remember very little of the interview, but that statement made me stop and take notice. I think I was struck by the comment because it was in sync with the pessimistic view I had of the world back then.
I still believe Miller was basically correct, but perhaps not to the degree I once did.
From what I've learned since that time, things sometimes work better than we think they do. Our perception gets distorted because successes often happen quietly and without any acknowledgement, while screw-ups tend to get a lot of attention. We're quick to shout our displeasure about the failures but frequently don't have much to say when all goes well.
I'd also like to add that when you consider the big, wide universe of things that can go wrong in any number of undertakings, it's almost a miracle that even our most difficult endeavors turn out as well as they sometimes do.
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Interesting. While I think it’s easy to take a pessimistic view, and I’ve certainly traveled that path at times, I try to be more positive and hopeful than cynical and jaded. I still believe in finding the good in people and situations while living in reality. My glasses are no longer rose-colored, but I do believe there are good people in this world who achieve great things, even, and more often than not, quietly.
