Feeling vs state of mind…..

Sometime ago, there was a discussion if optimism is a feeling or a state of mind / character of a person.

I suppose I can lump ‘gratefulness’ into that discussion.

My personal opinion – it can be both. If it were just a feeling, then both optimism and gratefulness, like all feelings, are temporary, fleeting and replaceable. However, both can also be a mindset or state of mind. If they are part of mindset, then no external circumstance can remove them.

I was once told ‘I will change my mindset if the terms are right.’ It is a bit of a paradox. A mindset does not change despite the changing environment, that is why it is called a mindset or paradigm.

When we are optimistic, it does not mean we artificially put on a pair of glasses and recalibrate all things, ignoring not so optimistic indicators – unrealistic in assessment. When indicators be it from supervisors, peers, etc are not so positive, artificially inflated optimism simply ignores the feedback and label those feedback as mere perceptions.

Similarly with gratefulness….

When we express our gratefulness to those whom we have received kindness, if it was a sense or feeling, it would bolt out the door as soon as some point of contention surfaces. However, deep gratefulness remains unshaken even though contention or tension occurs.

So do we really mean what we say or do we even know the significance when we use those words?