I've written many silly things in the
past, from pun-intended micro blogs to mockeries of my own stupid problems.
Quite a few have been lost to obscurity, or so I thought all of them were,
until I found out that I was actually able to save some in ready-to-be-thrown
memory cards. This just happens to be one of my favorites...
MOOD: a semi-technical blog
(from 2009)
Through the years, I have personally
observed the factors which affect the overall mood of particular situations,
settings and people in general. These are:
1. LIGHTING.
Not the majority of people pay
attention to illumination. Architects, Interior Designers and Engineers
understand the psychological impact of the amount of light that is distributed
in an area. Notice offices and fastfood restaurants are heavily-lit, sort of
making occupants “wide-awake”. Full-blast lighting complements the fast-paced
lifestyle, like saying: Go, go, go!!” or Move, move, move!!” On the other hand,
fancy restaurants use dim lights to evoke privacy. Dim lighting in an office
would make an employee not want to work because it creates a relaxed
atmosphere, laid back, and even romantic; hence the term “candlelight dinner”.
Naturally, loud music would ruin the effect altogether. And dark rooms are out
of the question. (Hey, do they still use them nowadays?)
I have experienced this awkward effect inside our head office (OF ALL PLACES!!) and government offices (not surprising, huh?) Yes, lighting can be a laxative.
2. COLOR.
Even colors play a role in mood-setting.
“Happy”, “Angry”, “Grayish”; each projecting a particular emotion of the hue
they represent. Some have eye-grabbing characteristics because of the way that
they are so unique; that they stand out against the typical background. Others
are “cool” to the vision while some are inclined to be eyesores if stared at
long enough. Have you seen the motion picture “300”? The overall ‘feel’ of the
movie is very unyielding. You can imagine that it is a magnificent epic of
gallantry in a dark era of history. The filmmakers used a filter for their
cameras to achieve the consistent “tone” of the film, plus digital effects of
course. Films by Michael Bay seem to project a “steel-and-concrete” feel to
them. Some individual colors have also been associated with certain movements,
like RED which has been linked to activism, blood and warning signs. This color
is seldom used in bulk quantity because it visually “hurts” the eyes, even
though it catches attention.
In buildings, it tends to be a bit
monotonous since “loud” colors will make the structure look bizarre and silly.
In clothing, casually speaking, one might think that it all boils down to a
matter of taste and comfort. Putting on black every single day may just be the
taste of the person wearing it.
3. CHAOS.
No one wants to live in clutter.
Having a disorganized life can taint the mental as well as the emotional state
of being. It’s like a chain reaction. I recall a professor of mine from years
back; there was this instance when she didn’t want to start because the
classroom was too untidy for her. She couldn’t teach unless everything was put
into order. I myself feel uneasy if I leave the house in a mess and arrive at
work seeing the same condition. It irritates me. At times, it may be an issue
of lack of storage space. But still, one must stack things neatly to lessen
further confusion. Excess noise (like nagging) adds to the misery.
4. CULTURE.
The attitude of people (in the MACRO
and micro aspect) also largely influences your attitude towards your
surroundings. If your colleagues and/or superiors are all assholes, this would
have a negative impact on you, even if your workplace is nice and the pay is
good. Sooner or later, you’ll find yourself looking for work some place else.
Peace of mind is priceless. Or maybe you end up being an asshole yourself, if
you choose to stay.
While a significant number of
individuals can cope with the average amount of pressure, not all people have
the same breaking point. In very difficult times, our own tolerance (AND
EXTERNAL HELP FROM SEEN AND UNSEEN SOURCES) will be the determining factor on
how we end the day.
I know someone who has always had a
positive outlook on life. She’s very patient and seems to be very much in
control (in a nice way). She’s always smiling every time I see her. Sometimes
she makes me feel ridiculous for taking my problems so seriously. I’ve known
her for years and I haven’t seen her ‘blow her top’ even once. I think getting
angry, for her, is a last resort.
Having a good mindset really helps in
self-esteem. For good people, it’s not just a matter of acceptance, but also a
matter of perspective. To their point of view, “bad” things happen for good
reason. Every “failure” is a wake up call and every challenge is an opportunity.
To them, it doesn’t matter what other people say. In the now immortal speech of
Barack Obama, they will shout: “YES, WE CAN!”
I can almost say that I envy these
people. Or maybe now I just did.
On the contrary, I am personally in
contact with some people who are very ungrateful, despite knowing how lucky
they are in some facets of their life. These people ignore the fact that they
are more fortunate than others, and instead they still whine and complain. I
remember the “character-victims” of the ‘SAW’ movies; this is the very motive
why they were entrapped and tortured in the first place. For some remote
reason, ‘Jigsaw’ has a point. But I still find him mentally-deranged,
though.
7. GIVEN ATTITUDE.
This is the hardest thing to change.
No matter how disciplined you think you might be, there will always come a time
when the flaws emerge; BECAUSE YOU ARE BORN WITH THEM. Having a positive
outlook or good mindset is great, but you are still YOU. It cannot change the
totality of your being. In the strictest sense, life can never be perfect.
That’s why we all should keep on learning, because we always have to correct,
develop and nurture something. Be it personal, social or spiritual.
