Thinking Outside the Box When Facing Problems

Negative Patterns of Behavior

Have you ever wondered why so many individuals seem to gravitate toward certain addictive and/or negative behaviors when they have problems? More explicitly, why do so many people turn to drugs, alcohol abuse, promiscuity, gambling, porn, or crime when they face difficult issues in their lives? This repeated regression to certain negative behavior patterns is so common that it makes me wonder if there is a "procedures manual" in every community that lists all of these unhealthy and negative behaviors as "things to do" when coping with life becomes difficult.

Using Creativity to be Negative

On the one hand, why aren't people more creative from a "negative" standpoint when facing adversity? For instance, when life gets difficult, instead of drinking and abusing drugs why don't people resort to "different" activities such as walking backwards while crossing the street, taking a bath in ice water, yelling at a tree, or driving around in their car on hot days with the heater on? When people face difficult times, instead of resorting to gambling or promiscuity why don't we hear about tens of thousands of people who painted their face, went to work without any shoes or socks, threw a golf ball through their neighbor's window, or who shaved their heads while at church? All of these examples may seem weird, but are they really any more bizarre than many of the problems people find themselves involved in after they resort to crime, promiscuity, or alcohol or drug abuse when their lives become problematic?

Using Creativity to be Positive

On the other hand, how about "thinking outside the box" in a more "positive" manner when facing adversity? For instance, when facing troublesome times why don't we hear about thousands of people who unexpectedly bought their spouse flowers, who decided to exercise, who read their children a bedtime story, or who helped a friend in need? When perplexed by difficult circumstances in life why don't we hear about multitudes of people who visited a friend or relative in the hospital, who practiced a musical instrument, who brought a pet home to their children, or who spontaneously decided to take their spouse to their favorite restaurant for dinner?

The Search for Happiness

The point is so critical that it deserves to be asked again: why do so many people turn to drugs, alcohol abuse, promiscuity, gambling, porn, or crime when they face difficulties in their lives? Maybe a large part of the problem is that many individuals simply do not know how to find lasting happiness in their lives. Stated differently, according to Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, there is a "growing tendency of people to find temporary happiness in alcohol, drugs, pornography, sex and consumerism."

Happiness Classes in School

If many people do not know what leads to long-term happiness, what can be done to change this? In a word, I think that people need to learn about happiness in school. Let me explain. I think that part of our formal educational process needs to focus on developing hobbies, interests, and career opportunities about which students can become passionate. What may help guide this process are "happiness classes" that use "happiness textbooks" that contain a classification system or taxonomy of interests, hobbies, and careers that have brought joy and fulfillment to others. Such textbooks would provide many examples of different "avenues to happiness" experienced by others--examples that can serve as "what if" scenarios that help trigger the imaginations of students with interesting and meaningful possibilities in their lives.

Conclusion

Many people seem to resort to negative behaviors and activities such as drugs, alcohol abuse, porn, gambling, promiscuity, or crime when life gets difficult and things don't go as expected. It is quite possible that these individuals do not know how to tap into the creative process and develop hobbies, interests, careers, and loving relationships that lead to long-term happiness.

Why not help people develop a "possibility oriented" foundation by introducing them to a series of "happiness classes" while they attend school? In the long run, such studies might be as important, if not more important, in the development of happy and productive individuals as any other subjects to which the students are exposed.

Copyright 2007 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.