Really?
the "Everything You Do and Feel Is a Choice" chain about that obnoxious self-righteously positive John is a very offensive glurge, unless you're one of those who don't see the outrageous judgementalism just beneath the happy happy joy joy surface.
It claims we must all learn to be like John and CHOOSE to react and be positive, and also choose to pass on John's story. The chain claims you choose how you feel, and how you react to everything. Of course, it includes a horrific hard luck story that John "chooses" to be positive and feel absolutely cheery about. He's dying of cancer or some other terminal condition.
the chain letter is offensive because it completely dismisses and devalues real human emotion, and it does so with a big lie. It basically tells you that if you are feeling down, anger, fright, anything that isn't positive, you get judged as "choosing" to be that way. That is wrong on so many levels!
In 2009 there were reports and footage of little children being shot in the arms of their anguished parents during protests over elections in Iran. There was a little girl who was kidnapped and murdered in Canada in the spring of 2009. There was another one killed by her mom in 2008 because the woman would rather keep her boyfriend than her kid! Remember Susan Smith? Same motivation.
Halfway through 2009, there was a report on a local station about a 92 year old lady who was brutally beaten and left for dead, then hospitalized for a broken hip and injury to her head. She was robbed by a 21 and a 39 year old because they wanted to steal her money for their drug habit. Now how is anyone supposed to react to that? Choose to be all happy and positive? Does one choose to be saddened and outraged by this cowardly and cruel mugging? NO!
There are hundreds of senseless violent acts like that going on and being broadcast daily. How the freaking frosties can anyone "choose" to feel anything positive about that, and how dare this chain accuse anyone of "choosing" their emotions and reactions toward these things!?
In 2010 came the Haiti earthquake, the winter Olympics, and personal tragedies for some of the athleets participating. Then with the Olympics just ending and Haiti still reeling came another earthquake in Chile this time. Hearing about them, and seeing footage of people in these terrible situations disturbs me.
I was horrified over the luge accident that occured before the opening ceremonies of the 2010 winter Olympics. During the ceremonies, it was obvious those participating were greatly impacted by it as well.
All through the next two weeks, I cheered on the teams and athleets, getting caught up in the excitement of it all, and was so grateful for a local station devoting most of its time to something that was mostly very uplifting. My heart went out to those athleets who were disappointed in their own performances. I couldn't wait to get home from work to find out who was next to get medals and if any of them were gold. I shed tears along with so many others when watching Joannie Rochette's first skate after her mother's death during these Olympics. No one chose to feel, we just felt.
In 2014, children tried to kill others to please Slender Man. The positive news was that they did not succeed in killing anyone. However, that doesn't make what they tried to do and why any less sick.
How could anyone choose not to feel some things and to feel others during these times? They didn't. They felt. It wasn't a choice!
Yes, people can choose to do positive things to reach out a helping hand or one of comfort. Still, that does not cancel out genuine feelings of sorrow and outrage and dismiss such feelings as mere "choices."
Does one choose to feel pain when getting burned on a hot pan? Of course not! If you witness bullying, are you supposed to sit back and "choose" to be all positive about it? Of course not! Outrage, sadness and hurt are appropriate feelings to these things, just as a feeling of excitement comes over you when you hear from someone you miss.
If you are for real, you don't choose your feelings, and many times you don't even choose the way you react. You are who you are, so you feel and you react, and then you may choose some coarse of action, whatever it may be...
But the meme claims you do choose everything, including your emotions every step of the way, and that only John the unrealisticly euphoric guy has the answer to it all; so if he's all smiles about his terminal cancer, you should be the same way no matter what life hits you with, because then you can show everyone you are very choosy and very happy all the time, and if you're upset, it's your own fault because it's your choice! Balderdash!
There are people who choose to put on various emotional faces to suit their own needs, they are called cons. John and his chain letter are exactly that.
Over and out!
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