LIVE ON THE POSITIVE SIDE OF LIFE

LIVE ON THE POSITIVE SIDE OF LIFE:
By Frt. Delphinus Rwehumbiza

Introduction:
“When you are interested in a meal that is hot, it works better when you recognize with gratitude and apprise the cook in the moments that he/she serves you with the hot meal, rather than waiting to disapprove, discourage and even sometimes insult the cook in the moments he/she serves you with a meal that has got a bit cold”. This is one of the examples given by the Rt. Rev. Desiderius Rwoma, Bishop of Singida Catholic Diocese, in his speech during the occasion of the institution of Acolytes and Lectors at Kipalapala Seminary on 17th November 2007. He gave this example when he was insisting on the necessity to develop the culture of positivism which proves to be helpful in solving many of the problems that we experience today as well as playing a role as an effective vehicle towards sustainable development. Following the light of the Bishop, it is this culture of Positivism that I want to bring into focus in this discourse.

What Positivism entails:
Positivism in this context does not refer to that system of philosophy advocated by the French Philosopher, Auguste Comte (1798 – 1857), which is the form of empiricism that bases all knowledge on perceptual experience (not on intuition or revelation). We are rather dealing in this discussion with Positivism as that positive thought, attitude or outlook towards persons, things or situations; thinking about what is good in a situation; a feeling of confidence and hopefulness. Positivism here refers to an optimistic attitude, as opposed to negativism which is a pessimistic attitude, the attitude of considering only the bad side of persons, things or situations; a lack of enthusiasm. I remember my former Professor of Philosophy, Rev. Fr. Dr. Beda Ishika used to distinguish between Positivists (optimists) and negativists (pessimists) by means of two expressions. He said, positivists maintain that all things are primarily good, “nihil malum, nisi probatur” (i.e. Nothing is bad until proved) whereas negativists argue that all things are primarily bad, “nihil bonum, nisi probatur” (Nothing is good until proved).

Current Situation:
In our contemporary world, it is the negative side that is gaining priority over the positive one. Nowadays, for example, that people are living peacefully is no news, but the News is when people are dying from war or from other natural calamities; countries or places engaged in constant war such as Sudan (Darfur region), Somalia, Israel and Palestine and of recent Kenya, are the basics of the broadcast media, whereas peaceful countries such as Tanzania (at least in principle) are as good as non-existent; words such as terrorism, corruption, abortion , prostitution, suicide bombings etc. are becoming more renowned over words such as love, mercy, faithfulness, honesty, virginity, celibacy and such words of moral excellence which have lost their meaning; scandals especially of some imperfect religious and political leaders are much more propounded compared to the innovative, constructive and creative ideas, words and deeds of exemplary leaders. Good deeds of persons are rarely appreciated whereas shortcomings cannot pass without criticism. Such cases are many and I hope you might also have experienced such instances whereby people are imprisoned in the negative side of reality. We need to reflect on whether this kind of attitude can lead us to a better world to live in. Should we expect to reap grapes from thorn bushes?

Our actions always flow from our being (agere sequitur esse). We normally behave according to what we repeatedly do, what we think, what we hold as substantive in our lives and all that we are convinced of as being true and valuable. If our thoughts are preoccupied with negative attitudes of corruption, terrorism, wars, genocide, enmity, envy, drunkenness, selfishness, fornication etc., it follows that our way of living and acting will flow from such thoughts. Consequently, conflicts, wars, hatred and different kinds of evil are inescapable when people pep up such negative attitudes. Darkness is now covering our lives. Christ Jesus brought us light but we instead have preferred darkness to the light (Jn. 3:19). That is why we should not be surprised to see that evil is now increasing in the world.

The way out:
A positive attitude towards one another; towards things and situations can be a lasting solution to the many problems that we experience today. Let us always try to see something good in every person we meet, in everything we experience and in every situation we encounter even at times when everything looks to be contrary to our anticipations. We need to learn sometimes to hope against hope in those situations in which there seems nothing encouraging altogether. It is in this way that we will be able to build for ourselves a strong personality and stability in our lives. Let us see some examples of how we can be positive in our lives.

Conflicts between adherents of different religions, let say Christians and Muslims, can be solved and they can live together peacefully if they look at one another as brothers and sisters and not enemies; the ruling party and ‘opposition’ parties in a multiparty state will be able to build a developed, peaceful and stable nation, if they work together in cooperation for the common welfare and not work in opposition and in fights. An employer who shows tolerance for the bearable shortcomings of his employees while appreciating and encouraging any little good they have, will prove more efficient than that employer who immediately and hurriedly fires an employee who shows any deficiency however little it might be. This applies not only between employees and employers but also between leaders and subjects under them, teachers and students, instructors in formation houses and those being formed etc.

In the field of education, in reference to the famous American psychologist B.F. Skinner (1904 – 1990), positive reinforcement can successfully modify behaviour and stimulate learning, contrary to negative reinforcement whose results can be emotionally disabling for the recipient. Education through discovering, appreciating and sometimes rewarding the little good that there is in a person (positive reinforcement), helps him/her to do much better in the future, whereas waiting to disapprove, discourage or punish where there is a shortcoming in the person (negative reinforcement) may lead him/her to fear and sometimes to despair or surrender to the defect.

It is also in the same line important to develop the practise of giving preferential treatment to members of socially and economically disadvantaged groups, especially in recruitment and promotion and in the provision of education and service, the practice known as positive discrimination. It is now appropriate to give a chance to those people who were treated as inferior and unable to hold high positions. Women can prove to be good national leaders if they are given an opportunity, as well people with different disabilities such as deafness, blindness, paralysis can prove to offer different social services even more efficiently than those who are physically fit. Hence we should not consider such people as good for nothing. Let us have a positive outlook towards them.

What I want to imply in all these examples is not to cover all the fields of life, but just to give a picture of what it means to be positive so that everyone; in his own position and circumstance,may learn to develop this positive attitude.


What the Bible says on the Positive side of life:
The Bible is a message of hope. It therefore has the role to give hope and encouragement to people especially in situations in which life seems to be baffling. The wisdom books of the Bible in particular clearly elaborate how one can live on the positive side of life especially when he/she lives with fear and faith in God. These books maintain that it is important for people to enjoy certain legitimate pleasures lest they fall into pessimism and despair. “I know there is no happiness for a human being except in pleasure and enjoyment through life. And when we eat and drink and find happiness in all our achievements, this is a gift from God.” (Ecclesiastes 3:12). Similarly as long as one is living, he/she ought to have hope, since “there is hope for someone still linked to the rest of the living: better be a live dog than a dead lion.” (Ecclesiastes. 9:4). Hence we need to take life as it comes with hope.

Also there are a number of personalities in the Bible who can provide us with best examples of the positive attitude. Let us see two of them:

Job faced unimaginable sudden and catastrophic suffering. Nevertheless he did this in a positive way, without recrimination, self-pity or rejection of reality and with praise to God, something that most of us could not. His words help to console people who face calamities of such a nature “The Lord gave and now he has taken away, may his name be praised” (Job. 1:21).

Our Lord and God Jesus, despite a lot of suffering he experienced from his persecutors, he reacts by forgiveness, “Forgive them Father! They know not what they are doing” (Lk.23:34) and this proves his teaching which is mainly centred on the love of God and love of neighbour, that we should love even our enemies and those who cause us to suffer. With this kind of attitude, there can never be any conflicts on earth!

What the Church says on the Positive side of life:
The fathers of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), have stressed on the importance of developing a positive attitude so as to make this world a better place to live. “Today there is an inescapable duty to make ourselves the neighbour of every man, no matter who he is, and if we meet him, to come to his aid in a positive way.” (GS. No. 27).[1] It is this kind of attitude that will save our world from the varieties of crime which include:
“all offences against life itself, such as murder, genocide, abortion, euthanasia and wilful suicide; all violations of the integrity of the human person such as mutilation, physical and mental torture, undue psychological pressures; all offences against human dignity, such as subhuman living condition, arbitrary imprisonment, deportation, slavery, prostitution…” (GS. No. 27)

Pope John Paul II in his encyclical Redemptoris Missio, (The Mission of the Church) in favour of the positive attitude he says:
“If we look at today's world, we are struck by many negative factors that can lead to pessimism. ...Today in fact there is a new consensus among peoples about these values: the rejection of violence and war; respect for the human person and for human rights; the desire for freedom, justice and brotherhood; the surmounting of different forms of racism and nationalism; the affirmation of the dignity and role of women.” (No. 86).

In short the Church insists on the positive values of respect and love for all people including our enemies. The church’s concern is to restore the original goodness of all that is created, and in particular the goodness of man. Several times we read in the creation account that, "God saw that it was good" (cf. Gen 1:12, 18, 21, 25); and after the creation of man: "God saw what he had made, and behold it was very good” (Gen 1:31). The writings of the Apostles, and in particular the Letters of St. Paul, insist on the restoration of this original goodness through Christ. "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old creation has passed away, behold the new has come" (2 Cor 5:17). The fruit of the redemption wrought by Christ is precisely this newness of life. Hence we have to put off the old nature with its practices and put on the new nature which is being renewed in knowledge of God after the image of its Creator (Col 3:9-10). This new nature however, can only be attained if we begin our every move with this positive attitude that all creation in its integrity is good, and avoiding all that is negative, meaning everything in each one of us which is sin and the inheritance of sin as Paul says: "But now you, of all people, must give all these things up: getting angry, being bad-tempered, spitefulness, abusive language, and dirty talk, and never tell each other lies . . ." (Col 3:8-9).

Conclusion:
Experience shows that depressions, frustrations, stresses and such unpleasant situations often result in some way from negative attitudes towards others, towards things and situations, whereas peace, happiness, freedom and such pleasant situations are in most cases associated with a positive outlook of others, of things or situations even if such persons, things or situations themselves may be unpleasant. Why then do we burden ourselves with something which can be avoided? Let us try to live on the positive side of life and see how happy, how peaceful and how free we shall be!

Nevertheless, we need to be careful. We ought not to be too positive since too much of anything is often harmful. Being positive does not mean rejection of reality. It does not mean that we should never admit of the presence of problems, troubles or difficulties in life. Being positive means that even those problems must be handled in a positive way.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
1. John Paul II, Redemptoris Missio, (Nairobi: St. Paul Publications – Africa)
2. Vatican Council II: The Conciliar and Post-Conciliar Documents, (New Delhi: St. Pauls, 2004)
3. New Jerusalem Bible, (London: Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd., 1973)


[1] GS. Stands for Vatican II’s Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et Spes)