Which will you choose?

[mycrabface]

I would choose the bad.

[pianistimo]

sounds like the story of job.  (sorry for the biblical reference).  first the bad news.  then the good news.  everything you have is gone.  you're still alive.  people have gone thru this with weather related disasters, earthquakes, and disease.  but, the thing is - we really only have ONE problem.  death.  it's going to come sooner or later and you can't really say when.  unless you are dead or dying - it's just a problem.

as i've gotten older - problems seem less of a problem.  financial things don't keep my nails bitten off.  i figure there's more money somewhere.  i try to save as much as possible by doing most work myself.  and, eating out less is definately a way to save on credit card bills.  keeping your credit record clean.  etc.

probably the most stress in life comes from those things which are beyond our control.  a sibling acting up.  a spouse gone crazy (thankfully my husband is quite sane - most of the time).  acts of abuse, murder, theft.  unexpected disasters. 

i choose to hear the good news (the gospel) because then no disaster can take away my reward in heaven.  at least there's that to look forward to.   prayer definately helps with any problem large or small.  if you have a back up plan like prayer - you don't need to worry afterwards.  you let it go.  release it.  then, it's solved.  if you hang onto it - it will be a problem for a long time.

[ahinton]

sounds like the story of job.  (sorry for the biblical reference).
No, you're not! If you were, you'd not have made it, would you?!

first the bad news.  then the good news.  everything you have is gone.  you're still alive.  people have gone thru this with weather related disasters, earthquakes, and disease.  but, the thing is - we really only have ONE problem.  death.  it's going to come sooner or later and you can't really say when.  unless you are dead or dying - it's just a problem.

So death is a problem for everyone except those that are dead (obviously) and those who are dying (far less than obviously)?

as i've gotten older - problems seem less of a problem.  financial things don't keep my nails bitten off.  i figure there's more money somewhere.  i try to save as much as possible by doing most work myself.  and, eating out less is definately a way to save on credit card bills.  keeping your credit record clean.  etc.

Even armed with the optimism that you express here, I really wouldn't suggest that you try running a business, then.

probably the most stress in life comes from those things which are beyond our control.  a sibling acting up.  a spouse gone crazy (thankfully my husband is quite sane - most of the time).  acts of abuse, murder, theft.  unexpected disasters.

In whose case? In my case, I have no siblings, no crazy spouse, I have never committed nor been subject to abuse, nor I have committed murder or been murdered; I admit that I have, like most of us, encountered the odd unexpected disaster, but the only theft to which I have been subject (as far as I am aware) is as direct consequence of certain people's scanning, uploading, downloading and distributing copyright material for which I am responsible. On that basis, I would appear to be pretty much stress-free. I'm not sure that this theory works in practice, however.

i choose to hear the good news (the gospel)

Yes, we all know that you do, but for one thing it's hardly "news", given its vintage and, for another, your statement here appears to imply that there is no other good news available from any other source, which seems a quite extraordinarily pessimistic conclusion, especially emanating as it does from someone who claims to be as optimistic about financial issues as you do.

because then no disaster can take away my reward in heaven.  at least there's that to look forward to.

If I didn't know you better, I'd suggest that this smacks of arrogantly complacent self-congratulation (and I do know that you are not like that).

prayer definately helps with any problem large or small.  if you have a back up plan like prayer - you don't need to worry afterwards.  you let it go.  release it.  then, it's solved.  if you hang onto it - it will be a problem for a long time.

Oh, it's all so easy for you, isn't it?! Encounter a problem, be it next month's Visa bill or hurricane Katrina, cutting your finger while preparing supper or the December 2005 Asian tsunami - and all that you have to do is pray, then away it goes - just like that - "in the twinkling of an eye", so to speak! I might encounter a problem while writing a piece (in fact it wouldn't be worth doing if I didn't!), so all I have to do is pray and the piece will continue to write itself until it's finished. What a nice life that would be! All you have to do in order to attain it is sign up to the Susan Plan and, hey prestistimo...

Now, let's get back to the thread topic (have I ever written that before?)

Best,

Alistair

[pianistimo]

so...alistair - do you choose the bad news?  what do you do with bad news?  worry.  is it fun to worry.  did you realize people supposedly get cancer from worrying too much.  headaches.  psychological problems.  lack of sleep.

you seem a rather optomistic type - so i rather doubt you chose bad news.  but, what would you choose?  you never said.  to counter a debate side you have to say what yours is and why.

[ahinton]

so...alistair - do you choose the bad news?  what do you do with bad news?  worry.  is it fun to worry.  did you realize people supposedly get cancer from worrying too much.  headaches.  psychological problems.  lack of sleep.

you seem a rather optomistic type - so i rather doubt you chose bad news.  but, what would you choose?  you never said.  to counter a debate side you have to say what yours is and why.

I wasn't countering a debate or even entering into one here; I merely took apart your own response. "Optomistic" in any case suggests someone with better eyesight than I have...

Best,

Alistair