An 18 year-old's outlook of Life

 I find it interesting how important perception is to our everyday lives. Our view of the world is what makes us, us. There is no one way to describe how the world works. There is no one way to describe how the world works, but it's clear to me that perception plays an essential role in people. For example, say you have just gone through a break up. You still have these preconceived thoughts for the other person as a lover, but the reality no longer matches these thoughts. It causes you to dwell on the past and the events that led to the break up. You perceive their to be mistake. That somebody is at fault. However, the other person might just think there was an agreement, and has already moved on to the next person. Or perhaps already had before the break-up. This is because they no longer perceived the relationship to be necessary or important. I'm sure you can all tell this isn't a hypothetical scenario. but aside from my self pity, I do see perception as an intriguing concept. My example may be a way of drowning in my own sorrow, but it provides truth to my point. We don't act on impulse, we act on perception. The way you look at something supports the way you interact with that "something." It doesn't have to be a physical object, but it could more of a symbolic idea, like the relationship. Or it could be a larger scale. How do you view life, or how you perceive life. If you think the world is an evil place, and truly believe that man is harmful to the environment, then you will perceive the world to be an evil place. When you get up in the morning, you may not think about it, but in the back of your head you'll think, "what's the point." You won't allow yourself happiness, because you will perceive happiness to be false and unjustifiable. On the other hand, you may have an extremely positive outlook on life. You get to wake up out of bed in the morning and not think anything but, "YAYYY!" Everything that happens you have a positive thought. Somebody steals from you, you say they needed it more. You may be taken advantage of daily, but always be happy. Where the pessimist understands society more, but is less happy. There is a balance between reality and perception. The easy way to see this is to think that you have to balance the two. To find happiness, but also understand the world. Which may be the correct way to think. It might be the moral way to think. But take this idea that is 7 billion percent impossible; that everyone thinks like captain happy. That all people are overwhelmingly optimistic and positive. Wouldn't it be better to be happy? Would it be selfish? Sure as hell would be, but to always think positive could be a completely enjoyable way to live life. Everyone has fears, everyone feels pain, and sadness, anxiety, anger, and so on. But to negate these feelings, by just thinking the world is a good place, no matter what it is that makes you feel like that, maybe that's the perception we all could use. Now it isn't possible, but the idea is to own your perceptions. Re-evaluate them. Then determine if it is the best way you could be living, or the way you want to live. Then move on from there. There are billions of holes in this plan, such as what if you're idea of happiness is to kill everyone around you. Well, that would damage everyone else's happiness. But if that person even believed in some sort of haven of an afterlife, where killing is all that ever happens. Then they can live positively before that. There is no one way of life.There is no one way of perception. There isn't one way to be happy. It's an odd world out there. Find a way to look at the world and be happy. Then again, I just threw out a bunch of random generalizations and gave myself credit for it. But that's what makes me happy, and maybe it will make you happy.