Is it true that if you are depressed and miserable poor you will be depressed and miserable when rich?

[Anonymous]

[DishLady]

There's a story my mom used to tell me about the Optimist and the Pessimist that will answer your question:

Once upon a time there were twin brothers who were entered into a scientific study on the nature of Optimism and Pessimism. The boys (around 10/11yo) were put into a stable and promised a ride with the horses in the stable once they cleaned out the stalls. The boys weren't told that the horses weren't in the stable, they were just given rakes, shovels, pitchforks and a wagon to cart off the manure and hay... They were shown where the hoses and fresh hay were, etc.

After leaving them in the stall for a 6-hour stint they found the pessimist in the middle of an uncleaned stall. The doctor asked the kid why he didn't get anything done after six hours. The kid answered that it wouldn't matter WHAT he did because something would probably go wrong. he might fall off the horse or get bitten or not know what to do...

The doctor made his notations, told the kid to clean himself off in the main house and enjoy a nice lunch with the staff. He then went over to check on the optimist...

The optimist had fiercely scrubbed down not only the assigned stall but all the stalls in the general vicinity of his stall. The doctor was floored and asked the kid why he was cleaning everything in sight. The kid smiled brightly and answered, "Well, I didn't see a horse in my stall, but I figured with all the fresh and stinky manure in here the horse should be nearby somewhere..."

So... a depressed person will always think like a depressed person even if they're given an opportunity to "get the horse" so to speak. An optimist will anticipate and look forward to joy in the future even if they don't see it.

[jahaims]

It depends on why you are depressed and miserable

[In_Trance]

Accurate