There is nothing more surreal for a girl from Chicago than to be driving around in December with the windows open, no coat, and Christmas music playing on the radio. It is downright balmy outside, where did that come from? Not that I'm not thankful, it's been a little too breezy in my apartment, but my body is just not use to this weather-roller-coaster! I need season, real honest-to-goodness seasons, where the weather does typical seasonal things.

Anyway, that isn't what this random thought is about. That was, well, one of many random thoughts I suppose, and a decent opening line. It kind of sets my odd mood I suppose.

This thought was inspired by a conversation with a friend. He mentioned that there was a study having to do with basic human emotions that said there were only four core emotions, anger, fear, surprise, and happiness. He thought it was interesting that there was only one "good" or "positive" emotion. We talked a bit about the implications of that. It was a concept I instinctively questioned. I don't want to believe that we by nature are a pessimistic society. The scientists had to have been depressives themselves.

The one conclusion I could come up with was that the label of "happy" is overused. If the study was preformed with photos (and I have no idea if it was or not) there are many different expressions on the human face that we would call happy. Everything from a smirk to belly-laughing could be simply called happy, but that doesn't mean it's the same emotion involved in both cases. Just like everything else in life, happiness is complex and layered.

This thought lead to another, which my thoughts are wont to do. Why is it we have so many different labels for negative emotions and only a handful for positive emotions? My theory is this, when things are going well we very rarely question what we are feeling. Why question the feeling in your chest while you are laughing with friends or cuddled with a lover, you are in the moment, there experiencing every second of it and focused on the now, you have no time to spare to think about labeling your emotions. It's only when things aren't going well that you mind begins to dwell on how you are feeling. If you are scared or nervous or angry your mind, or at least MY mind, will pick at that feeling like a scab. You'll worry it and scratch it and bother it until you feel better. That doesn't mean we are pessimistic per say, we don't enjoy negative emotions, but it seems that we as humans tend to expect, almost demand, the good days and the positive emotions. We take them for granted as expected instead of realizing that every great day is fleeting and a gift and is meant to be cherished and lived and reveled in to the fullest extent.

I don't know which is better, being a pessimistic society or one that feels entitlement. Though, really, I don't believe you can pigeon whole an entire world. While there are plenty of people who want to follow the herd, there are plenty more who understand the necessity of uniqueness. And while there are plenty of pessimists, there are also the optimists. I know several people who know to relish what they have when they have it, and it's those people I fully intend to surround myself with. Positive emotions, even if there is only one, can be contagious. I hope to infect others with happiness myself.