Objective Correlative

[Scarlet Assassin]

The Objective Correlative is a term that was coined by T.S. Eliot in reference to the poetry of William Wordsworth. It refers to how outside events influence your view on isolated happenings. To give an example, say you wake up in the morning and you're late for work, you get there and your boss is angry, someone spills coffee on you, and then you get a flat tire, so it starts raining. You immediately think "OH IT FIGURES IT WOULD RAIN! DAMN RAIN!" However, if the day goes the opposite way, say you wake up to your favorite song, you have a full tank of gas, get to work to find out they gave you a promotion, and then it starts raining, you think "Ooh, what pretty rain. It'll be great for the environment!"

That is the idea behind the Objective Correlative. However, I'm doing a literature study to see how valid this theory is. I find it to be rather silly as I try not to let events influence my overall outlook. How many of you feel that a sequence of events impacts your mood enough to turn it from "What pretty rain" to "GOD DAMN RAIN!"?
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Chief of Beat-em-up Honeys Division, Devoted Protector of Lady Tifa Lockhart

[Oppenheimer]

I would probably go "God damn it, now it's raining?!" If I was pissed off. But if I was in a good mood I'd go "This sucks, it's raining. Oh well." I wouldn't be like "Oh yay it's raining because I'm in a good mood." It would still be bad, it's just how patient I'd be with it.
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[Angelus]

I think mood has a definitive affect on your perspective on things. Your example definitely proves that, and I'm sure others here have had days like that. Although, like Oppenheimer mentioned, the person's personality definitely has something to do with it, and how bad the thing is too.

Personally, I guess I'm a pretty pessimistic person. If I used the example of the rain, I'd say "Fuck, rain." if I was pissed and "Crap, rain." if I were normal or happy. The rain is viewed in a negative way in boths examples for me, but also because I don't really like rain a lot. You know?
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[Scarlet Assassin]

It wasn't so much about the example as it is about the idea of it. Does your reaction to things get changed by your experience or mood? Mine doesn't change easily but I was asking you all how much your mood affects your reactions to things.
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Chief of Beat-em-up Honeys Division, Devoted Protector of Lady Tifa Lockhart

[Yvl]

I think the idea works for sure, not just in good mood / bad mood, but in fear as well. For example, if I heard a strange noise in the middle of the night, I'd shrug it off as nothing, but if, say, I woke up from one of my nightmares, went to the computer to find the screen flooded with "666" and then lightning hit the house right next to me, and then I heard a strange sound... I'd want to know what it is.

Actually, now that I think about it, really what it does is that a minor thing amplifies the mood you already have.
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[Scarlet Assassin]

Meh, not getting much of a response in personal. I'm going to move this to community since it could fit there too.
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Chief of Beat-em-up Honeys Division, Devoted Protector of Lady Tifa Lockhart

[Milan Fiori]

My mood definitely changes my reaction to things. If I'm in a good mood, I tend to roll with things more. If somebody asks me for a favor, or I need to do something, I'll do it faster and more efficiently if I'm in a good mood. If I'm in a bad mood, I tend to become more aggressive, and lose my temper with people much faster. And when I'm in a bad mood, the tasks I have to do, I drag out and muddle around.

The rain example is great. Because it's something almost everybody thinks about at one point or another. If I'm already pissed I'm just going to hate the day more if it starts raining. But I happen to like going out for walks if the day is warm enough, and in a good mood.

I don't think you can not let your mood affect your reactions to things. Humans are emotional creatures. And that's what your mood is, it's an emotion. Any emotion will affect your reaction to things, and also just because you don't show the reaction outwardly towards people, your inner reaction is most definitely changed.

And I don't know about you Yvl... But no matter how good of a mood I'm in, if I come home and find 666 flooded on my computer screen, I'd be alittle freaked out.
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Be awed by our prowess!

[Arenegeth]

[Yohn]

I dunno... I'm only happy when it rains.

XD

I dunno... I'm more likely to be the one if the day's bad to stand out in the middle of the rain, stare up at the sky and think that this might be the only thing soothing. If it was a good day, and everything would start raining I'd probably go out and dance in it. I'm just that kind of person.
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"And as the lion slaughters man, I am the wolf and you're the lamb." ~Blind Guardian

[Ujitsuna]

Unless it's snow, I'm never really that bothered by it. As the song goes:

"I love a rainy night!"

(Guitar riff)

...

I know you have a point Scarlet, I'm not sure if I can remember examples where this applies to me. I'm sure I'm happier when things suit me better, so maybe I am like that, I suppose I'm just sailing through right now blissfully unaware of anything. :P

[Ikano]

Putting aside any specific examples. Yes in general if a whole line of bad stuff happens to me then I was presented with something that could be good and bad at the end I would be more pissed of then say...having a bunch of good stuff happen to me...

I'd say the opposite applies as well...meaning if alot of good stuff happens to I'm more convinced to do something risky (which usually has a high chance of resulting in something bad/"unlucky") rather than having a normal day and deciding against doing that same "risky" thing

Ah....the psychological nature of us humans is so interesting sometimes
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[Archy]

In my opinion, I think it does.

Say I start the day perfectly, a good breakfast, get early to school, etc. Then I get a low score on a quiz. My mindset would be something like "Oh well, I guess we you can't get 'em all..." - kinda like a happy-go-lucky attitude. If it's the opposite, the weather is warm (I absolutely hate warm weather, screw the sun!), I strated the day bad with some arguments, etc. and get a good score in a test, my mindset would be something like "Pfff, I got a high score. So what" - kinda like an ignorant attitude.

So, I'm happy-go-lucky when a bad thing happens on a good day, and ignorant when a good thing happens on a bad day. That's me, at least. :P
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[Sage]

I can definitely see how this would work and I think it does exist to a degree in most peoples' lives. However, it does not hold true for me. I am a pessimist so I'm always viewing the negative. "That figures" is just a way of life for me. No matter how good my day goes, it doesn't change my views on anything.
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[Masaya]

Whats best to do is take a lot of things in life with a grain of salt. Generally the reason why this makes so much sense is because so many people love to sulk in their own self pity. In my opinion self pity is a vicious chain that continous pulls new ideas to feel sorry about, even if they arn't that big of a deal.

A good example was yesterday my cat died. (no joke :() The day continuously got worse as I lost my cellphone. And by the time I returned back to my dorm room, I was in such a negative self destructive mood, when my on girlfriend called and she told me about what she did during the day. I became very down, and the whole evening turned into a real disaster as my conversation/attitude really kind of pushed her away. Of coarse I apologized, and were working on things..but eh. I suggest letting thinigs be.

It'd be nice if people would look more for the positive than negatives. People would probably be a lot happier.
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[Ley]

I'm afraid Scarlet, on this occasion, I'm going to have to disagree with you. I find it a very valid idea that a negative experience places the person in a negative mindset.

This Friday I wasn't having the best say, so when I eventually get to Middlewood, and find the hut locked. It rains, and my first thought is "Bloody Typical". I then spent the next half an hour moaning about various things.

Later that weekend, I'm enjoying myself, and it starts raining. That time my moods are more along the lines of "What a great atmosphere this creates"
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Can anyone tell I'm bored?