Predictions

It's fun being right.  People love predicting the future.  This predicting doesn't have to be about major events, or life determining issues.  In fact most of our predicting is related to everyday occurances.  Will the teacher be on time to class?  Will my dad remember to pick me up immediately after school?  These questions quickly turn into predictions: "My dad will not remember to pick me up after school, he's always late."  Mr. Worley is always late to class, and you watch, it won't be any different today!"

Our predicting statements soon become very self-revealing.  In the everyday turn of events we either become positive or negative in our predictive nature.  In order to avoid disappointment we down play, or predict an outcome that will not cause us frustration or personal hurt.  It is easy to develop this negative approach to living.

This negative approach is also seen in our humor.  This humor takes the form of hurtful statements about people in which we are emotionally invested.  These are people with whom we live, work, and attend school.  We would not consider many of these people "close" to us.  In our minds, this makes it acceptable when we use negative predictive statements.  "I would never say that about you, or anyone else with whom I felt close."

Yes, you would.  It's fun, we're in the habit, we're overcome by the opportunity to say what we think might happen with someone, and since it's just a prediction-we don't mean it.  This form of ridicule changes our approach to living.  It was funny with Jerry Seinfeld-it is soul hurtful to the one using this cool style-and behind the back belittling to the one about whom the comment is made.

Be the one who practices resisting making negative predictive statements, whether in moments of anger, or in opportunities to exhibit your comedic skills.

John Denver