Joy
Each of us knows one person; at least one, who can walk into a room and noticeably light it up. Something about his or her aura changes the mood — encouraging openness and creating a positive atmosphere merely by entering the space.
Among the powerful aspects of this impressive quality is the ability to author trust in places where trust is unnatural. We live in a world of distrust, where the prevailing mentality is that “the only way to do things right is to do them myself;” where trust is as much an open invitation for being hurt as a connecting vehicle for human interactions (its real purpose). Easing tension and removing walls is that much more valuable in modern culture, so exhibiting joy is paramount. It is the necessary countermeasure to pessimistic and closed culture and an efficient vehicle of positive human interaction.
Turn on the television or scroll through the news for one hour. The overwhelming negativity breeds frustration, coupled with distrust and disappointment. Questions abound. Why would people do this to one another? Why would the politician who pledged his allegiance to this country betray the confidence of those who supported him? Who can I trust to stand ethically on the national scale? Or the hot question revolving around today’s news — how can we even know if it’s real or fake? The logical end of these large questions is obvious and rather counteractive. The voices of our world encourage people to avoid risks, protect their closest acquaintances, and stay comfortable, rather than promote discussion of the events or ideas conveyed. This worldview is manifest distrust and the prerequisite to cultural stagnancy.
Reviving cultural trust is a mountainous project that requires sustained efforts, well beyond the scope of one blog post. However, the foundation to that project is an exhortation toward joy.
My definition of choice for joy is the expression of gratitude for the value of life and circumstances, whether good or bad. This broad definition is indicative of the virtue’s simplicity. However, I want to debunk a poisonous popular misconception before I continue to explain the virtue itself.
Americans love labels, and one of the favorites is labeling people as either optimists or pessimists. I believe the optimist/pessimist bifurcation is not only wrong, but destructive. By nature of being a virtue, joy should be practiced by all, and the pessimist label is foolish because it absolves half of a population from exhibiting joy on the grounds that it “is unnatural for them”. Instead, optimism and pessimism must be understood as “promoters” and “critics”, both valuable characteristics that act independently of the choice to be joyful. No doubt, some are naturally more joyful than others, but the virtuous effort toward universal trust requires 100% cooperation.
Joy is beautiful because of its simplicity. A constant smile or quick word of encouragement embodies joy, and that act alone can change the “vibe” of a room. It is efficient because it requires so little effort but has vast benefits. Joy is a mode of transportation that meets people where they are, and it has the ability to take them to where they desire to be by breaking down walls.
The end goal for all people, whether natural promoters or critics, is to practice the simple virtue of joy — opening the doors to interactions that propel humanity forward.
