# The Situation is Hopeless, but Not Serious.



## Mindful

*Paul Watzlawick
The Pursuit of Unhappiness*

Note the subtitle of this book is _The Pursuit of Unhappiness_. Knowing that happiness is something that happens spontaneously, Watzlawick devotes this book to a study of ways for folks to carefully pursue unhappiness. By cataloging the most popular ways that folks make themselves unhappy and giving intricate details on how to do it, those folks who recognize their own strategies for creating unhappiness as they read this book, will be unable to perform the tasks as well as before, their careful processes for making themselves unhappy will be broken!

When confronted with a desperate predicament, the Northern German is said to take the attitude that "the situation is serious, but not hopeless" whereas the Southern German, confronting the same predicament, would take the attitude that "the situation is hopeless, but not serious". With the southern attitude, Paul Watzlawick offers a simple solution to seemingly impossible predicaments. 

One predicament is choosing to operate on the world the way one thinks it should be instead of the way it is. Watzlawick says of such a person, "As captain of his ship, which the rats have already abandoned, he heroically steers into the stormy night." 

Of another favorite predicament, "Games with the Past", Watzlawick details four variations for the reader to consider: >>>>


The Situation Is Hopeless, But Not Serious by Paul Watzlawick, A Psychotherapy ARJ2 Review by Bobby Matherne


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## Mindful

I like this one:

*4) More of the Same:* The story is of Nasruddin, the Sufi joker sage, who was crawling around the campfire in front of his desert tent when a friend walked by. "What are you looking for?" "My key" At this his friend got on his knees and joined in the search, soon another friend came by and there were three of them helping, then a fourth. Soon, a fifth friend came by and asked, "What are you looking for?" 
"My key"
"Oh, where did you lose it?"
"In my tent."
"In your tent? Then why are all of you looking for it out here?"
"Because the light is better here."


^Sounds absurd, doesn't it? If you look in the wrong place, you will never find what you're looking for, right? Yes, but continuing the game of "more of the same, is one of the most effective recipes for disaster that has gradually evolved on our planet."


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## Mindful

^ After these playful romps with the past, Watzlawick examines other ingenious ways that people use to make themselves unhappy. As Margaret Mead pointed out, while an American would pretend to have a headache to avoid an unpleasant social engagement, a Russian would have to _have_ a headache. The American suffers from a hurting conscience, and the Russian from a hurting head.^


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## sparky

is there a shrink in the house?

~S~


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## Mindful

It's a humourous look at the human condition.

If you didn't laugh, you'd cry.


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## sparky

......maybe there's some _macabre_ humour in being _misathropist _?

~S~


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## Mindful

sparky said:


> ......maybe there's some _macabre_ humour in being _misathropist _?
> 
> ~S~



You mean a _grump?_


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## Moonglow

Trying to break free from the doldrums of existence? It will be summer soon and gaiety will resume....


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## Mindful

Moonglow said:


> Trying to break free from the doldrums of existence? It will be summer soon and gaiety will resume....



You thread hopping again?

Is it making you happy?


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## Moonglow

Mindful said:


> Moonglow said:
> 
> 
> 
> Trying to break free from the doldrums of existence? It will be summer soon and gaiety will resume....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You thread hopping again?
> 
> Is it making you happy?
Click to expand...

Deliriously..Like a fluttering Dragonfly annoying all it touches.


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## Mindful

Moonglow said:


> Mindful said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Moonglow said:
> 
> 
> 
> Trying to break free from the doldrums of existence? It will be summer soon and gaiety will resume....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You thread hopping again?
> 
> Is it making you happy?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Deliriously..Like a fluttering Dragonfly annoying all it touches.
Click to expand...


Could say something, but I won't.


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## Moonglow

Mindful said:


> Moonglow said:
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> Mindful said:
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> Moonglow said:
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> Trying to break free from the doldrums of existence? It will be summer soon and gaiety will resume....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You thread hopping again?
> 
> Is it making you happy?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Deliriously..Like a fluttering Dragonfly annoying all it touches.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Could say something, but I won't.
Click to expand...

Don't know how to pronounce it?


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## Mindful

Moonglow said:


> Mindful said:
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> Moonglow said:
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> Mindful said:
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> Moonglow said:
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> Trying to break free from the doldrums of existence? It will be summer soon and gaiety will resume....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You thread hopping again?
> 
> Is it making you happy?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Deliriously..Like a fluttering Dragonfly annoying all it touches.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Could say something, but I won't.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Don't know how to pronounce it?
Click to expand...


I'm looking in the wrong place.


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## Sunni Man

Mindful said:


> *Paul Watzlawick
> The Pursuit of Unhappiness*
> 
> Note the subtitle of this book is _The Pursuit of Unhappiness_. Knowing that happiness is something that happens spontaneously, Watzlawick devotes this book to a study of ways for folks to carefully pursue unhappiness. By cataloging the most popular ways that folks make themselves unhappy and giving intricate details on how to do it, those folks who recognize their own strategies for creating unhappiness as they read this book, will be unable to perform the tasks as well as before, their careful processes for making themselves unhappy will be broken!
> 
> When confronted with a desperate predicament, the Northern German is said to take the attitude that "the situation is serious, but not hopeless" whereas the Southern German, confronting the same predicament, would take the attitude that "the situation is hopeless, but not serious". With the southern attitude, Paul Watzlawick offers a simple solution to seemingly impossible predicaments.
> 
> One predicament is choosing to operate on the world the way one thinks it should be instead of the way it is. Watzlawick says of such a person, "As captain of his ship, which the rats have already abandoned, he heroically steers into the stormy night."
> 
> Of another favorite predicament, "Games with the Past", Watzlawick details four variations for the reader to consider: >>>>
> 
> 
> The Situation Is Hopeless, But Not Serious by Paul Watzlawick, A Psychotherapy ARJ2 Review by Bobby Matherne


Thanks for sharing excerpts from this book.

I love the wit and wisdom of the ancient jewish and sufi sages.

A copy from Amazon will be in my hands shortly.  ...


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## Mindful

Sunni Man said:


> Mindful said:
> 
> 
> 
> *Paul Watzlawick
> The Pursuit of Unhappiness*
> 
> Note the subtitle of this book is _The Pursuit of Unhappiness_. Knowing that happiness is something that happens spontaneously, Watzlawick devotes this book to a study of ways for folks to carefully pursue unhappiness. By cataloging the most popular ways that folks make themselves unhappy and giving intricate details on how to do it, those folks who recognize their own strategies for creating unhappiness as they read this book, will be unable to perform the tasks as well as before, their careful processes for making themselves unhappy will be broken!
> 
> When confronted with a desperate predicament, the Northern German is said to take the attitude that "the situation is serious, but not hopeless" whereas the Southern German, confronting the same predicament, would take the attitude that "the situation is hopeless, but not serious". With the southern attitude, Paul Watzlawick offers a simple solution to seemingly impossible predicaments.
> 
> One predicament is choosing to operate on the world the way one thinks it should be instead of the way it is. Watzlawick says of such a person, "As captain of his ship, which the rats have already abandoned, he heroically steers into the stormy night."
> 
> Of another favorite predicament, "Games with the Past", Watzlawick details four variations for the reader to consider: >>>>
> 
> 
> The Situation Is Hopeless, But Not Serious by Paul Watzlawick, A Psychotherapy ARJ2 Review by Bobby Matherne
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks for sharing excerpts from this book.
> 
> I love the wit and wisdom of the ancient jewish and sufi sages.
> 
> A copy from Amazon will be in my hands shortly.  ...
Click to expand...


I want to get that book, but it was written so long ago, the English language version is no longer available in the book shop. So l'll have to go through Amazon.


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## DustyInfinity

No reason not to laugh at the human condition.  We are weird little animals.  Personally, I like to laugh.


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