On facebook, I saw in a group, sharing a sign in front of a construction site that forbids anyone to be unhappy!

[disabledlife]

On facebook, I saw in a group, sharing a sign in front of a construction site that forbids anyone to be unhappy!

"The rules of the construction site:

Respect for all.
BE HAPPY EVERY DAY!
Help each other.
KEEP THE HEAD UP!
LAUGH A LOT!
Stay motivated.
Respect the work of others.
Do not scream.
DO NOT COMPLAIN!
Wear protections.
ALWAYS BE POSITIVE!
Say please and thank you."

Is it such a crime to be unhappy, to complain, to be depressed... should you keep all the misfortunes of your life to yourself? Should CTB be out of sight, forgotten by all?

I am flabbergasted by the lack of compassion in humans (apart from a few exceptions, like here, in this forum).

 

[Pluto]

I can't speak for elsewhere, but in my area the construction industry has one of the highest suicide rates. It seems to be a combination of the workload, the hypermasculine "stiff upper lip" culture and an inability to vent feelings. The sign you mention comes across as a naive attempt at improving the situation, but actually only making it worse.

 

[NumbItAll]

That sounds pretty unhealthy. There are emotions other than happiness that humans frequently experience. Especially at work.

 

[WhiteRabbit]

That sign is dumb. At the same time I don't think there should be a big "IT'S OK TO KILL YOURSELF!" sign at a job site where people are potentially operating heavy machinery, lol.

 

[watchingthewheels]

This reminds me of an story arc from the 7th Doctor era (Sylvester McCoy) of DOCTOR WHO, "The Happiness Patrol". Partly a satire on the Thatcher years in England, where depression was forbidden, and everyone was to be happy all the time...or else. (Even included a 1984-styled "Gestapo" entrapping people who were unhappy...and featured an underground "resistance" blue musician...)

The Happiness Patrol - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I can't speak for elsewhere, but in my area the construction industry has one of the highest suicide rates. It seems to be a combination of the workload, the hypermasculine "stiff upper lip" culture and an inability to vent feelings. The sign you mention comes across as a naive attempt at improving the situation, but actually only making it worse.

Funny enough, I had an online convo once about this with someone who was advising young men to take up a trade...having worked briefly in construction and carpet installation myself, I said that it's a noble profession, and learning a trade is good, but also warned about the alchoholism and self-destructive tendencies in those fields (as well as the warnings I received from others in such trades to avoid them, and get a white-collar job instead...) My comments were dismissed outright, of course...

 

[lionetta12]

On facebook, I saw in a group, sharing a sign in front of a construction site that forbids anyone to be unhappy!

"The rules of the construction site:

Respect for all.
BE HAPPY EVERY DAY!
Help each other.
KEEP THE HEAD UP!
LAUGH A LOT!
Stay motivated.
Respect the work of others.
Do not scream.
DO NOT COMPLAIN!
Wear protections.
ALWAYS BE POSITIVE!
Say please and thank you."

Is it such a crime to be unhappy, to complain, to be depressed... should you keep all the misfortunes of your life to yourself? Should CTB be out of sight, forgotten by all?

I am flabbergasted by the lack of compassion in humans (apart from a few exceptions, like here, in this forum).

I hate toxic positivity.

 

[FuneralCry]

Forced optimism really is so irritating. I think that negative emotions can be a rational response to having to continue to endure this existence. What many people refer to as pessimism I see as simply being realistic.

 

[Smart No More]

I used to work in a company where we were expected to always be smiling when in the office. We would have to do group activities where the person with most sales that day would ring a bell ans everyone had to praise them. It was such a weird envirnment. The boss was weird guy who eventually found himself on the wrong side of the law lol. His right hand man groomed me and it wasn't until years later that it became obvious that's what was going on lol. I was young an naive. He wasn't successful but he did make sone efforts. Took me out after work and bought me lunch in a sit down restaurant and made me walk him home and said all this weird stuff. I always found him odd and a bit creeoy but I found many people like so kind of just lumped it all together as weird corporate people in my mind. I'm glad I wasn't the vulnerable type. It could have gone quite differently. But yeah, that work environment was so weird. All the songs and rituals and the always smiling policy. We had to act like we were all hyped as fuck when the main boss made impromptu visits to the office. There were party poppers and all sorts sitting around waiting for auch moments. So fucking weird!

 

[makethepainstop]

On facebook, I saw in a group, sharing a sign in front of a construction site that forbids anyone to be unhappy!

"The rules of the construction site:

Respect for all.
BE HAPPY EVERY DAY!
Help each other.
KEEP THE HEAD UP!
LAUGH A LOT!
Stay motivated.
Respect the work of others.
Do not scream.
DO NOT COMPLAIN!
Wear protections.
ALWAYS BE POSITIVE!
Say please and thank you."

Is it such a crime to be unhappy, to complain, to be depressed... should you keep all the misfortunes of your life to yourself? Should CTB be out of sight, forgotten by all?

I am flabbergasted by the lack of compassion in humans (apart from a few exceptions, like here, in this forum).

Bunch of dam nut cases, be happy doing a job you positively hate, for an insufficient paycheck! I once worked at a place had a Stop sign in front of the offices, demanding you be smiling before you entered the work area?!!

 

[akirat9]

there should be a big "IT'S OK TO KILL YOURSELF!"

except it is oK for me to

 

[Forever Sleep]

My manager told me in a performance review that I did everything the company expects but I didn't smile or look happy much. Perhaps it was a fair comment- it was customer facing retail afterall. Still- I thought- improve the working environment by supporting your staff and I'll be happy.

I love this from David Mitchell:

 

[diyCTB]

DO NOT COMPLAIN!
Wear protections.
ALWAYS BE POSITIVE!
Say please and thank you."

I haven't complained. Staff talked behind my back. Others didn't get monitored for being idle, I was and I was yelled at. Gaslighted myself into thinking I was doing something wrong. Did tasks that waiters normally weren't supposed to. Never spoke out. Lost confidence in myself thinking I can't work in other jobs. Stayed too long and look where I have ended up. Still remember that day when we all had to keep our smiles for VIP guests. It was disgusting fakery.

My comments were dismissed outright, of course...

Did they have financial interest in teaching young folks the trade or it was their own ego on their way to deny things they didn't want to hear?

I think that negative emotions can be a rational response to having to continue to endure this existence.

Like positive emotions, together they make up the whole. Oppress them and you take away people's right to freedom of speech. That's a tyranny.

My manager told me in a performance review that I did everything the company expects but I didn't smile or look happy much.

Retail you say?

 

[watchingthewheels]

I used to work in a company where we were expected to always be smiling when in the office. We would have to do group activities where the person with most sales that day would ring a bell ans everyone had to praise them. It was such a weird envirnment.

This part sounds like that "Serenity NOW!" episode of SEINFELD, the with Lloyd Braun selling computers, and ringing the bell every time...only he wasn't really selling them.
"Serenity now, insanity later", was the result. They got that right.

 

[StolenLife]

I swear pro lifers are on drugs 24/7...
I'm sure that helps the constructiom workers with inhumane work conditions and low pay./s

 

[makethepainstop]

My scenario for toxic positivity.... Take one of these types to a national park like the one in Wyoming. Then tell them to be positive, the wild grizzly bear won't hurt you, and he might like having his ears scratched. Then tell them I cant scratch the bears ears, cause I'm not as positive as your are. Now when the dumb ass gets his arm bitten off, and is screaming, "But I was positive!" I'd tell him, "Yep, and I was POSITIVE the bear would take your arm off!" So there is a place for negative thoughts, as life savers.