ThinkBlog

[…] Acceptance looks different than acquiescence, though, I think; and a lot different than we have traditionally conceptualized it.  When we grit our teeth, dig in our heels, and accept the situtation for what it is and assume that because of entropy it will only worsen (and remain stable for all that)—that is acceptance.  There is no need for acceptance in the face of true pleasure; so only in the case of pain, we say, “I am content,” and are able to mean it in a sense that extends beyond the moment; come what may, we say, even though the situation shall deteriorate, I will bear it.  Frankly, this is often a beautiful state for one to inhabit, because it makes one aware both of grace and of his or her own relations to others; but sometimes—sometimes—this is the very attitude God uses to shatter the hell-on-earth we take for granted and turn it into something better than we expect.  I don’t recommend adopting my dear friend’s old philosophy that by expecting the worst we will never be disappointed, because if we truly always expect the worse, we will drive ourselves into a state that cannot comprehend the good that happens around us (the same happens in the case that we expect too much; and it is named Depression). […]

[…] Acceptance looks different than acquiescence, though, I think; and a lot different than we have traditionally conceptualized it.  When we grit our teeth, dig in our heels, and accept the situtation for what it is and assume that because of entropy it will only worsen (and remain stable for all that)—that is acceptance.  There is no need for acceptance in the face of true pleasure; so only in the case of pain, we say, “I am content,” and are able to mean it in a sense that extends beyond the moment; come what may, we say, even though the situation shall deteriorate, I will bear it.  Frankly, this is often a beautiful state for one to inhabit, because it makes one aware both of grace and of his or her own relations to others; but sometimes—sometimes—this is the very attitude God uses to shatter the hell-on-earth we take for granted and turn it into something better than we expect.  I don’t recommend adopting my dear friend’s old philosophy that by expecting the worst we will never be disappointed, because if we truly always expect the worse, we will drive ourselves into a state that cannot comprehend the good that happens around us (the same happens in the case that we expect too much; and it is named Depression). […]