We've all heard the phrase "Look on the Bright Side" before. In fact, we've probably heard it so much that it has lost a lot of meaning in our brains. Today in this post, I will explore some of the deeper meanings this phrase could possibly have.
The phrase "Look on the Bright Side" is usually used to console or reassure someone who has had a particularly bad day or experience. It is used to show that although the situation seems bad (has a "dark" side), there is also goodness, learning, and hope (the "bright" side). For example, when someone loses a family member, a friend my try and comfort the person by saying, "Look on the bright side, he's in a better place than you are."
Does it mean more than this, though. Does it only refer to the specific good effects of situations or happenings, or does it refer to a much more universal thing?
I believe it does. I mean, think about it. The world in general can often be thought of as a "bad" place to live in. It has a lot of bad things in it. Murder, rape, greed, and other nightmares plague a lot of places. However, what happens when you apply "Look on the Bright Side" to the entire world? It suddenly becomes brighter. You remember all of the beautiful, kind things that have happened to you. Every flower, ever person that was willing to make you feel welcome, every bright ray of sunshine. Then you find yourself thinking, "It's not perfect by a long shot, but it's not too bad at all."
It is often the little things like this in life that makes life worth living. It is these small things that brighten up our days, and make them feel happier and more complete. It is so sad how often everyone misses out on a lot of that stuff because they are so concentrated on the bad. I think that the phrase "When walking upon the path of life, stop and smell the roses" expresses this idea nicely. We should all take a little time out of our busy lives to realize that the world is a wonderful, beautiful place.
Have you ever noticed how "Look on the Bright side" can get rather hard to take. How it seems really bad sometimes and you just want to tell the person to be quiet? Especially when they say something like "look on the bright side, he's in a better place" it hurts. When you hear something like that it's probably right after a death and those are hard to take. Yeah we take this and look at the bad, but "look on the bright side" isn't as cheery as we think.
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