At the volleyball game today, I heard one player say something I found interesting -
"I hate losing more than I love winning."
When I thought about this, I wondered if it's possible to compare the two feelings. Then I decided that yes, you could judge the intensity of the emotion, and that would be fair. Then I wondered if I agreed with her, and decided that I didn't. For me, the level of joy from winning something (sports game, board game, competition, ect) outweighs the amount of sadness or disappointment I feel if I lose. I totally believe this balance is different among individuals though - I've seen clear evidence of it in my years of being an athlete.
Could one preference over the other create an overall happier person? I suppose if somebody lets the bad things in life "get to them" more than the happy things, this could lead to sadness or depression. Any thoughts on this? Where do you feel you stand in this balance?
It not only depends on perspective but context. In Math League last year, our team rarely performed well but we didn't feel bad if we lost. We only felt great if we did well. You are right about the thoughts on depression. Somehow negative thoughts physically hurt you while positive thoughts improve your condition. I want to know why we can sink into depression and only have negative thoughts but we can't "rise" into a state where everything is viewed as good even when it isn't. Is this euphoria, perhaps?
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