What Kind of Person Are You?

It occurred to me recently that there are three types of people. I may be wrong, but I think that all people, you and I included, fit into one of these categories. There are times when you may move from one category to another on a temporary basis, but for the most part your disposition puts you into one of these permanently.

• Hypocritical. Hypocritical people are those who are always trying to put on airs. They want others to believe that they are something that they are not. This happens all the time in religious circles. Someone wants everyone else to believe that they do not sin and so they pretend to be holier than they are. Non-religious people do this as well, however. Everyone wants to make a good impression. They may want you to think that they make more money than they really do; that they have a better house; that they have a better job; that they are more educated; that they use better language; that they have a great home life. You get the picture. Everyone knows some hypocrites.
• Hyper-critical. These are the people that are never happy. They could find fault with a sunny day. Everyone is out to get them and the world is in big trouble. You can hear a lot of this sort of thing especially in election years. These are the people who never have lunch dates and others try to avoid. Although I am not sure that they notice their loneliness- or even care about it- they are definitely alone in the world.
• Happy. Happy people make up most of the population. We know that life is not perfect, but its pretty good. We have learned to be satisfied, content, with the way things are. We choose to believe that the glass is half full and even in the worst times things will get better.

Most people are pre-disposed to one of these attitudes. However, I believe that you can go a long way toward fixing your situation. Make some decisions that will allow you to change. Realize that happiness is often a choice. Even in the worst circumstances you can be happy with who you are and your situation.

I am trying really hard to be a happy boy.