Comment on the e-mail from the woman who is really unhappy with the mailings, etc. I am placing it here because it does not belong in a list of testimonials, but I’m genuinely confused.

First, I just do not see the benefit to anyone in picking out one message (from among hundreds of overwhelmingly positive ones) like this negative one. What is the significance of this ONE message from ONE unhappy person?

Nor do I understand why, if that negative e-mail is so disturbing, that the issue cannot be handled between the person who wrote it and the one person for whom it was originally intended.

Someone wrote a negative message. Sure, naturally nobody would be happy about that. But what makes it worthy of a mass mailing? What’s the benefit? What’s the purpose?

Did the writer specify that she would like everyone on the mailing list to receive the message? Is she mad at all of us, and does it seem like she wanted/needed assistance in spreading the negativity to a bunch of strangers?

All of this just to say, it’s very surprising and somewhat confusing to me. This entire blog is rightfully, and by necessity, focused on positive thought and encouragement.

During the short few months I’ve been on the e-mail list, over and over and over again it is stressed that people who have bipolar disorder and their supporters MUST do their BEST to maintain a POSITIVE outlook.

And I agree, 110%!!! It’s not a cure, but it helps.

So this CRITICAL message is at least temporarily lost in what looks like a personal conflict between one writer and one recipient.

In all honesty, it is very hard for me to believe that anyone in this community of folks who really dedicate themselves to being positive would genuinely consider QUITTING over something so trivial, and NORMAL, which will inevitably happen again, at another time, involving another person.

It makes more sense for me to go with the general flow of things here. So one person said something negative. The fact is, that person is allowed to do that.

After everything great I’ve seen here, I’m just not naive enough to believe ANYONE so smart and dedicated would think about closing the whole operation over this.

The response is SO far out of proportion to the event that it just doesn’t make sense.

What if I said, “Listen, I have bipolar disorder, and my therapist said something I really didn’t like. I think I’ll just QUIT. To heck with everything…I’ll just QUIT because I didn’t like what she said.”

To be clear, I wouldn’t be so silly, stubborn, and flat out self-destructive to even THINK of such a drastic measure. If I did, WHO would I HURT? ME!!!!

But I bet if I SINCERELY said I was QUITTING over one thing one person said, anybody that cared about me, in my life, or even here, would be ALL OVER ME, calling me on my crappy attitude. As they should be.

That’s why it doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t fit with all the other good things here.

But then the option to respond was given as a form to fill out saying how the site benefits me.

Well, I’m saying it here. It’s great! I just wonder what’s up, I mean…do I really have to worry that the whole thing would shut down over this?

If I thought so, I might be worried. But I believe in the site and its owners more than that. And there are some people (who didn’t even write a negative message) who would feel overwhelmed at the prospect of the end of the whole deal over some random act of a stranger.

Hmmm–these are only observations. I’m thinking about how this played out. I’m wondering if there is some benefit or intent beyond what seems obvious to me.

?

I say, let people say what they want. What does it really say to a lot of people struggling to be positive to hear the leadership even MENTION quitting over something so trivial?

Let them say whatever they want. They have a right to do that. Is it fair to hold the prospect of shutting down over everyone else’s head?