"Things are not really looking good" an acquaintance of mine kept saying to me after watching a documentary that highlighted the struggles of people in debt and the increasing uncertainty of the global economy.
I did understand the space she was coming from and the really interesting part is that we saw it reflected in our current reality. Her debt repayment plan wasn't going as expected and I couldn't break this elusive income ceiling, which was causing us both some stress and anxiety.
Nevertheless, I was cautious of indulging into her point of view that has been created and enhanced by the documentary she watched.
One of the reasons why I was cautious is I didn't want to reinforce a half-truth about a grim financial reality that might discourage her further. I'm always looking at the opposite or flip side of whatever is being discussed. Like, I try to find the silver lining or what's in the periphery as opposed to being totally engrossed in the center.
Financial nihilism is the attitude that our financial situations are hopeless, and that there's no point in trying to improve them.
In my view, it's more of a defeatist and victim mindset combined, as it leads people to give up and accept their circumstances as if it's some kind of rigid and inflexible reality.
For the most part, it erodes any hope and belief of a better financial future, and this makes it difficult to see financial opportunities, even when they're right in front of their doorstep.
What I did however was paint a picture that could create a expansive view of the situation with the hopes of inspiring a shift in perspective.
I painted to her the picture of a one-eyed pirate trapped in a ship cabin on the left side of a maze-like vessel. As the pirate sat dejected in the cramped cabin, inspecting objects in the cabin, his gaze fell upon an old, worn map tucked away in the corner.
Curiosity piqued, the pirate carefully unrolled the map, which revealed an intricate layout of the entire ship - a network of corridors, passageways, and hidden chambers that sprawled out far beyond the confines of his current quarters.
Upon studying the map closely, his dejected mood fled him and he began tracing possible escape routes out of the constricting cabin.
The one eye represented his limited vision, unable to see the full scope of possibilities that lay before him. But now, with this newfound map in hand, he could begin to envision an escape route and discover what other treasures or opportunities might await outside the cabin.
I told her, "What if we could entertain the possibility of breaking free from the 'things not looking good' mindset, knowing that there's another aspect of the situation that we haven't explored yet? Sometimes, all we need is a touch of curiosity and a spark of adventure to see the world in a different light."
Through discovering a map, the pirate was able to shift his perspective from feeling trapped and helpless to one of possibility and exploration.
Similarly, I wanted to encourage my acquaintance to adopt a more curious and open-minded approach to her financial situation, which seemed more beneficial than succumbing to the defeatist attitude of financial nihilism.
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