W
ithout a doubt, I’m
an
optimist.
From
arguing in favor of
the Bursley-Baits bus to arguing
for an explicit expansion of our
vocabulary, I try my best to see
the light in every situation. But
the silver lining is often elusive,
and sometimes involves extensive
searching. This search, in and of
itself, is an art. Unlike most arts,
though, optimism has a unique
faculty and disposition toward
improving all that it touches.
While it’s not always easy to
remain optimistic, the belief
we have in the world correlates
with how much we believe in
ourselves.
Belief
is
embodied
and
emboldened by optimism. I’m
not an optimist because I choose
to be, but because that’s what the
world requires. Optimism is the
kindling for the fire of change,
and the means to overcoming
struggle.
On
countless
occasions,
it’s been proven that there
are
multiple
discernible
psychological and physiological
benefits to “seeing the glass half
full.” Multiple studies have found
a correlation between optimism
and a decrease in different health
issues, such as heart failure and
strokes, and optimists are even
reported to recover faster after
undergoing
intensive
surgery.
People who haven’t integrated
optimism into their lifestyles
often have higher levels of
cortisol, a stress-related hormone.
Optimism has also been found
to have a high correlation with
overall life satisfaction. In a 1990
study, college freshmen who were
predisposed toward optimism
were found to be less stressed,
lonely and depressed than other
students. These benefits, albeit
numerous and clear, are not
indicative of the true effect of
optimism.
The
physiological
and
psychological
benefits
seen because of optimism are
themselves effects — effects of
optimism’s unique ability to alter
the way we view the world and
help us confront and overcome
our struggles.
Struggle is one of the few
universal human experiences,
making
its
mark
on
each
individual’s life in some way
at some point in their lives.
While not all struggles are
created equal, they all require at
least some amount of tenacity,
patience and work to overcome.
Whether you’re studying for a
University of Michigan math
exam or attempting to bring
down a systemic bias, optimism is
necessary.
The art of optimism is a power
that can help in overcoming any
sort of struggle, no matter if that
struggle is constant or temporary,
immense or small. It is a way of
thinking that takes a hold of the
future and refuses to relinquish it
into the hands of defeat.
To anyone who’s facing some
sort of hardship, the phrase
“everything happens for a reason”
can ring a cynical bell. It can sound
like complacency to an unfair
and unjust present, a consolation
that tries to prescribe meaning
to a meaningless circumstantial
situation.
However,
therein
lies the phrase’s power. By
defining meaning in hardship,
we take hold of how it affects
us. Optimism allows us to take
a hard time and make it worth
something, making experience
our currency. The power to take
control of our own future lies
within our own perception of our
current circumstances.
In giving meaning to the
struggles
we
face,
we
give
ourselves meaning and purpose
to carry on. The meaning that
we can find in different struggles
can vary. A failed exam could
be motivation to study harder, a
lesson in accepting failure or a
push toward switching majors.
These experiences can make us
stronger when facing a similar
battle in the future, or they can
teach us valuable lessons so that
we may grow as people.
Undoubtedly,
optimism
requires a lot of courage. Getting
past the face of despair and defeat
to see the bigger picture is not
an easy task. It feels like the
world works to bring us down to
its reality, to simply accept that
struggle is an immovable facet of
life and that it has no point. The
only time we can have courage,
though, is when we stand in
front of the valley of despair.
The only time we can overcome
it is when we are at risk of being
conquered. Hope is as courageous
an endeavor as any.
It’s also important to note that
optimism might not always be
“right.” Many times, an optimist
will find the outcomes that
they’ve sought out are different
from reality. But the differences
between what we seek and what
we have do not invalidate the use
of optimism.
Wednesday, March 22, 2023 — 8
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Opinion
Design by Skylar Modell
The indomitable human spirit:
From optimism to activism
L
et it be known that I am
a bit of a hypochondriac.
A
recurring
headache
that pangs in a particular part
of my head has left me certain
that a burst aneurysm is an
inevitability. I was sure that a
now totally healed wrist, that
broke my fall down some icy
stairs, would heal improperly.
(Would it snap and become
permanently
fixed,
bent
outwards at a ninety-degree
angle?) I have, on multiple
occasions, required reassurance
that the amount of blood lost
from a scrape or cut is not
worthy of medical attention.
Often, when I’m told my
anxieties surrounding all things
bodily
are
unwarranted,
I
listen. But when it was time to
make the grueling choice about
whether or not to go on birth
control, I still wasn’t so sure I
was overreacting. Yes, plenty
of people go and stay on birth
control without thinking twice,
but should they? Birth control’s
quiet consequences might make
them reconsider.
The light to contraception
has a long and trying history.
As
long
as
people
have
been
attempting
to
create
contraception methods, people
have tried, and often succeeded,
at making them inaccessible.
Rubber
condoms
were
first
invented in the late 1850s by a
man named Charles Goodyear,
and on its heels would come
legislation pioneered by devout
Christian Anthony Comstock,
who found contraception highly
immoral and improper, as it was
sexually promiscuous. He would
successfully get the Comstock
Act passed in 1873, which would
greatly stint the supply and
spread of condoms, making it
illegal to distribute them via
mail or across state lines. The
act also banned advertisements
or
pamphlets
surrounding
anything that made reference
to contraception. Activists and
doctors alike would also be
arrested as a result of Comstock
for their efforts to educate
people about their birth control
options.
When
oral
contraception
— what we know as “The pill”
— was created in the 1950s, it
would still be years before it was
made fully legal. The Supreme
Court didn’t make it legal for
married couples until 1965, and
didn’t declare birth control a
part of the constitutional right
to privacy until 1972.
This history is all to say that
access to birth control was
hard fought for, and should
not be taken for granted. Birth
control’s
essential
role
has
also been underscored by the
overturning of Roe v. Wade, as
well as conservative politicians
riding the repeal’s coattails and
advocating for birth control
itself to be banned.
Birth control is imperative. It
gives those capable of becoming
pregnant the agency to take
control over their lives both in
the realm of sex and otherwise.
The
accessibility
of
birth
control is linked to more women
pursuing higher education and
graduate degrees and becoming
economically
empowered.
Most importantly, birth control
ensures that its users are not
saddled with the repercussions
of an unwanted pregnancy.
But just because birth control
is important doesn’t mean it is
inconsequential. Birth control
does a lot to our bodies. The pill,
like many other birth control
options, is hormonal, and affects
both our bodies and our brains
in a myriad of ways.
Many people have stories that
attest to this fact; anecdotes of
boobs tripling in size, perpetual
nausea,
weight
gain
and
uncontrollable
mood
swings
abound.
And,
while
there
are plenty of users who feel
unaffected, some may simply
be unaware of how their birth
control can affect them.
Sometimes
birth
control’s
effects
make
themselves
unignorable. Other times, they
manifest in far subtler ways. The
most conventional formulation
of the pill contains estrogen and
progesterone, which both work to
stop the release of an egg during
the menstrual cycle, preventing
pregnancy.
These
hormones
also alter our brain activity and
structure, with studies showing
that birth control can impact
the processing of emotions and
memory and changes in cortisol
levels
can
potentially
cause
higher stress and moodiness.
Hormonal birth control can also
affect sex drive and attraction,
influencing
the
nature
of
intimate relationships and even
whom one chooses to be with
in the first place. How often
you feel sad, nervous, anxious,
depressed, angry or forgetful
could all be connected to your
birth control use.
Assessing the extent to which
birth control has had an impact
in
regard
to
these
various
categories is a challenge. It’s
hard to isolate each emotion
and compare it with how one
felt before taking birth control.
Many people also go on birth
control in their teens or early
twenties, when their bodies
and minds are still very much
developing, making an accurate
comparison impossible.
These drawbacks certainly
don’t mean that birth control
shouldn’t
be
prescribed
or
taken. For plenty, being on birth
control is a smart and necessary
choice, and easy, free access for
those who seek it is essential.
But there are also plenty of
people on or considering birth
control who, if better informed
of the side effects and health
risks, might decide that the cons
actually outweigh the pros.
Data collection on the reasons
women go on birth control is
severely lacking, which is why
I will, apologetically, pull from
a national survey from 2011 that
found that more than 762,000
women on the pill had never
had sex, and more than 911,000
women on the pill hadn’t been
sexually active for at least the
past three months. The survey
estimated
that
11.2
million
women were on the pill. As of
2017, that number was closer to
9.1 million. Even if we account
for this decrease, as women
have
begun
opting
for
pill
alternatives, it still feels like a
safe bet to say that there are a lot
of women on the pill who are not
having sex.
People are prescribed the pill
not only for birth control, but also
to mitigate period symptoms,
improve acne or address other
medical concerns. For some,
this might still be a worthwhile
trade-off, but it needs to be
understood as precisely that: A
trade-off in which sacrifices are
being made. Culturally, we don’t
see it this way.
By prescribing the pill so
casually, and as a catch-all
medication to address issues
unrelated to contraception, a
crucial and dismaying message
is being conveyed about how
we value the female body. The
production of male birth control
has been stalled for years due
to it not making it past clinical
trials for the same side effects
experienced
by
millions
of
women on the pill today. This
is a disturbing discrepancy. We
feel comfortable asking far more
of the female body than of the
male, while simultaneously not
centering women in medical
research or believing women’s
pain.
I have only my perpetual
nervousness,
not
medical
professionals, to thank for the
diligence with which I approach
my birth control usage. But those
with less anxiety than I also
deserve to understand just what
being on birth control means.
When considering birth control,
people should be encouraged
by their doctors to first spend
a month or two actively taking
stock of their moods, their
emotional volatility and all else
that is subject to change, so that
they can better make sense of
what effect the pill is having on
them. The scope of impact needs
to be better understood so that
people can make an informed
decision on whether or not going
on birth control makes sense
for them. And, even for those of
us who still opt to take the pill,
understanding its drawbacks is
vital. It’s how we know to ask for
better. We deserve it.
For the time being, being on
the pill is the choice that makes
the most sense for me. I am still
in the committed relationship
that led me to go on it in the
first place, and, while I have
my suspicions about how my
current formulation takes its toll
on me, the process of switching
to a different hormonal method
just for it to have similar or
worse consequences is not a
gamble I’m eager to take. The
lengthy periods and intense
cramps associated with the non-
hormonal copper IUD are also
not too appealing. But should my
relationship status change, the
opportunity to take a break from
birth control and reassess how
my body feels without it would
certainly be a welcome one.
Birth control might be your pill to
stop popping
“We need your
ideas, we need
your insights,
and most of all,
we need your
dreams.”
– President Santa J. Ono
Share your thoughts and perspectives
about the future of U-M as we chart our
path for the next 10 years. Join us in
creating our Vision 2034.
Get involved in shaping
U-M’s future:
vision2034.umich.edu
Building Our Shared Future
Register for a town hall:
Registration is required.
Student Town Hall
March 24
5:30 – 6:30 PM
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April 12
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Virtual
ZHANE YAMIN
Senior Opinion Editor
LILA DOMINUS
Opinion Columnist
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
Stirring the Pot with Giselle is The
Michigan Daily’s biweekly advice
column.
“W
hat should I do
if I hate the way
my boyfriend eats
cereal? Like he just smacks the bowl
with every bite. I tried wearing
earplugs but he gave me a weird
look when I put them in at breakfast.
Help, I’m at my last straw!”
Hi P,
Oh no! That seems dreadful. I
hate eating noises, but I hate people
that are anti-earplug even more.
You could try softly explaining the
problem to him, though that does
risk offending him or making him
feel insecure about how he eats near
you. Maybe the best option is to just
play music at breakfast. It could be
very cute, especially as the weather
gets warmer, to turn on a speaker
and play something soft and relaxing
while you eat. If he doesn’t like that,
I recommend you try waking up at
a different time to eat breakfast, or
try out meditation. You could also
suggest making something together
for breakfast instead of cereal, like
muffins or eggs with toast. That way
it can feel like a cute activity along
with some auditory relief.
Your song recommendations are:
“Marginalia #65” by Masakatsu
Takagi, which I am seriously
loving right now, and “Two Sleepy
People” by Fats Waller (a little more
romantic for the early morning).
“I tried flirting with a bartender
at Bab’s and I think he might have
been vibing. I’m 22. He looked about
30 and was wearing suspenders. Do
I go for it? Or do I just milk it until I
get at least 1 free drink and leave him
in the dust?
-A”
Dear A,
Oof. Suspenders? What kind of
suspenders? Like the Millennial
Tumblr suspenders or like old man
suspenders? I personally prefer the
way Louis Tomlinson was basically
recreating 2010s fashion with his
suspenders, but it really comes
down to the rest of the outfit. I
think your primary next steps are
confirming: a) his age, and b) if he
is actually flirting with you. I am
not completely sure what “going
for it” means to you, but asking him
out could be very awkward and
uncomfortable for both of you if you
aren’t positive that he is flirting.
If another bartender is around
at Bab’s, maybe you could try the
middle school approach — ask them
if you should ask him out. They
might say go for it or maybe they
would do some light and casual
sleuthing first to make sure that
the two of you are a good fit. They
might give you a flat-out “no,” but at
least it would decrease the chance of
embarrassment if you are rejected,
as well as his possible discomfort.
If that isn’t appealing, buy some
suspenders and bring them with
you to Bab’s. Wear them literally
every time you go (at least four
times), and if you haven’t sparked his
curiosity by then, don’t wear them
the next time. See if he asks about
the disruption in behavior. First
comes conversation, then come
dates and sooner or later you might
get married in suspenders! How
sweet! (Please don’t.)
If he never asks or engages,
give up. Sorry I can’t be of more
help. Honestly, I think I know the
bartender you’re talking about —
I once heard him do a really bad
Italian accent to the person next to
me and it was seriously off-putting.
I won’t ask you to imagine what it
sounded like.
PS: I just found a tangible image
of Louis Tomlinson’s suspender era
and I refuse to take back what I said.
I will say that I respect his bravery
and commitment to the bit. I feel
like a belt would have fixed any of
these outfits.
Your song recommendation is:
“Love On The Brain” by Rihanna.
This song has been so good recently,
I couldn’t explain it if I tried.
“Hi. My older sister tries to
mimic, outdo or compete with me
in everything. She sees what I do
on Instagram and then does her
version of it. She then posts her
results, sometimes embarrassing
herself. It is maddening to see her
doing this. I would love to give her
advice, but I know she will not take
the advice well. What would you
suggest I do?
-B”
Dear B,
The only option here is to ignore
it. You can always mute her so
that her latest post doesn’t come
up on your feed. If you think that
she is embarrassing herself then
there is nothing more that you can
say or do to stop her. Maybe she
will eventually realize, or maybe
it just doesn’t matter. She’s your
sister, what can you do?! (Picture
me shrugging like this, with the
suspenders.) I suppose you could
block her if you really wanted to, so
she cannot see your posts either, but
that may impact your relationship
seriously.
You say that she does not take
advice well, but maybe you can try
to help with her mimicked “results.”
If she is cooking (poorly), maybe try
cooking with her or giving her plate-
decor pointers in person. If she is
knitting (poorly), send her some
interesting new patterns and video
walk-throughs. If she is drawing
(poorly), suggest a collaboration or
spend some time making art with
her. This is all assuming that she
lives relatively close, but maybe
she just misses her sister or feels
insecure! If you can’t stop her from
mimicking you, maybe try (not
condescendingly) decreasing her
online embarrassment — if you
can’t fix the problem, focus on the
symptoms! Either that or tell her
Instagram isn’t cool anymore and
convince her to join Pinterest or
some other time-consuming social
media. (If Pinterest has one million
fans, I’m one; if Pinterest has one
fan, I’m it; if Pinterest has zero fans,
I’m dead).
Your song recommendations
are:
“What
You
Need”
by
KAYTRANADA feat. Charlotte
Day Wilson and “White Horse” by
Taylor Swift, which comes from a
playlist I made when I had a rattail.
It lasted for exactly three days, the
playlist was more than four hours
long and I did not listen to it once.
(Don’t judge me for my interest in
rattails. I am a strong believer in
the theory of them in my mind, but
I admit to dissatisfaction in real-life
application.)
Twirling my imaginary rattail
and smiling romantically at you,
Your Best Friend Grisella
Stirring the Pot: Last straws
GISELLE MILLS
Advice Columnist