Every cloud has a silver lining — or does it?

“Was I deceived or did a sable cloud/ Turn forth her silver lining on the night?” Milton, John. Comus: a Masque Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634. University Tutorial P, 1953.

In a world where we yearn for perfection, our philosophies have to battle daily against the grim reality. Even though we try to remain optimistic, negative moments are an inseparable part of our lives that we have to accept. Every individual perceives life differently and has their ways of coping with its complexities. Yet, despite those variations, there is a common mindset to which society aspires — positivity. A myriad of books covering the topic of positive thinking has been published, online platforms effervesce with endless quotes about happiness, and, together with common wisdom sayings, they are all part of our attempt to balance the negative and joyful moments. „Every cloud has a silver lining“ is one of the often-recited quotes in this area. We should follow this piece of advice because, unlike other sayings, it doesn‘t focus on comforting us, but rather aims at changing our attitude about the problem.

Sometimes we get into situations signifying that there is no hope, yet the „every cloud has a silver lining“ (ECHASL) idea tries to point out that the world isn‘t black and white. As a pessimist, I have long been against this proverb because I tend to struggle to see the grey area. My reasoning was simple and straightforward: the situation was either bad or good. Hearing this piece of advice would usually anger me even more and engender more trouble. As I began to ponder the question of life, I realized my previous perception of it and the advice was erroneous. Like many other people, when a certain event didn‘t turn out the way I had hoped, I needed direct reassurance, which is something ECHASL hides below the surface. It doesn‘t describe the silver lining, nor how to find it. Instead, it‘s an open-minded reminder to have hope and perhaps consider changing your point of view.

Compared to other statements of common wisdom, ECHASL does not pressure us into positivity. The principle behind it is not to search desperately for the silver lining, but to acknowledge the fact that it‘s present even though it may not be obvious at first glance. Another attribute to the originality of this motto is

how it does not imply that we should reflect only on the bright side. Nowadays our culture is obsessed with positive thinking, claiming that our life situations are consequences of our thoughts and attitude. Meanwhile, social awareness excludes the value of negative feelings. If we always looked for the silver lining, it would soon lose the point since it demonstrates that no part of our life is good enough for us.

Some people doubt this saying as a result of trying to live in the moment. This idea has both - advantageous and egregious consequences. While it helps us to focus on the present, it also limits our possibilities and perception. It is impossible to predict the consequences of one‘s actions in the long run, which invokes the question: How do we know if what‘s happening to us at a given moment is good or bad for us? We are limited by the knowledge we possess at that point of life, and it is this uncertainty that brings the ECHASL to life.

Every cloud does have a silver lining, but it isn‘t always obvious. Sometimes it can take us years to realize that a pleasant event is a consequence of going through a less enjoyable period, and, in some cases, we do not realize it at all. To improve our apprehension of this saying we need to take a look at our life as one whole. Not millions of small moments, but one long while.

Karolína Kočendová