Does every cloud have a silver lining?

Photo credit: S. Schön.

Finding something positive in every situation is not always easy, but is it always possible?

The idiom ‘Every Cloud has a Silver Lining’ has varying dictionary definitions. ‘It is said to emphasise that every difficult or unpleasant situation has some advantage.’ (Cambridge). ‘It is used to say that every bad situation holds the possibility of something good’ (Merriam-Webster)

The phrase proposes that there is always a potential for positivity, even in the face of adverse circumstances. I’m not referring to Pop Psychology, where positivity is seen as the essential ingredient of success in life – having a realistic form of optimism is necessary. Sometimes our brain’s negative bias prevents us from finding the silver lining. Helen Keller observed, “When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.” We can stay stuck in short-term thinking patterns when we have negative experiences or observe them in our community and world events. Unexplainable tragedies, senseless crimes, and people suffering in war-torn countries are life events that appear to have no positive outcome, and finding a silver lining may feel unattainable. Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, is the author of “Man’s Search for Meaning.” A key message in his book is that meaning is not dependent on external circumstances, but on a person’s choice of attitude and perspective towards the circumstances. His viewpoint suggests that a silver lining isn't always obvious or easy to find. It's a conscious choice to focus on the positive aspects of a situation, even when all seems negative. He writes, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” 

A silver lining may not be immediately apparent; it may take months or years to recognise any benefits of challenging life events. It is the meaning we attach to the experience that determines whether it moves us forward or holds us back.

Finding a silver lining in the storm clouds of our life’s experiences is achievable.

Art Buchwald observes, “Whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the only time we’ve got.” 

Trish