‘The grass appears greener on the other side because…’ [2020]

I believe the grass grows greener, taller, and eventually builds a hedge around you the more you water it. I have been fortunate to have my grass watered by my family to make it radiant and comfortable.

I, however, understand why grass may appear greener on the other side.

Friedrich Nietzsche said, “If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.”

Your green grass may look stale, its softness and familiarity feel monotonous, its presence is taken for granted, rendering it superfluous and dispensable.

Looking at someone else’s grass, you may notice it has been freshly tended, the angle at which the rays of sun strike make it shimmer greener. For example, if you are envious of someone’s money, their grass may look emerald. However, their emerald would be missing certain wavelengths of light, signifying aspects of your life, disclosed, or hidden, that are lovely and beautiful, but are not a part of theirs.

If it has been raining on your grass, it might seem unpleasant and mucky, but after the rain would come a rainbow that you haven’t seen yet. 

Greener grass on the other side could also represent hope, especially in the situation which we all find ourselves in right now.

In conclusion, while it is wonderful to aspire to tread on bright, luscious green grass, I urge you to keep in mind that having something to fall back on is an incomparable blessing and to squander the mundane and prosaic for a meadow of roses may seem immensely appealing, but one should never forget that roses have thorns too. Thank you.

Q1. What advice would you give to people who think the grass is greener on the other side?

ANS.

• Not my place
• 4 types of people

1. Complacent miserable
2. Complacent joyful
3. Ambitious miserable
4. Ambitious joyful

1. Each kind of person would approach the dilemma of wanting someone else’s resources or things differently and require different advice.
2. Some generic advice is that aspiring for more is wonderful but be sure you are getting your money’s worth with exchanging your life for someone else’s.

Q2. Have you ever experienced feeling that the grass is greener on the other side?

ANS. Applied to the current situation of the Covid-19 pandemic, there are countries like Sweden that have not been in complete lockdown. People there can go biking on long trails in the countryside and I do feel that the grass is greener for them as that is exactly what I would like to do. They can visit the beach, or go to lakes, or hike in a forest. I have lukewarm feelings about the outdoors, but I do miss being able to leave my apartment.