This is going to be a relatively quick weblog post, as I’m heading out shortly to purchase yet more art supplies. That’s a whole other issue: I’ve been spending a lot on art materials even though I’m no longer employed, even though I haven’t done artwork in a long time.

The subject is on the famous “glass half full/half empty” debate, which was something I began to think about in great depth last week. I can’t remember what it was in relation to.

During one of the LighterLife group meetings, there was a brief discussion on the theory. We were asked if a picture of a glass drawn on the whiteboard was half empty or half full. Predictably, the other guys stated that it was half full.

My answer was a little more complex, being a bit of a smart-ass: that whether the glass was half full or half empty really depended on what state the glass was in previously.

Today I’d like to extend and modify my answer a little bit. I would say: whether the glass is half full or empty depends on preceding events, and the experiences of the person looking at it.

I will explain.

First, imagine that the glass represents a meal in a restaurant, or an alcoholic drink in a bar – whichever is easier.
Take one person who has been knocking back shots all night, or is on their fourth helping, and is starting to feel full. They’re presented with another round/course, except it’s a half-measure or half-portion. Their attitude to the glass would most likely be that it’s half-full: because there’s still more to consume, even if there’s no room.
Take another person who has been waiting for hours to get a drink or meal, with no explanation. They’re also presented with a half-measure or half-portion. What do you reckon they’ll think? That their glass is half-empty. It’s bad enough that they’ve had to wait so long, but they don’t even get a full serving.

Whether the glass is half full or half empty has a lot to do with how much of the glass you’ve already had. An “empty” person wouldn’t see as much in the glass as they think they should have, while a “full” person knows that they’ve had as much as they think they should have.

Secondly, there’s the popular mentality of associating positivity and optimism with seeing the glass half full, and negativity and pessimism with half empty.

Regardless of whether you agree or disagree, there’s one instance where the above doesn’t necessarily hold true… and that’s with learning and personal development.

There’s a famous, probably made up story about an expert martial artist who sought a Zen teacher for more knowledge. The expert was talking about everything he was taught, during which the teacher was pouring tea into a cup. But as the expert kept talking, the teacher kept pouring – long after the cup was full.
Once the expert noticed the overflowing cup, the teacher informed him: “You are like the cup. You are so full of what you know, that there isn’t room for anything more.”

You might not see any [de]motivational speakers admitting to it, or any fancy articles and books on the subject, but when it comes to personal growth, seeing your glass as half full can be very dangerous. Half full thinking suggests that you’re an expert: that you can’t be bothered to learn anything new, or more relevantly that you know it all.

How many people do you know like that? I’ll bet you’ve seen many of them, but it’s incredibly difficult to see it in yourself. I know there have been times when I’ve engaged in half full thinking when it comes to learning, and it’s taken great reflection and thinking to realise it.

Seeing your personal growth as a half empty glass encourages filling the rest of the glass with more: more experiences, more knowledge and more wisdom, as well as more perspectives. Ultimately, you’ll gain more confidence (more of the ability to trust yourself).

I’d like to hear your thoughts.