It strikes me that each of us has a certain level of mental energy, a level that is generally consistent from day to day.  Sure, some days wear you out more than others, but the next day you will usually wake with basically the same mental energy levels you always have, be it high, low or somewhere in between.  Often times, though, it’s not the day that drains you.

There are those among us who have an uncommonly high level of enthusiasm, an unflappably positive outlook on life and always a good word on their lips.  These people have a very high mental energy which is seen and felt by those around them.  If you come across this person when you’re in the doldrums, it’s hard to remain down; their energy lifts you, invigorates you, and usually leaves you feeling better than you had before.  These are the people who, when they walk into a room, the atmosphere changes – their positivity carries others with them to a higher state.  Generally social people with a quick smile and kind word, I like to think of these individuals as Fountains, because their apparent good will and positive outlook flows seemingly without end.

If you have people on constant highs, you must have people on constant lows – it’s just the nature of things.  Those with low mental energy levels seem to look for the worst in any given situation.  They’re the people who, if there is no crisis, will usually create one just so they can have a legitimate reason for being so negative.  If they catch your ear, prepare to be dragged down into the abyss with them – they’ll have it no other way.  With rarely a good thing to say about anything or anyone, these Vampires, as I like to think of them, will drain your energy levels to their limits – then just a little bit more for good measure.  The Vamps enjoy feeling depressed and nothing you say to them will change their outlook.  They feed on pity and self-loathing and when that’s in short supply, they look for you.  You know the people I’m referring to – you probably know several.  They’re the ones who, when you see their name on the caller ID, you don’t pick up.  If you do, prepare to have your levels drained because it won’t be good news – count on it.  The depth of these people’s misery is unending and they’ll drag you down faster than quicksand.

If there are highs and lows, there must be a middle ground; people who aren’t as energetic as the Fountains, but not nearly as bleak as the Vampires.  These are the folks who don’t appear to get too excited about much of anything, but also don’t seem to slide into the sinkhole of depression.  Sure, they’ll get happy about some things and upset at others, but more times than not, they’ll be sailing on an even keel.  Never too positive, never too negative, never too anything, these folks are the picture of mental energy Neutrality.  Some of these types are control freaks who, lacking control of much else, are determined to control themselves.  “Neutrals” may appear to cruise smooth waters, but they are directly impacted by both Fountains and Vampires alike.  Fountains will leave Neutrals feeling good about themselves, others and life in general, while Vampires just suck out whatever energy the poor Neutral had, usually leaving them down in the dumps at least until the next day.  Vampires have that effect on everyone, Fountains included.  Their thirst for suffering is unquenchable – when Vampires are about, no one is safe.

I know all three types of these people.  My very own mother is a Fountain – a wonderful person to be around with rarely a negative word.  So is my best friend, Mike.  He’s not quite as wonderful a person to be around as dear old Mom, but he is a very positive person and certainly does not leech mental energy.  I, myself, am a Neutral and I know of several others with the same basic energy and outlook as my own.  Conversations between Neutrals tend to be interesting but not too lively – neither one is likely to have enough enthusiasm about the subject to make it so.  But, each leaves with their energy intact, so it’s not a bad trade.  As for Vampires, you probably don’t know who you are, but the rest of us do, and that’s enough.  Besides, if we told you, you’d spend the next three hours whining in our ear about how you’re not a Vampire.  I can already feel my energy levels dropping.

Classifying the entire human race into three distinct categories has its flaws.  There are rare occasions that a Fountain doesn’t flow and even rarer occasions of Vampires smiling and laughing.  Neutrals might tend to lean in one direction of the other.  Then there are the people out there who really don’t fit neatly into any of the three slots.  These folks are the “Grab Bags”, because you never know what you’ll get when you see them; they might be on a super high, they might be on a super low, or they could be sitting anywhere in between.  My wife is a Grab Bag with Fountain ambitions.  Sometimes on a mental high, but sometimes very low, she can usually be brought back to center by Mr. Neutral.  The Grab Bags sometimes seem to lose sight of what’s really important and what’s not – which may lend to their unpredictability.

So what happens when you get all four types together?  Let’s see: First, the Fountain will be perky and flow strong.  The Grab Bag will likely get energized by this, but the Vampire quickly recognizes that a food supply has been dropped in its lap and starts to pour on the anguish and despair until the consoling Fountain runs dry and the sympathetic Grab Bag is empty.  And Mr. Neutral?  He left when the Vampire started feeding because he knows that’s what Vampires do: they suck.