To be serene is not to be oblivious nor to be helpless. It does not mean accepting things you don't find acceptable. Ever read any Taoist literature?

I prefer doing something constructive about a situation if I can...like rounding up the stray shopping carts, for example, as opposed to carping about the unknown persons who scattered them. And if I can't do anything constructive about it, then I'd rather focus on something positive instead (if I remember to keep my wits about me and not get hijacked by other people's negativity). But by all means, go on defending your position, Don. ;-) I'm listening.