4 ms·

I've had very similar thoughts about pessimism. I certainly am one. The fact that I don't expect a very good outcome doesn't mean I shouldn't try, because what

by vjk800 4y ago

I've had very similar thoughts about pessimism. I certainly am one. The fact that I don't expect a very good outcome doesn't mean I shouldn't try, because what the hell else can I do? At worst, I get useful information out of my (likely) failures. Also, thinking and preparing for the worst doesn't need to be a gloomy thing. It can even be empowering. When I've thought of all the possible crappy outcomes that might happen, I can be confident that whatever happens, I'll survive. I wish more people were like me; I'm confident that lots of disasters in the world could be avoided if people just took their heads out from the sand and embraced all the horrible possibilities that exist.

sohtym 4y ago
> When I've thought of all the possible crappy outcomes that might happen, I can be confident that whatever happens, I'll survive. I've heard this before, but it never worked for me because I can imagine things going pretty bad. I do think there is a lot of undue optimism. An assumption that things will work out. They often don't. Maybe worrying about nuclear war isn't that productive, but we should all be a lot more worried about things like working environment, rising inequality and the cost of living. Ask Japan.
EvanAnderson 4y ago
Also, thinking and preparing for the worst doesn't need to be a gloomy thing. It can even be empowering. It absolutely is. When things go wrong I have already thought about the triage and backup plans. The situation will still by dynamic, but I won’t be scrambling to begin making plans. I’ll be be refining what I’ve already thought about to match the new reality. It feels pretty badass to be thrown a curveball and not be phased. I can only do that if I’ve considered what could go wrong and planned for contingencies.
aliasxneo 4y ago
Eh, I see it as a double-edged sword. My pessimism has likely contributed to my decade of success in high-stakes environments (i.e., nuclear). However, I've struggled with anxiety my entire adult life. So yeah, I wish more people could find that middle place, but the extreme end can be debilitating for those like me.

by vjk800 4y ago

sohtym 4y ago

> When I've thought of all the possible crappy outcomes that might happen, I can be confident that whatever happens, I'll survive. I've heard this before, but it never worked for me because I can imagine things going pretty bad. I do think there is a lot of undue optimism. An assumption that things will work out. They often don't. Maybe worrying about nuclear war isn't that productive, but we should all be a lot more worried about things like working environment, rising inequality and the cost of living. Ask Japan.

EvanAnderson 4y ago

Also, thinking and preparing for the worst doesn't need to be a gloomy thing. It can even be empowering. It absolutely is. When things go wrong I have already thought about the triage and backup plans. The situation will still by dynamic, but I won’t be scrambling to begin making plans. I’ll be be refining what I’ve already thought about to match the new reality. It feels pretty badass to be thrown a curveball and not be phased. I can only do that if I’ve considered what could go wrong and planned for contingencies.

aliasxneo 4y ago

Eh, I see it as a double-edged sword. My pessimism has likely contributed to my decade of success in high-stakes environments (i.e., nuclear). However, I've struggled with anxiety my entire adult life. So yeah, I wish more people could find that middle place, but the extreme end can be debilitating for those like me.