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"A cynic is never wrong, but an optimist is always right" is a saying my friends and I have. Chronic pessimists and cynics often see and say much truth about th
by caseyy 1y ago
"A cynic is never wrong, but an optimist is always right" is a saying my friends and I have. Chronic pessimists and cynics often see and say much truth about the world. But the optimists will succeed much more in their goals, business, relationships, and many other parts of life. They have a deeper set of values and philosophy that is more right, even if they get the particulars wrong sometimes.
There are tons of comments online that claim emotionally secure and mature people are ignorant or even irresponsible if they're not in perpetual anxiety about the world. The "you should be scared with the way the world is" type. Obviously, what they claim is not true, and it's very unhealthy. But someone who is emotionally secure understands they gain nothing from a neurotic debate online, so they don't call these opinions out. The opinions remain there, unchallenged, seemingly agreeable and prevalent.
Life entrenched in pessimism is also a bit contagious. Though I don't want to be unkind, I have to be honest: there is a limit to how much I can try to help someone with that mindset before they drag me down with them. Something I learned studying field medicine (and this isn't some secret in the first responder world or just general knowledge) is that you protect your safety first. If you arrive in a situation and add yourself to the casualty list, you are just not helping anyone: you get hurt, and you create more work. I think this applies not only to physical hazards, but also to emotional ones. One more depressed person in the world does not make it a better place for anyone.
It makes sense to exercise some caution, and most of our emotional brains understand that. This brings me back to the original point — it's hard for one to succeed anywhere if everyone's avoiding them (best case scenario) or being turned negative themselves (worst case scenario). Much remains to be said about the internet's role in this epidemic of negativity and various depressive disorder crises.
- throwaway81523 1y agoYou can find out who is right the most by seeing who wins the most prediction contests. Those are the realists. The optimists and pessimists, by contrast, are living in imaginary worlds.
- caseyy 1y agoYes. But the quote contrasts facts/predictions with wisdom.
- throwaway81523 1y agoI looked at the article and it's more about grouchy vs jolly, than about optimism than pessimism. Not the same ;).
- caseyy 1y agoI speak about the core philosophy or set of values more. Both people who are generally pessimistic in their world view and typically optimistic can be jolly and grouchy, depending on their mood. I am talking more about their overarching outlook. The parent comment to my original comment mentioned people who are "fake" optimists. I would describe them as jolly or bubbly often, but ultimately pessimistic. That's why their positivity feels disingenuous. It is a facade or a mask. I appreciate their effort, I am simply drawing a distinction between jolly/grouchy and optimistic/pessimistic.
- bjt 1y agoIf you're talking about something we can't change, sure. Not all questions are like that. "Will this person treat me fairly/kindly?" Often your optimism/pessimism will be a self fulfilling prophecy. "Is this rainy day a good thing or a bad thing?" (An example from the article.) It turns out, you get to decide.
- rdiddly 1y agoAh yes the "If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention" crowd. As if being pissed-off and scared is the highest acme of civic participation. Outrage and fear are, at best, merely the initial reaction before getting off your ass and actually doing something to change things. Sitting around in perpetual outrage is actually a maladaptive reaction and the mark of someone who has chosen to be completely impotent and powerless. Usually because they don't want the burden of taking responsibility. And hey, if that's the decision you've made, fine, you have your reasons, but then that means presumably you make peace with that decision and stop complaining. And certainly you don't shame others for what you clearly see as your own failings. It's kind of a shit or get off the pot situation.