Are you optimistic or pessimistic?

[Lark]

Do you think it corresponds to type or family, social, national or business culture? Is it incidental or central to who you are, how others think of you or even whether they do or do not?

I have probably always thought about this but I thought about it a lot when I read about Martin Seligman's learned helplessness idea, also when I read one authors view of optimism and pessimism in the old and new testaments, which I disagreed with as they believed the old testament was optimistic and new testament was not, I think there is optimism in both, I've also heard really different perspectives on the early christian settlements in europe and how the codified sin and forgiveness, creating traditions fought over in the reformation.

 

[rawr]

I consider myself a realist, but i know some consider me to more of a pessimist.

As far as where it comes from, i think it does depend a little on nature & nurture (what is your predisposition, and how/who were you raised around); i think a large portion of the outlook (aside from our personality) depends on circumstances you go through in life - I think people can change depending on what they go through.

For me personally, i think i'm sort of even-keel and look at the possibilities, but i don't know.

 

[owl]

Generally pessimistic, though as rawr said, it's largely dependent on which direction the wind happens to be blowing at the time.

 

[dudemanbro]

I take jam with my peanut butter, and I make sure both are organic.

 

[DonTaushMe]

I'm a realist. For as naive as I look staring up at the clouds with my rose colored glasses I tend to not sugar coat life. Though at the same time I tend to attract pessimists as I am apparently 'refreshing' *rolls eyes* which is why I absolutely love people who I can laugh and joke with and who also don't like being so damn serious all the time. I just wanna chase butterflies; come case butterflies with me ^.^

 

[the]

A realist is a pessimist in denial.

 

[rawr]

A realist is a pessimist in denial.

If you are serious, I would appreciate some further explanation or reasoning.

 

[TinyBubbles]

i'm optimistic. i think eventually things work out, even if they don't appear so at first. and the older i get the more i believe this, because it seems less a cliche and more something proven by my actual life experience. history is a great teacher.

 

[missjayjay]

I'm optimistic......................

 

[the]

If you are serious, I would appreciate some further explanation or reasoning.

1. Claiming to be a realist when you are asked an either/or question is a special snowflake answer.
2. Optimists never have to claim to be a realist, because they aren't a downer. Everyone likes optimists.

Ex: It would never work! Hey man I'm just being a realist...

 

[Eventhorizon]

I know this wasnt asked for but my perspective is that I have met very few actual realists in my life. I believe myself to be one and out of all the people I have met in life, think I might know of 5 other people like this.

 

[Flavus Aquila]

A realist is a pessimist in denial.

What is an optimist?
(No answers about advanced misting/fogging technology).

I guess I am optimistic about the future and pessimistic about the present.

I pessimistically think that humanity is too stupid to actually do anything to prevent global warming... but I optimistically think that we are awesome enough to adapt to it in a cool way when it comes. In fact, I think that the way that we might adapt things for ourselves and other life on Earth because of global warming might be so cool, that I think global warming is more exciting than scary.

 

[rawr]

1. Claiming to be a realist when you are asked an either/or question is a special snowflake answer.

i disagree but i think i see where you're coming from; fair enough. Life's not binary though. There can be a middle ground.

2. Optimists never have to claim to be a realist, because they aren't a downer. Everyone likes optimists.

Ex: It would never work! Hey man I'm just being a realist...

careful with absolutes.

 

[flower]

I'm pessimistic and it's not easy to be pessimistic because it's such a sad way of seeing life and always expect the worst about everything. :/

 

[Tin Man]

Reminds me of an old joke. An optimist, a realist and a pessimist are on a railroad track. The optimist sees a bright light at the end of the tunnel. The realist sees a train coming from the south. The pessimist sees a nightmarish machine barreling down towards them. .

The machinist sees three fools standing in front of an oncoming train.

As to the question, I'm optimistic about some things and pessimistic about others.

 

[the]

i disagree but i think i see where you're coming from; fair enough. Life's not binary though. There can be a middle ground.


careful with absolutes.

I agree but this question is more along the lines of intuition vs sensor. Are you more a pessimist or more an optimist.

 

[rawr]

I agree but this question is more along the lines of intuition vs sensor. Are you more a pessimist or more an optimist.

if you're talking tendency i'd have to say i lean more towards the pessimistic spectrum i think.