General Discussion

kentuck

(111,095 posts) Sun Jul 19, 2015, 12:43 AM Jul 2015

Pessimist or Optimist?

I guess I am an optimist because I believe in the overall goodness of mankind.

It is understandable how someone could be a pessimist in these times. So many things that we do not understand. So much corruption and greed. So much violence, mostly with guns. Lies and deceptions. It's easy to be a pessimist.

Maybe it is a little more difficult to be an optimist? In my opinion, an optimist tends to be progressive. They believe a better world will come about if there is more equality and less poverty. They believe that mankind can live in peace and that war is not inevitable.

7 replies

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Pessimist or Optimist? (Original Post) kentuck Jul 2015 OP

Pragmatist--who tries to look on the bright side of life, but knows that some people are just MADem Jul 2015 #1

Optimist. I might add that the global warming thing has dented my spirit though. BlueJazz Jul 2015 #2

And optimist is someone who doesn't know everything about a situation Hydra Jul 2015 #3

Pessimist, but I make up for it by being stubborn Ex Lurker Jul 2015 #4

Optimistic cynic. Tierra_y_Libertad Jul 2015 #5

Pessimist Warpy Jul 2015 #6

Possumnist Quackers Jul 2015 #7

MADem

(135,425 posts)

1. Pragmatist--who tries to look on the bright side of life, but knows that some people are just

Reply to kentuck (Original post)

Sun Jul 19, 2015, 12:50 AM

Jul 2015

(coughtrump)ASSHOLES!(coughrubiocoughcruz).

I try to hang around with the good people, though. That makes my days pretty good, most of the time.

BlueJazz

(25,348 posts)

2. Optimist. I might add that the global warming thing has dented my spirit though.

Reply to kentuck (Original post)

Sun Jul 19, 2015, 12:56 AM

Jul 2015

Hydra

(14,459 posts)

3. And optimist is someone who doesn't know everything about a situation

Reply to kentuck (Original post)

Sun Jul 19, 2015, 02:00 AM

Jul 2015

But thinks it will be fine anyway.

A pessimist thinks they know something the optimist doesn't, and it worries them.

I don't think mankind is inherently good or bad. We're survivors. Animals. Inherently selfish by mathematical design. Easily manipulated.

Even so, I have a some optimism in me too- evolution is a thing. Every day. Maybe we can grow out of the things that make us small and nasty to each other. Maybe we can form a larger tribe- an entire planet size tribe.

We could also be dead where we stand, having let the smallest of us destroy too much of our habitat...but maybe not :p