Is it normal to have the conviction that optimism isn't true?

A few people are arguing why I have to see the worst in anything: you gotta be more pessimistic, pessimism is true, optimism, none of it is true. I'm not sure you can call that a conviction but it functions like one, it's an anti-conviction, I have strong non-belief in optimism, however harsh it is it's about the truth, is that normal?

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50% Normal
Based on 14 votes (7 yes)
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Comments ( 26 )
  • xxLucifer

    Pessimism and optimism have nothing to do with being true or false. It's how you look at a situation and/or the outcomes of the situation.

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    • Hansberger

      Only one of them are not true-false in this paradox you wrote above, pessimism is about the truth, it's not about merely feeling good and simply and clearly, if it's not true it's a lie and I can't accept that. I will accept your answer as to not true and false and leave it at that.

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      • xxLucifer

        No by definition pessimism is "a tendency to see the worst aspect of things or believe that the worst will happen; a lack of hope or confidence in the future." Being pessimistic just means that you look and focus on the worst outcomes. It has nothing to do with likelihood of the outcomes.

        If a situation has two possible outcomes of equal likelihood, one good and one bad, a pessimist will choose to focus on the bad one while an optimist will choose to focus on the good one. Neither is true and neither is a lie, it's just perspective.

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        • Hansberger

          True, I'll have to think about that, if it's deliberately false it's a lie, am I the only one who faces reality?, and I believed in that definition for years, call me the pessimist, yes! I can't contradict your answers while you're contradicting me, it's either about waking me up from my delusions, or simply helping me in any other way, am I right, I don't contradict you. However I agree with expecting the bad and not the good, pessimism is difficult, it's not a simple matter of seeing the worst outcome, it's really and I'm not disagreeing, a matter of first seeing things in rose-coloured glasses and taking them off to see the reality, that's what seeing the bad is about, that's the pessimist's opinion of reality, I believe in it therefore it's true, I accept that. If you can't accept something as true, you don't believe it, and what good is being a pessimist when you don't accept it as true? Don't argue, I'm correct, I'm an expert, accept it!

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  • Optimism isn't true or false. It's a way of thinking. You can adopt it or not. I personally don't. You sound like a realistic/skeptical person from this point of view.

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  • RoseIsabella

    What about detachment, how do you feel about detachment?

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    • Hansberger

      What's wrong with not being interested in detachment? I tried Buddhism several times (it finally worked when I was in a mental institution) and I'm not interested in it, and any religion that interferes with picky eating, or my fancy clotes or rich lifestyle, am I the only one who thinks that although Buddhism is for everyone, some of us want money?

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      • RoseIsabella

        The glass doesn't have to be half full, or half empty. The glass can just be.

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        • Hansberger

          It's neither, I'm not optimist or pessimist with everything I do, I follow many many philosophies (and many many sciences but more philosophies than sciences), with Buddhism the glass just is because it's even for posh people to convert to a different lifestyle, but then it's not my kind of life so I'm neither optimistic nor pessimistic about Buddhism, just dandy about it.

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          • RoseIsabella

            Whatever happened to your love affair with the Amish?

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            • Hansberger

              It's still there, only I'm waiting for the book to arrive in the post! Does a person have to do things in the same style just because it was mentioned previously? I was talked into returning to my anti-christian roots. Without argument I was simply told that Christianity is not good and I agreed with it.

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  • nikkiclaire

    Well actually when you think about it, there is only one way it will work out in the end, so guess what, " it will all work out ok."

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    • Hansberger

      Really? I thought positive, with optimism and by thinking positive, they're both a paranoid delusional fantasy world of false assurance, making logical fallacies, it's not true! Even if things will work out OK they return back to the normal screwed up going downhill. Therefore I smile in that situation, and don't let misery and suffering afflict my heart. :) Yes for some people it will all work out OK and I'll have a think about it, I half-agree with you.

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