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 Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2005 10:38 am
We've all heard about the basic outlooks on life: Optomism and pessimism (We'll ignore the people in the middle for today). Optomism is the positive outlook, in which one looks at a half-glass of water and thinks it is hal full, while a pessimist will find it half empty. But I propose a different perspective on these two ideas.
Perhaps optomism and pessimism are not outlooks that produce results and memories, but results of memories. For example, if I knew that the glass used to be full and I drank half, I would say it was half empty. However, if the glass had been entirely empty and I just poured water into it, I would say it was half full.
Optomism and pessimism are not set outlooks that a person adheres to like a bible. Instead, they are formed by a person's outlook. Optomistic or pessimistic thoughts come of a person's gathered knowledge and memory, i.e. their outlook on life. An outlook on life is the collection of knowledge and memory, and in turn knowledge and memory bring optomism and pessimism.
Another example:
Sonjo has cancer is his arm. Surgery cannot remove it. At the zoo, an alligator bites the arm off. He no longer has cancer. Sonjo would be optomistic about this because the alligator saved his life in exchange for his arm.
If Sonjo were healthy, he would be very upset about the fact that his arm was bitten off. However, his memories and knowledge of the cancer made him feel good about losing his arm because the cancer was gone.
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Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2005 9:43 pm
I say, that's something to discuss....
Well, if optimism and pessimism are results of memories, then what happens to those who have amnesia? Just kidding....
I would have to say that I am a pessimist. I don't know if I always was, but I know I am now.
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Socrates in Disguise Captain
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Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2005 10:46 pm
We only feel what we ourselves want to feel. No one can truly make us feel anything.
People who keep a postitive outlook on life usually have better lives because they can actually relax.
Pesimistic people tend to have a hard time because they automatically assume that things will go wrong...so subconsciencly...it's there fault...they doomed the whole event.
Whether or not they are pesimistic due to the event, or their pessimism was cause of the event...They still should learn to just relax...((I should know being a border-line pesimist myself.lol))
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Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2005 8:42 am
Ares I say, that's something to discuss.... Well, if optimism and pessimism are results of memories, then what happens to those who have amnesia? Just kidding.... I would have to say that I am a pessimist. I don't know if I always was, but I know I am now. Ah, but you see, you've determined that from the fact (I'll take your word for it) that you have had experiences which have triggered pessimistic thought. Your pessimism is just the majority of your reactions to life, therefore you have accepted it as a fact that you are always a pessimist. (I should know, I'm a hopeless pessimist myself. But I know where that idea derived from.)
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Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2005 7:05 pm
Hmmm....I can see where that works.
I myself used to be pessimistic--in elementary and middle school mostly. I didn't have that many friends, I couldn't trust them, people bullied me, all of that stuff lead me to not trusting people, and being pessimistic about relationships.
In the past few years, that has changed because of my best friends. One guy was always there for me online (he lives like 5000 miles away) and he just always encouraged me, worried about me, etc... so I started to believe relationships with other people weren't all bad. My other three friends have just constantly accepted me, and liked me for who I am, and eventually loved me for it too. Because I found these people, my pessimistic outlook on relationships has changed to a more optomistic one, because I know believe I can be loved and accpeted for who I am. (like saying oh, I've always been pessimistic/optomistic...)
So yes, I see exactly where you are coming from....those attitudes are based on our past experiances--and you don't always have to be one or the other either.
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Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2005 1:17 pm
ha ha... good topic!
I would say I'm both optimistic AND pessimistic. I have the power (or is it a curse) to flip flop between optimism and pessimism. While I think this thread is great and I hope that it will acquire more useful & interesting thoughts... I'm also doubtful as many of our ideas (especially mine) spin in circles and do nothing but give my mind a rug-burn. ha ha...
I see the two like an old fashion scale... you balance the positive aspects on one side and the negative on another. Except sometimes you may be ignorant of some factors which may tip the scales quite quickly. Example:
I loved eating eggs. Why not? They're tasty, the yokes taste so good soaked up in bread and it's so easy to add anything to an omelet. Then, one day, I smelled my wife cooking eggs and had the thought that it smelled like "burnt featus & embrionic fluid." Suddenly, I hated eggs. Then I learned about all the horrible evil things that egg factories do to their hens - and I certainly don't want to support them cutting off beaks, injecting poisonous insecticides, overcrowding them in little shoebox cages so they can't move, etc. That was too much for me. I now hate eggs with a passion. The only eggs I will eat is as part of a baked goods recipe & even then I make the conscious effort to buy "organic" eggs that come from happy chickens on a real farm.
Ah, I digress once again. But as you can see... one new fact on a subject can completely change your outlook of it. That's one reason I like Gaiai so much. I get to hear other perspectives and give my brain a good jolt of new ideas.
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Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2005 8:12 pm
Ah... the half full filling and half empty drinking cup analogy... 3nodding
Even in the crocodile example, a positive outlook could be "at least he didn't get me...", even though I'm sure Sonjo would also be pissed at losing his arm. I know I would be extremely upset... no more games with gamepads, and no doing things with two hands, and if it was my left arm, I couldn't write legebly for a while...
At least he didn't get me... xd
Normal everyday things... if I were to be injured, I am thankful that I didn't get hurt more than that. If someone else is hurt, I'm glad that they didn't end up worse off.
But... being pessamistic can lead to having a better outlook. What I mean (and I'm probably getting the meaning wrong sweatdrop ) is that you expect things... bad things to happen...
Like, at work. I'm a bus boy. I have to clean up the mess of tables that come in, and usually it's much better to expect a big mess than to expect a somewhat organized (or cleared) table. Why? Dissapointment.
Thinking "oh, the table won't be that dirty" will make you upset when you find people have "hidden" food under the lips of the plate, or rolled the silverware up in the dirty napkin (even worse, taken a fork from one...), or even if you find out that someone has spilled salsa and drink onto the table. It's better off to think that these things will happen, and if not, be happy, or if they have, just think "my god..." and go on with the work. 3nodding
Have to find out how to use both sides of this coin to their full advantage, and which to use to avoid a disadvantage.
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Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2005 12:51 am
There also the chance the alligator kills you, which would take a saint to be optmistic about, A t-l e a s t-i t-d i d n' t-e a t-h i s-s o u l...
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Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2005 3:07 pm
I'm a hopeless pessimist. It's nothing big for me, I just don't like the world, and view most things in a negative light.
I'm no saint, I have no optimistic ideas. I have some hope, but that dies a little more each day.
Say hello to rock bottom.
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Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2005 9:11 am
Ares Well, if optimism and pessimism are results of memories, then what happens to those who have amnesia? Just kidding.... Actually, that's a good question. If we state that memories are the reason for us being optimistic or pessimistic, how does either one get the upper hand in amnesiacs? I suppose it could depend on the immediate happenings, but as I don't agree with optimism and pessimism being the result of memories, I'm not sure on the matter. Anyone else? Oh, and for the record, I'm mostly an optimist. Sure, there are days when I'm feeling grande, but that's normal.
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Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2005 9:28 am
Maze Ares Well, if optimism and pessimism are results of memories, then what happens to those who have amnesia? Just kidding.... Actually, that's a good question. If we state that memories are the reason for us being optimistic or pessimistic, how does either one get the upper hand in amnesiacs? I suppose it could depend on the immediate happenings, but as I don't agree with optimism and pessimism being the result of memories, I'm not sure on the matter. Anyone else? Oh, and for the record, I'm mostly an optimist. Sure, there are days when I'm feeling grande, but that's normal. I'd agree with that. For instance, I'm normally a basic pessimist, but I've had a day that would make an optimist cry. A male optimist. With big muscles and a manly outlook on life. The last 24 hours of my life would make Hulk Hogan sob like a little whose big brother is being mean. Hell, maybe some of my emotion is left...my sarcasm is back.
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Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2005 7:02 pm
Cougar Draven I'd agree with that. For instance, I'm normally a basic pessimist, but I've had a day that would make an optimist cry. A male optimist. With big muscles and a manly outlook on life. The last 24 hours of my life would make Hulk Hogan sob like a little whose big brother is being mean. Hell, maybe some of my emotion is left...my sarcasm is back. It's not ok to make fun of a man that is crying... ... especially if that said man is bigger than you, and muscular, and could probably crumple you up and toss you a few yards away. (I honestly don't understand where people get this idea that guys aren't supposed to cry. The purpose escapes me...)
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Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2005 7:12 am
aaarhus Cougar Draven I'd agree with that. For instance, I'm normally a basic pessimist, but I've had a day that would make an optimist cry. A male optimist. With big muscles and a manly outlook on life. The last 24 hours of my life would make Hulk Hogan sob like a little whose big brother is being mean. Hell, maybe some of my emotion is left...my sarcasm is back. It's not ok to make fun of a man that is crying... ... especially if that said man is bigger than you, and muscular, and could probably crumple you up and toss you a few yards away. (I honestly don't understand where people get this idea that guys aren't supposed to cry. The purpose escapes me...) You try having my yesterday, and see if making fun of Hulk Hogan doesn't come easily to you. Besides, I'm an HBK fan anyway...not that that matters. Besides, I wasn't saying guys aren't supposed to cry. Hell, I almost did, yesterday. I was saying Hulk Hogan isn't supposed to cry, because, well, he's Hulk Hogan. And I could take him in a fight, because he's old, fat, and off the 'roids. I, on the other hand, am young, strong, and (usually) very angry. Besides, my morning would have made an optimist cry, yes...but my afternoon went all right. No, better than all right.
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