Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- .This section is about optimism and pessimism. Topics include: ( ) Optimism. ( ) Pessimism. --- 1/24/2006
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- (1) American innocence. Bubble gum, cheerleaders, wheatfields, fairplay, fair fighting, warm sunny spring days, true love, hard work, corny jokes, nature, health. (2) America betrayed. Corruption, lying, cheating, stealing, vices, perversions. (3) How far can an optimistic philosophy take us? And how much will a pessimistic philosophy add on top of that? The key is to see and confront the bad without becoming bad, or bitter, or losing hope and giving up. --- 04/26/1994
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- (1) Automatic optimism is the view that things will go well automatically. Automatic optimism is unhealthy. (2) Another type of optimism holds the view that things will go well with hard work. Good will conquer evil if we make an effort. Truth and justice will prevail if we give our utmost. This is a healthy view. --- 6/3/2004
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- (1) Optimism: can do, solutions, possibilities. (2) Realism. (3) Pessimism: can't do, problems, limits. --- 12/30/1992
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- (1) Optimism. (A) Pro: with positive outlook you think feel and act better. "I am a cloud", "The world is a positive place". (B) Contra: Polyanna. (2) Realism. (A) Pro: see things as they are. (B) Contra: no alternate views. (3) Pessimism. (A) Pro: wary for problems. (B) Contra: tendency to blow problems up. Tendency to be discouraged. --- 12/30/1992
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- (1) Optimism. Thinking of the things I have had, have, or will have. (2) Pessimism. Thinking of the things I won't. --- 12/30/1992
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- (1) Pessimists. Nay-sayers like Edgar Allan Poe. (2) Optimists. Yeah-sayers like Jack Kerouac. (3) Realists. Middle of the roaders like Bukowski. (4) If you read pessimists like Poe, then you should balance it out with optimists like Kerouac, and also see the middle way by reading realists like Bukowski. --- 11/30/1997
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- (1) Positive statements: Life is a challenge. I can make it. (2) Negative statements: Life is impossible. I can't make it. --- 1/1/2004
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- (1) The depression and pessimism of past reality. Vs. (2) The mania and optimism of my goals, hopes, dreams. Don't let 1 overcome 2 or you will never get nothing done. Things can change for the better. It is possible. --- 11/02/1993
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- (1) Types of pessimism. (A) Destructive: Nothing is perfect, so destroy it all. (B) Nihilistic: It is all shit forever, can't improve or perfect. (C) Everything is shit, but we can improve it. (2) Types of optimist. (A) Everything is perfect or will be. (B) Anything is possible by anyone. (C) We can improve things. --- 12/30/1992
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- (1) When people begin to feel worthless, and see the future as hopeless (pessimism). (2) When people begin to feel delusions of grandeur, and see the future as Candide or Polyanna (optimism). --- 04/01/1994
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- (1) Why be optimistic? Because we can make a difference. We are not completely subject to events. We may not be able to permanently cure 100% of all our problems, but we can make a difference. We can affect and change things. There is hope, all is not lost. Working together we can make big changes. (2) Why be pessimistic? (A) Perfection is not possible. (B) We are doomed. We all die as individuals, and the sun is cooling so it will all end eventually anyway. (C) One man can not make a difference. We are powerless. --- 09/20/1994
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- (1) Your natural emotional state is primary in determining your philosophy of life. Whether you are a yeah-sayer or a nay-sayer. (2) "Realism" is really too pessimistic a view to take. The real world stinks. (3) Optimistic realism is the healthiest view to take. The world stinks but we can improve it. --- 08/17/1997
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- A cynic is a burnt (or steamed) idealist. --- 09/17/1994
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Argument against pessimism. Optimist have big eyes. Their reach exceeds their grasp. They aim high. Pessimists do not go for big goals because their pessimistic view makes them think they can not even get small goals. They attempt little and accomplish little. --- 10/05/1997
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- At any moment or for any period, how optimistic or pessimistic are you and why?. --- 12/30/1992
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Being right in the middle, between happy and sad, optimism and pessimism, is actually being a little depressed. This is because the natural, average human mental state is a little on the happy side (reason to live, hopeful to make a change, which is quite possible actually). If you are right in the middle, you are actually a little depressed. --- 06/15/1994
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Develop not just a realist attitude but optimism, pessimism, and realist attitudes for all situations and events. You need the optimism to keep hope, the pessimism to be wary, and the realist to act. --- 12/30/1992
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Everything is wonderful, everything is going to be all right vs. everything is bad, everything is falling apart. --- 12/30/1992
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- For anytime you are (1) Feeling your oats (energy and optimism), or (2) Feeling ahead of the game, or (3) Having few troubles, there will also be times the opposite occurs. Keep working, keep being nice and/or kissing ass. --- 11/15/1994
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Force yourself to see the other side in order to get the big picture. --- 12/30/1992
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Growing up with illogical, erratic parents leads you to have neither trust nor confidence in yourself, others, or world. You will be a pessimist. Fear, Insecurity, Anxiety. --- 07/30/1993
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- How to stay positive? Staying positive keeps you alive. Staying positive requires hope. Hope requires keeping an eye on all the good things in life and all the better things to come. Keeping them pictured in your mind. Remain in this state of mind. Live your life in this state of mind. (2) So what's good in life? And what good is coming? All the rest, everything else, all the bad, is just projects for when you feel strong. --- 1/15/2001
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Idealism keeps me optimistic and functioning well. Let the drones be realistic. Pessimism is an idealist trying to be realistic. --- 09/26/1993
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- It is a spectrum. (1) Unhealthy optimism: pie eyed, Candide. (2) Healthy optimism: motivated. (3) Healthy pessimism: wary, skeptical. (4) Unhealthy pessimism: defeatist. --- 12/30/1992
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- It is okay, even right, just and good that good things happen to me. Because I will be a leader of the new generation (ha!). Hey, if it keeps you optimistic, believe it. The world needs me. Someone in the future will be helped immeasurably by meeting me or reading my work. Hey, if it keeps you going, believe it. If it keeps you clean and living right, believe it. --- 12/30/1995
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Manic depression traits: love/hate. Energy/no energy. Happy/sad. Optimism/pessimism. Thinking well/poorly. Chemicals involved: testosterone, adrenaline, endorphins, serotonins. --- 12/30/1992
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Manic depressives strong points. Strong emotions and thoughts. Strong affirmations of self and life, and strong criticisms of self and life, much more than the mild minds. If only you could get mania and depression at same time. --- 12/30/1992
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Nay sayers vs. yeah sayers. Manics and depressives. --- 12/30/1992
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Negative emotions. There is an emotion that is not captured by words like depression or horror. The emotion I refer to is when you look around and things are tinged or shaded with an air of sinister malevolence. Its easy to perceive this emotion when, for example, you see an old abandoned house on a cloudy, cold, windy day. But sometimes you feel this way all the time and everything looks this way to you. Its not strong terror. Its more like a low-grade chronic fear. Or its a pessimism. I believe that pessimism is of at least two types. One type of pessimism is the result of low-level chronic depression. Another type of pessimism is the result of mild chronic fear, anxiety and apprehensiveness. Plus, there is another type of pessimism (or cynicism) caused by mild, chronic anger. Any mild, chronic negative emotion can cause pessimism. Against these types of pessimism we have emotions like caring. The feeling of caring can keep you alive. The feeling of caring can keep others alive. Allow yourself to care. Dare to care. --- 9/7/2000
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- No one is a true realist all the time. The question is degree, frequency and subjects you are optimism and pessimistic about. --- 12/30/1992
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Optimism about world, people and me. People are basically good. Its basically a benign, human friendly universe. I'm basically a good person. --- 2/28/2004
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Optimism and pessimism are due to brain chemistry and learning/experience. --- 06/30/1993
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Optimism and pessimism are irrelevant. Just keep on trying, in good times and in bad times. Just keep on trying, whether you feel happy or sad. Just keep on trying to improve the world. The situation may get better or worse. Your mood may get better or worse. There is often no correlation between the two, so just keep on trying. --- 8/10/2006
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Optimism and pessimism arises from whether you tend to remember and imagine good things or bad things. --- 12/30/1992
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Optimism and pessimism depends on (1) your perception of environment and events. (2) Your internal brain chemistry and physical state. --- 12/30/1992
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Optimism and pessimism depends on your knowledge and biochemical moods. --- 12/30/1992
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Optimism and pessimism in past-thinkers and future-thinkers. (1) Looking back at past. Optimist looks at past successes. Pessimist looks at past failures. (2) Looking toward future. Optimist sees what can be gained, or done. Pessimist sees what can be lost, or can't do. (3) (A) Optimism and pessimism: concerns the future, things getting better or worse. (B) Positive and negative: concerns the present, do you focus on good or bad. --- 12/30/1992
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Optimism and pessimism. (1) Positive thinking. Definitions. Thinking about good things. Thinking everything will be ok. Thinking problems are solvable with effort. (2) Realistic thinking. Definitions. (3) Negative thinking. Definitions. Thinking about problems. Thinking you can't solve them. (4) Arguments pro and contra each. --- 12/30/1992
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Optimism and pessimism. Why should people take a false view if it helps them perform, or only look at good if it helps them perform? I say don't lie to yourself. There's got to be a better way. --- 12/30/1992
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Optimism: concentrate on what you can do now and in future. Pessimism: concentrate on what you can't do. --- 12/30/1992
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Optimism: life is a blessing, an opportunity. Pessimism: life is a curse, a burden. --- 12/30/1992
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Optimism: looking at the good. Realism: looking at the good and bad. Pessimism: looking at the bad. --- 12/30/1992
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Optimism. Things people say to buck up, "Its not all bad. Some have it worse." --- 3/21/2004
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Optimism/pessimism is not just about emotion. It also includes thought. It is actually a type of attitude (i.e., emotion plus thought) about life. --- 12/30/2001
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Optimist sees the good in people, and therefore tends to have plenty of friends. Pessimist sees the worst in people, and therefore tends to have no friends. --- 02/10/1994
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Optimists make great visionaries. Pessimists make great critics. We need both. --- 2/19/1999
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Optimists remember the good in the past and see good in the future. Pessimists remember the bad in the past and see bad in the future. --- 12/30/1996
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Optimists see the best in people. Pessimists see the worst in people. Optimists end up having many friends. Pessimists end up having no friends. --- 10/20/1997
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Overall you produce more and better ideas when you are optimistic. --- 09/14/1993
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- People with chronic mild depression. I.e., cynics and pessimists. (1) These people take things that others say in the worst possible way instead of the best possible way. (2) They also see no hope in the future, so they don't plan long term, and they live for the moment. --- 3/7/2000
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Pessimistic thoughts are a result of depression and involve all the negative emotions. Optimistic thoughts are the result of happiness and involve all the positive emotions. --- 4/29/2001
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Pessimists are fearful bastards. (probably hit as children). --- 05/30/1993
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Positive attitude is necessary to kick butt. Immense, constant (every minute), enduring (over years) desire, drive and effort is necessary to make advancements in a world full of setbacks and where two steps forward yield one step slid backward. --- 07/25/1993
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Positive attitudes. (1) Thinking everything is or will be all right vs. (2) Doing the best you can (confronting problems with positive attitude so your mind and body work best). 1 is bad, 2 is good. --- 12/30/1992
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Put hope and optimism together. Because if you are hopeful then you are optimistic. If you are optimistic then you are hopeful --- 6/3/2004
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Repeat it over and over. (1) The world is not doomed. (2) People can make a difference through their writing. (3) I am one of those people. --- 06/05/1997
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- See also: Psychology, pathological, specific, manic depression. --- 12/30/1992
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- The Idealist is likely to be a pessimist, because he thinks things could be better, and he sees the glass as half empty. The Practical person is likely to be an optimist, because he thinks things could be worse, and he sees the world as half full. --- 11/20/1993
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- The key is to see both the good and bad "in perspective", i.e. in relation to each other, i.e. to see it all. The cup is not half full or half empty, the cup is half full and half empty. --- 12/30/1992
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- There is more bad and pain out there than good and pleasure. Need to look at both because the bad presents the problems, and the good provides inspiration. --- 12/30/1992
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Three types of optimism: (1) Things are improving. (2) Things are going well, even if they are not actually improving. (3) I will survive, even if not actually doing well or improving. --- 3/21/2001
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- To be an odds-making realist can be self defeating. Sometimes you have to put on an attitude, dream, take a chance, and pray you don't get burned. But do this only in situations where you have nothing to lose. Not even your self respect. And also make sure you never fall for your own false attitude. --- 05/30/1996
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Two problems. (1) Feeling better than the situation. (2) Feeling worse than the situation. --- 12/30/1992
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Types of optimism and pessimism. (1) Local optimism with global pessimism: Things are going well for me, but the world is going down the toilet. (2) Local pessimism with global optimism: Things may not be going well for me, but the world is getting better. --- 6/3/2004
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Types of optimism. (1) Individual optimism: To believe you are improving, either physically, psychologically, etc. (2) Social optimism: To believe society is improving, even if you as an individual are not. (3) Economic optimism: To believe the economy is improving. (4) Technological optimism: To believe technology is making things better. --- 3/21/2001
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Ultimate optimist is an idealist. Ultimate pessimist is an idealist living in the real world. --- 12/30/1992
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Unify optimism and pessimism. Ideals and problems. Both are needed for best actions. --- 12/30/1992
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Unjustified optimism, aka, "false positive". (1) When you hope things are or will be good. That is, you cling to the possibility that things are, or will be, good because you are not 100% sure that things are 100% bad. (2) When you know things are bad but you refuse to acknowledge it. You insist things are good. (3) Is either of the above positions metaphysically defensible, epistemologically defensible, or ethically defensible? (A) Metaphysical defense. (B) Epistemological defense: how can we really "know" with certainty what anything is or will be? Thus how can we be positive about it? (C) Ethical defense: of either above position. If it keeps you alive or if it helps you function better than it is allowable or even recommended. --- 2/10/2002
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Ways how to keep a positive attitude: affirmations, keep life sorted out, rest and diet. --- 12/30/1992
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- Ways to keep optimism, idealism and inspiration up every day. --- 12/30/1992
Psychology, emotion, specific, optimism and pessimism. --- What are the implications of looking only at the good and ignoring the bad? (1) Freudian repression can produce neurosis. (2) Solvable problems continue to exist, never getting solved because no one acknowledges them. Injustice continues. --- 2/10/2002