Jenny (who’s a confirmed optimist) thinks I’m a pessimist
because I seem to pay more attention to bad news than good news, and I tend to
conjure up doomy scenarios.
I don’t think I’m a pessimist at all. If I pay more
attention to bad news it’s because firstly it’s more dramatic and secondly I
want to know what caused the bad news – the train crash or the botched
operation or whatever.
If I think for example that the Prime Minister isn’t up to
the job, that doesn’t strike me as pessimism but just a random opinion.
I don’t routinely think everything around me is going to end
badly. I can just as well believe something will end well. Like a house
purchase or an airline flight (I’ve never been afraid of flying).
But it’s hard not to be pessimistic when what’s happening
around the world is so dreadful. I have to search hard for genuinely positive
news.
In any case what others would call pessimistic, I just think
of as pointing out reality. Should I refrain from mentioning something because
it makes me look gloomy?
I think it's hard to stay optimistic at the moment! What's Jenny's secret? And does she have a dramatically good news story up her sleeve on the scale of the Nepal floods, or the looming WW3?
ReplyDeleteSx
Ms Scarlet: Jenny just refuses to be downcast about anything, and always believes in making the best of things.
DeleteI'm a pessimist for sure. I know that. Hard to be optimistic when you see so much bad all around you.
ReplyDeleteMary: True, it's hard not to be despondent when so much is going to shit everywhere you look.
DeleteI just have to laugh that my Oxford ROM dictionary includes "Eeyorish" as a real word—I presume in Britain, not North America.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of America, many of us are desperately counting down the days until the midterm elections, in the hope of breaking the Republican Party's majority in the two houses of the Capital Building, because Congress has been super-useless in being a check and balance on the the stupid president.
Sean: I hear Eeyorish now and again but it's not used that much. Yes, I fervently hope the mid terms will restore a bit of sanity to US politics.
DeleteTotally understand, Nick. I prefer to think of myself as a realist!
ReplyDeleteBijoux: Exactly. And unfortunately right now realism means recognising all sorts of horrific things and not pretending they aren't happening.
DeleteI also see myself as a realist. Rose colored glasses don’t change a thing.
ReplyDeleteSandra: You can pretend everything's just fine but that doesn't change the grim reality.
DeleteWe are of opposite sides here as my husband tends to read all the grim news events with a more pessimistic outlook than myself. I do read the news stories online, but only in the morning, not throughout the day, and also look for uplifting human interest stories as well. Admittedly, there are far less of those these days, Nick.
ReplyDeleteBeatrice: I must admit I look at the news several times a day, so I'm over-exposed to all the horrors I hear about.
DeleteFor the good news I recommend https://www.upworthy.com.
ReplyDeleteLinda
Linda: I just looked at the link. Interesting.
DeleteFor more good news for me, I won't be wasting time doomscrolling the BBC web site. Maybe I'll just skim headlines for European conflict. Turns out they had earlier started charging Yankees, and now they're getting around to Canada. So now I will have less sad and boggy news, and more free time.
ReplyDeleteSean: "European conflict" would certainly produce plenty of doom-laden headlines!
Delete