Pessimism and optimism

[yiostheoy]

Is a pessimist inclined to paranoia ?

He imagines that the worst can happen.

Does a pessimist worry more than other people ?

My mom and my middle sister do indeed, yes.

[duszek]

Jaded Sage:

I wondered if a pessimist can enjoy any pleasures like food for instance because as a pessimist he expects the worst case scenario (pessimo in Italian) and that would be that the food is poisoned or will cause some bad disease like a heart attack or cancer or an allergic shock.

This was offered against the view of Dalek who seemed to assume that pessimists enjoy pleasures, no problem.

Perhaps we can focus on this a little bit:

How can a pessimist enjoy whatever ?

"I enjoy this ice-cream although it might be full of salmonelas, but I am not dead yet and the taste is good."

Does this person sound like a pessimist or like an optimist ?

What would be low and what bad expectations concerning the pleasure of eating an ice-cream ?

[yiostheoy]

Jaded Sage:

I wondered if a pessimist can enjoy any pleasures like food for instance because as a pessimist he expects the worst case scenario (pessimo in Italian) and that would be that the food is poisoned or will cause some bad disease like a heart attack or cancer or an allergic shock.

This was offered against the view of Dalek who seemed to assume that pessimists enjoy pleasures, no problem.

Perhaps we can focus on this a little bit:

How can a pessimist enjoy whatever ?

"I enjoy this ice-cream although it might be full of salmonelas, but I am not dead yet and the taste is good."

Does this person sound like a pessimist or like an optimist ?

What would be low and what bad expectations concerning the pleasure of eating an ice-cream ?

Well there is a difference between pessimism and complete paranoia. You may have just inadvertently crossed the line with your own definition here. So I think you need to reel yourself back in and start over.

[duszek]

Yes, but do pessimists dwell upon their bad expectations and therefore worry more than other people ?

My mom and my middle sister do indeed, yes.

But on the other hand you can worry in an optimistic way:
You can think of bad stuff can might happen and then try to figure out good solutions for it, with many options.

[yiostheoy]

Yes, but do pessimists dwell upon their bad expectations and therefore worry more than other people ?

My mom and my middle sister do indeed, yes.

But on the other hand you can worry in an optimistic way:
You can think of bad stuff can might happen and then try to figure out good solutions for it, with many options.

Sure, that's called simple preparation for the worst.

I prepare for the worst as much as possible whereas my other optimistic sister does not -- she lives in the moment.

You can, but you need not.

[Jaded Sage]

Jaded Sage:

I wondered if a pessimist can enjoy any pleasures like food for instance because as a pessimist he expects the worst case scenario (pessimo in Italian) and that would be that the food is poisoned or will cause some bad disease like a heart attack or cancer or an allergic shock.

This was offered against the view of Dalek who seemed to assume that pessimists enjoy pleasures, no problem.

Perhaps we can focus on this a little bit:

How can a pessimist enjoy whatever ?

"I enjoy this ice-cream although it might be full of salmonelas, but I am not dead yet and the taste is good."

Does this person sound like a pessimist or like an optimist ?

What would be low and what bad expectations concerning the pleasure of eating an ice-cream ?

Low expecations means you expect it to taste good, not great. Bad expectations is that you expect it to taste bad or you expect to drop the icecream.

Low expectations are always that things will be mildly good at best, never great. Bad expectations are that something bad will happen.

The difference between them is not a matter of degree. Low expectations are always about the quality of the experience, that it will always be low quality, and never high quality. Bad expectations are always that something bad will happen, some misfortune will occur.

It seems to me that pessimists can enjoy pleasures, just as well an anyone, but that they often come as a distraction from an otherwise semi-permanent negative outlook. What they can do is experience happiness despite their pessimism. What they cannot do is experience happiness as a result of their pessimism (unless they are also masochistic).

Pessimism is an emotional-mental thing. Pleasure is a physical thing. Pessimists can experience pleasure just as they can experience softness and sweetness. They may have trouble experiencing joy, which is also emotional. When a pessimist laughs it is a temporary suspension of negativity. That is why so many stand up comedians are so dark. They use humor to alleviate their pessimism, despite the fact that their jokes may have a pessimistic tone.

The pessimist suspects that the icecream probably has salmonella.
The optimists notices the icecream tastes good.

This is the real essence: The optimists bets there probably will be good fortune. The pessimist bets that there probably will be bad fortune. The realist bets that there probably will be a mixture of good and bad fortune. The optimist thinks that most of the time things will probably have a better chance of working out well, and not working out poorly. The pessimist thinks that most of the time things will probably have a better chance of working out poorly, and not working out well. The realist thinks that things will work out well sometimes and will work out poorly sometimes.

[yiostheoy]

You can also define optimism as anyone who enjoys life no matter how bad or good.

And a pessimist the opposite.

I am sure it is due to brain chemistry.

[Jaded Sage]

You can also define optimism as anyone who enjoys life no matter how bad or good.

And a pessimist the opposite.

I am sure it is due to brain chemistry.

Agreed, and largely agreed. I think it is both brain chemistry and life experience, both nature and nurture. To the extent that nurture can influence, it seems to me that the right philosophy can shift a mindset by demonstration from being pessimistic to being optimistic. Aside from brain chemistry, optimism and pessimism are little more than sets of opinions, and can therefore be exchanged for one another by changing the opinions.

[thedoc]

From another thread,

"I really upset my one daughter and wife, when I made the observation that since I am retired and no longer taking care of 2 of my grandchildren as often, I like to lay down on the couch in the afternoon and take a rest or a nap. I remember that my father had been outside mowing the lawn during the morning, and as he usually does, he came in and laid down on the couch, he died in his sleep, and when I mentioned that, my wife and daughter got really upset. I guess the point is that some people live through a situation that makes them aware of their own mortality, and others do not and can't quite understand."

I suppose that a pessimist would avoid taking a nap in the afternoon, while an optimist would enjoy the rest.

[thedoc]

You can also define optimism as anyone who enjoys life no matter how bad or good.
And a pessimist the opposite.
I am sure it is due to brain chemistry.

If the brain chemistry is influenced by past experience, then I agree.

[Jaded Sage]

From another thread,

"I really upset my one daughter and wife, when I made the observation that since I am retired and no longer taking care of 2 of my grandchildren as often, I like to lay down on the couch in the afternoon and take a rest or a nap. I remember that my father had been outside mowing the lawn during the morning, and as he usually does, he came in and laid down on the couch, he died in his sleep, and when I mentioned that, my wife and daughter got really upset. I guess the point is that some people live through a situation that makes them aware of their own mortality, and others do not and can't quite understand."

I suppose that a pessimist would avoid taking a nap in the afternoon, while an optimist would enjoy the rest.

Perhaps it was quite optimistic of him to think that mentioning that would go over well, and had he expected it to go over as it did, he wpuld have been a pessimist.