pessimism/cynicism versus optimism

trent bortknob · August 10, 2012 02:24 AM

do you think that you would classify yourself as an optimistic person or a cynical or pessimistic person? i'm curious.

do you think everyone sucks? do you think you usually see "the good in people"? do you think nobody is any better or worse than anyone else, we all just "are"? what do you think, and why?

Kooh · August 10, 2012 02:44 AM

I'm a pessimistic and cynical person that is optimist about life and people.

rtil · August 10, 2012 02:45 AM

in most cases i am what i would say is cautiously optimistic about things. it's so easy for one person to fuck up a good thing though.

Kooh · August 10, 2012 02:50 AM

Quote from: rtil on August 10, 2012 02:45 AM
in most cases i am what i would say is cautiously optimistic about things. it's so easy for one person to fuck up a good thing though.

Case in point: http://www.thebackalleys.com/forum/index.php?topic=11974.0

trent bortknob · August 10, 2012 02:51 AM

yeah i have conflicting views and feelings about this. sometimes it seems like most people are violent prone arrogant selfish idiots, but at the same time people have really shown the opposite in certain situations. also, it seems like as a whole humanity has been constantly improving.

trent bortknob · August 10, 2012 02:52 AM

Quote from: Mexican on August 10, 2012 02:50 AM
Quote from: rtil on August 10, 2012 02:45 AM
in most cases i am what i would say is cautiously optimistic about things. it's so easy for one person to fuck up a good thing though.

Case in point: http://www.thebackalleys.com/forum/index.php?topic=11974.0

you guys better not start arguing about hentai in this thread cuz i'll go ham

rtil · August 10, 2012 02:53 AM

Quote from: Mexican on August 10, 2012 02:50 AM
Quote from: rtil on August 10, 2012 02:45 AM
in most cases i am what i would say is cautiously optimistic about things. it's so easy for one person to fuck up a good thing though.

Case in point: http://www.thebackalleys.com/forum/index.php?topic=11974.0

i'm not seeing the correlation

Kooh · August 10, 2012 02:54 AM

Quote from: Tatwulf Peregrine Bosworth IV on August 10, 2012 02:51 AM
yeah i have conflicting views and feelings about this. sometimes it seems like most people are violent prone arrogant selfish idiots, but at the same time people have really shown the opposite in certain situations. also, it seems like as a whole humanity has been constantly improving.

We sometimes get our Einsteins, we sometimes get our Gandhis and we sometimes get our Charles Mansons.

Sheepy · August 10, 2012 02:58 AM

A bit optimistic. There's a certain level of judgement we have that we have locked away somewhere that doesn't come attached to any one-sided set of "morals" but by finding out how we connect to other human beings in general. Greed, hatred, intolerance, jealousy are all just obstacles we have to face in order to be able to judge ourselves, rather than those around us. Even those who seem undoubtedly aggressive and selfish may be able to change, but it's not always possible. Those unwilling to keep on learning and listening end up missing out.

I hope I don't sound super religious right now.

trent bortknob · August 10, 2012 03:06 AM

actually, it's funny you mention religion because i think religious people are generally some of the most pessimistic and cynical people i meet. they seem to think the world is ending because of things like homosexuality and long hair, that humanity has turned its back on our one and only true savior and that we're all being punished because we're all terrible, terrible abominations at our core. this is fundamental to christianity, that we all have original sin. i can't think of a more cynical idea, that we're all bad before we are old enough to make conscious decisions.

trent bortknob · August 10, 2012 03:06 AM

*by religious i mean christian, sorry for the slur*

DrRumack · August 10, 2012 04:12 AM

i consider myself optimistic in that i think eventually we're going to get it right as long as people stay on their game and push for positive changes

Sheepy · August 10, 2012 11:07 AM

Quote from: Tatwulf Peregrine Bosworth IV on August 10, 2012 03:06 AM
actually, it's funny you mention religion because i think religious people are generally some of the most pessimistic and cynical people i meet. they seem to think the world is ending because of things like homosexuality and long hair, that humanity has turned its back on our one and only true savior and that we're all being punished because we're all terrible, terrible abominations at our core. this is fundamental to christianity, that we all have original sin. i can't think of a more cynical idea, that we're all bad before we are old enough to make conscious decisions.

Quote from: Tatwulf Peregrine Bosworth IV on August 10, 2012 03:06 AM
*by religious i mean christian, sorry for the slur*

Pretty much

Kött · August 10, 2012 12:45 PM

Generally optimistic... I guess I haven't experienced enough bullshit to feel different, generally speaking.

However, a person cannot alyway be optimistic/pessimistic. I think that, speaking for myself, it's really dependant on your mood and your personal situation. Additionally, I think that it doesn't take much to get those who have a generally undurdened life into a pessimistic mood...

trent bortknob · August 10, 2012 01:20 PM

Quote from: Kott on August 10, 2012 12:45 PM
Generally optimistic... I guess I haven't experienced enough bullshit to feel different, generally speaking.

However, a person cannot alyway be optimistic/pessimistic. I think that, speaking for myself, it's really dependant on your mood and your personal situation. Additionally, I think that it doesn't take much to get those who have a generally undurdened life into a pessimistic mood...

of course moods will change, but i'm not talking about being depressed versus being happy, i'm just talking about a general tendency towards one perception or the other.

lasse · August 10, 2012 01:23 PM

Quote from: Kott on August 10, 2012 12:45 PM
undurdened

also im a miserable cunt

trent bortknob · August 10, 2012 01:25 PM

he probably meant unburdened

lasse · August 10, 2012 01:39 PM

or if you haven't encountered the character played by brad pitt in the classic movie 'fight club'

ZekeySpaceyLizard · August 10, 2012 02:03 PM

apathy.

Casey Pixmintro · August 10, 2012 03:45 PM

I used to be a really pessimistic person, I eventually realized that going into everything with that attitude never helps any situation, only shits it up. So I've actively been trying to be a more optimistic person. Actually, I realized a lot of my friends are super pessimistic people and it just kind of sucks the life out of a lot of situations. I'm still pretty cynical though, but it also seems to be a trait of our generation. Sarcastic lil fuckers