The Ignorance of Optimism

[CrucifyCindy]

When you look at the picture above, what do you see?

It is obvious that in fact the glass is half empty and those who say it is half full are fooling themselves. To say that the glass is half full is to erroneously believe that at some point in the future more water will be pour into the glass filling it up. There is nothing absolutely no evidence not a shred that this possibility will happen. It is something optimists take on faith, they refuse to see the reality right before their eyes, they refuse to live in the present reality were the glass is half empty and choose to live in some sort of imaginary future where the glass is full. This is why optimism is so dangerous and probably responsible for much of the evil in society. Optimists are people who refuse to live in the here and now and accept the reality of the situation but choose to live in some sort of future utopia. The problem is not everyone has the same optimistic vision of what utopia should look like and they often end up fighting over which of their fantasy lands is the best. I am telling you my friends we need to renounce optimism before it is too late. I believe our only hope if we are to survive as a species is to give up the unreality of optimism.

Your thoughts please.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

I bet you're a lot of fun to be around when people are having a shitty day.

[stromboli]

I don't use the word optimist. I use the word proactive because it indicates action in a positive direction. Optimism is a noun. It states a mental attitude. Proactive is an adjective that modifies, meaning action taken. So if you want to be all pessimistic and negative please don't get in front of me because I will run you over.

[TomFoolery]

I think boring people are the ones who say it's one or the other. Half full or half empty, optimist or pessimist. Boring.

Fun people are the ones who come up with other answers, such as:

1. It's full, partially with some liquid (presumably water) and some gas (presumably atmospheric gas)
2. It's closer to half-empty, based on the shape of the glass with a narrower base.
3. The question of emptiness or fullness is irrelevant if you just drink the shit and get a refill.

I prefer to be a realist and look at it from as many angles as possible.

[Termin]

What would  I say ?

  "There's been a mistake, I ordered a pint of beer"

   Seriously, depends on eh liquid, it it's water then it's half empty, if it's vodka, AWESOME ! !!

  Truly, I would probably say it was half empty unless I had just seen the glass full of liquid.

  Pure optimism is bad, I agree  that's why I have always liked the saying

" Hope for the best, prepare for the worst"

[CrucifyCindy]

I bet you're a lot of fun to be around when people are having a shitty day.

Feelings do not count. What counts is being honest with yourself about what is real not what you think is real but what is absolutely 100% the truth. I really don't care if feeling get hurt, the truth is the truth and we must be honest regardless. Every alcoholic and drug addict that I ever knew were optimist. They never accepted the fact that they had a problem but always believed that they could handle it, that their addiction wasn't out of control and that there was no problem at all. They were in denial. That is optimism. It is a denial of reality and it is dangerous.

[stromboli]

I've known optimists and I've known pessimists. Optimists keep looking for solutions and pessimists whine there aren't any. I'd much rather be with optimists than pessimists. Enjoy your friends, I'll enjoy mine.

[CrucifyCindy]

I've known optimists and I've known pessimists. Optimists keep looking for solutions and pessimists whine there aren't any. I'd much rather be with optimists than pessimists. Enjoy your friends, I'll enjoy mine.

I think you are confusing pessisism with fatalism. I am what is called a defensive pessismist. I beleive that things can eventually fuck up and that I should be prepared. When it comes to solutions I am prepared because as a pessiimist I can see that there are problems and not everything is roses. So who would you rather go into battle with an optimist who doesn't beleive that he can get killed or a pessimist who knows that the situation is dangerous and you better face it realistically?

[TrueStory]

Feelings do not count. What counts is being honest with yourself about what is real not what you think is real but what is absolutely 100% the truth. I really don't care if feeling get hurt, the truth is the truth and we must be honest regardless. Every alcoholic and drug addict that I ever knew were optimist. They never accepted the fact that they had a problem but always believed that they could handle it, that their addiction wasn't out of control and that there was no problem at all. They were in denial. That is optimism. It is a denial of reality and it is dangerous.

Do you have a history of dealing with alcoholics and drug addicts?  That is the among the last thing I would thing of think of when talking about the 1/2 glass or optimism.

One can still be true to them selves and be optimistic.

[CrucifyCindy]

Do you have a history of dealing with alcoholics and drug addicts? 

In my immediate family both sets of grandparents were addicts and so was my mother and father. My brother to this day is dealing with addiction. So yes I have a history.

So tell me how can one be true to oneself when you refuse to acknowledge the negative?

[TrueStory]

In my immediate family both sets of grandparents were addicts and so was my mother and father. My brother to this day is dealing with addiction. So yes I have a history.

So tell me how can one be true to oneself when you refuse to acknowledge the negative?

Ones view of a glass 1/2 full or 1/2 empty does not actually change the water level.

Being true to oneself would also be acknowledging the negative.  Is there a specific situation you are dealing with?

[CrucifyCindy]

Ones view of a glass 1/2 full or 1/2 empty does not actually change the water level.

No it doesn't change the water level. It is half empty. To suggest that it is half full is to speculate that it will be full again. That might not happen.

Being true to oneself would also be acknowledging the negative.

One should always acknowledge the negative because when you don't you will often lend yourself into naive belief. There are whole industries out there selling optimism to the masses. Joel Osteen and Deepak Chopra are making a fortune selling optimism to the masses.

Is there a specific situation you are dealing with?

Actually no. I am quite happy right now. That is a stereotype that pessismist can't be happy, believe me we can be very happy campers, because we know there is a bear in the woods and we best avoid the bear if we camp.

[aitm]

I am an eternal optimist, in that I see it as simply positive thinking. I know there is more water so a glass half full is a half glass from being refilled.

[stromboli]

I am an eternal optimist, in that I see it as simply positive thinking. I know there is more water so a glass half full is a half glass from being refilled.

Same here. My experience is the positive thinkers tend to be problem solvers and look for solutions. Pessimists tend to be the ones who lay back and shake their fingers at the ones who forge ahead.

[TrueStory]

No it doesn't change the water level. It is half empty. To suggest that it is half full is to speculate that it will be full again. That might not happen.

The measurement of 1/2 empty/full is irrelevant to any given situation, how one deals with it is most important.
 

One should always acknowledge the negative because when you don't you will often lend yourself into naive belief. There are whole industries out there selling optimism to the masses. Joel Osteen and Deepak Chopra are making a fortune selling optimism to the masses.

Yep.

Actually no. I am quite happy right now. That is a stereotype that pessismist can't be happy, believe me we can be very happy campers, because we know there is a bear in the woods and we best avoid the bear if we camp.

I don't doubt you are happy, it's just easier to discuss specific situations than abstract ideas.