Why do some people think pessimism is reality and having a positive attitude is not?

Question

Why do some people think pessimism is reality and having a positive attitude is not?

Answer 1

Because the big expectation always end up as big disappointment.

Pessimism keep them closer to reality and prevent them from getting hurt.

Answer 2

Neither is reality.  They are both exercises of the human mind. Having a positive attitude feels better than the converse.  What do you call real?  Opposed to un-real?  Or opposed to not material?

Peace.

Answer 3

Maybe because they are afraid that if they are optimistic & believe that good things can happen & it doens't happen all their hopes & dreams get crushed.

Answer 4

I am a pessimist but am very happy by conventional standards.

I expect that you won't understand this simply because you do not understand pessimism, not so much as psychology, but as philosophy.

I recommend you look at the philosophy of pessimism in order to understand the meaning of the word a bit further.

Your current understanding is: pessimism as some irrational emotion.

Answer 5

You raise a fascinating point. It's interesting to think how when one feels depressed, reality is so much different from one that is happy. People and events are perceived completely different. Frankly, I think emotions determine our reality.

Answer 6

In reality, pessimism is a reality. How could one be optimistic at this time when our world leaders seem to just think of themselves oblivious of what is happening around them.

Answer 7

If you are full of optimism and sunny happy feelings then it is not living in reality, or at least not seeing the full reality around you.

If you are full of pessimism and always grim and somber then you too are not living in reality, or at least not seeing the full reality around you.

The truth of reality is that it can be great.... for long periods of time.  Even for a whole individual lifetime for some, but it is bleak and miserable for very many others.  It is difficult to understand how some people can be perfectly content with the world when it is full of poverty, violence, greed and villany.  People should be able to recognize that these conditions exist which would naturally temper the optimistic view of humanity.  Love, happiness, humor and tasty treats also exist so one should never be too grim about the world in general.

Basically pessimists have either got hurt or been in the muck too many times to have a happy (and objective) outlook.... while optimists are just not paying close enough attention to the world in general to see its ugly side.

Answer 8

Oh isn't it all just perspective? What is reality to me might be just a big bite in the hiney to you, but its what is real to me. Thats just perspective.

Answer 9

i am a pessimist, or skeptic or negative. words are merely symbols attached to what people perceive at truth. no one is aware of reality however, it does imply a direction embedded within reality. if this is true it is an open choice to reject a direction that is not attached to your belief of reality, even if that belief is a bias opinion.

Answer 10

If you have a pessimistic view on life I think it means you are too focused on yourself. You are having a tough time seeing past the pain you are going through and cannot see the positive things you do or others do.

You become swallowed up by your own self absorbed way of thinking and it's really hard to think past that and get out of that mindset.

Answer 11

Possibly because it's not THEIR reality. Some have grown so accustom to being pessimistic and negative that they find a sort of comfort in it. When they decide to be happy, they will be. (I'm a raging optimist, by the way.)