tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post5873122985578136244..comments2024-03-26T06:17:49.527-07:00Comments on Had Enough Therapy?: How Much Pessimism Is Good for You?Stuart Schneidermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784043736879991769noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-66402133089649897092014-08-07T19:19:11.209-07:002014-08-07T19:19:11.209-07:00I don't remember where I read it, but I did re...I don't remember where I read it, but I did read somewhere that pessimism is an asset in two professions: law and actuarial work. Otherwise, it is a detriment. Probably some Seligman or Kahneman research, but it slips my memory. <br /><br />Regardless, it makes sense. When the nature of the game risks someone trying to cleverly screw you, I'm sure it is an advantage. Doesn't make for happy living, though, especially if you bring it home. <br /><br />I remember growing up at the dinner table with my lawyer father and him needling everything I said. Of course that's my experience and it has advantages, but I'd say it's created more fears in me than are necessary. I probably spend an inordinate time double-checking my work and questioning the motivations and incentives of the person on the other side. But hey, that's life.<br /><br />TipAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-38443754899343821552014-08-07T01:36:47.882-07:002014-08-07T01:36:47.882-07:00re: How much of what is called pessimism really in...re: How much of what is called pessimism really involves despair, the sense that nothing will ever turn out right and thus that the best course is to retreat and conserve one’s energy.<br /><br />I'd agree despair ought to be separated from pessimism. Despair is a feeling of certainty that you know outcomes without the will to find out if you're right.<br /><br />The great Winston Churchill is (probably falsely) quoted to have said:<br />"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm."<br /><br />Or we can go to Antonio Gramsci's middle way:<br />"I’m a pessimist because of intelligence, but an optimist because of will."<br /><br />And Kipling said in his poem if:<br />---<br />If you can dream—and not make dreams your master; <br />If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;<br />If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster <br />And treat those two impostors just the same;<br />---<br /><br />What these quotes means to me is that we can too easily generalize experience as a pattern, success or failure, so we can be vulnerable to not trying when we think we can't success, or not pausing and falling into a trap when we expect we can't fail.<br /><br />Ares Olympushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09726811306826601686noreply@blogger.com