Optimists / Pessimists

Here I go again with one of my weird topics for discussion. Being a friend of quotes, bonmotes and aphorisms, I always liked the phrase "The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true." (by James Branch Cabell, The Silver Stallion.

I wanted to ask for your opinions on that statement, to what degree you consider it to be "true" and - if it is possible - for you to say if you would by that definition rather be an optimist or a pessimist.

Well the quote seems partially true. I don't think an optimist really believe's that but to a certain extent they believe the world now is in good shape compared to how bad it 'could' be. With that said, through that quote I wish to be a pessimist. I don't like the idea of everyone thinking the world is a perfect place when it's not and it will never be. Plus I'm naturally paranoid and tend to be negative on situations it's my nature. If the world was filled with nothing but optimist's humanity wouldn't advance very fast at all. The balance of both spawn's arguments and debates and creates innovation.
Maybe I'm dragging this out further than you would like, my bad. I'll stop before I get carried away. >.<

Offtopic: I can't seem to figure out the BB code for the spoiler thing. Could you please tell me? Thanks in advance. :)

"An optimist is just a misinformed pessimist" - Don't know who

I like to think I'm a realist when in fact I might be a pessimist hehe.

Anyway, the sentence seems to be true, but as it is the case with most of them, they overgeneralize and intensify facts to convey a point or idea.
By that definition, I'd rather be a pessimist because if this world, this current state of affairs is the best we can get, then fuck! I'd rather go down fighting.

@silent712: You mean this?

There is a button with a white square just below the font type selection arrow. Click it and type what you want, then click on it again and it should be spoiled.
Or you could just type [spoil2][2/spoil] (without the No.2).

"By that definition, I'd rather be a pessimist because if this world, this current state of affairs is the best we can get, then fuck! I'd rather go down fighting."
I couldn't agree more.

Yeah that spoiler thing. Thank you.

Those who look the half glass full are optimists, but i say no, those who look the 1/4 glass full are the real optimsts.

Oh! Oooh! Quotation time! May I? Really?

"Weg mit den bis zum Ueberdruss verbrauchten Woertern Optimismus und Pessimismus! Denn der Anlass, sie zu gebrauchen, fehlt von Tag zu Tage mehr: nur die Schwaetzer haben sie jetzt noch so unumgaenglich noetig."
-- N i e t z s c h e

I feel it's a rather accurate statement on the two school of thoughts, and I am a pessimist.

I think whether the glass is half full or half empty depends on whether you're filling it up or emptying it.

Both are simply beliefs, and I believe neither of the them. I don't ascribe evil or good to reality.

That being said, I don't dwell on best possible outcomes, but I like to be positive for the sake of people around me - while still maintaining my pragmatism.

Optimism/Pessimism has nothing to do with ascribing good or evil to reality.

And I too think of myself as a 'realist' of sorts. The problem is, most people group 'realists' (or anything/anyone that don't ascribe to their unrealistic OHTHEWORLDISSHINYANDPERFECT) as pessimists...

That being said, I get along far better with pessimists.

If we see light at the end of the tunnel,/ It's the light of the oncoming train.
Robert Lowell

optimism is basically a concept of trying to look upon things from the best possible perspective and looking at the plus, rather than the minus side. Pessimism is the contrary, you look upon the negative parts first.
An example:
Let's say you are trying to restructure a company. 53% of your staff is for the decision, 47% is against it.
An optimist would say that it is a good result as more than half the people are supporting your choice, while a pessimist would say that almost half of the people are against it and that you should improve it / rethink it.
A realist would say, that 53% is a good start, but that there is room for improvement.

Of course that is an extreme example, but that is how it works out, it has nothing to do with good or evil as mentioned :)


As to reply to the other posts:
Yes, I do think the words optimism and pessimism are used way too much in the modern language, because they are trying to emphasize that there is a "large" positive or negative notion (which is often wrong).

Also, at least that is my opinion, even a realist can tend to be either optimistically or pessimistically, though not to an extreme a "pure" optimist or pessimist would.