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Pessimism vs optimism and ASD

Trainspotter

Hi all

This is a bit of a rant and it is not referring to Pessimism to the extent that it causes great anxiety, but to the pessimistic vs optimistic character.

I am constantly labelled a "Pessimist".  I prefer the term "Realist"  Constantly having people supposedly jolly all the time around me I can find annoying. 

I hate this 'glass half empty' thing.  I have told people when they say I'm the 'half empty' person that it depends whether the glass is being emptied or filled..  Example: Do you want a top up.  Answer: No, my glass is only half empty.  That to me is not being negative.  However, if the glass has just been poured and stopped before it is filled:  Why is my glass  only half full? That to me is a negative.

Imagine a news story: "Good news, there was a very bad train crash today but only five people were killed!"  People would be horrified at the insensitivity of that, yet it is the 'optimistic' point of view as many more could have met their demise.

I'm sure there are 'optimistic' people with ASD as well as pessimistic ones.  But why do people insist on putting labels on people and then using it as criticism.  We are what we are!  Some of us try to consider that there may be a downside to some things instead of 'everything will turn out ok'.  Considering that there may be a downside is surely better than being led down an alley with no thought as to what awaits you at the end. 

My 'pessimism' is me and no amount of negative criticism from optimistic people will stop it or 'cure' it!

Parents

  • To be blindly optimistic is foolish, of course, but I suppose there are positives invloved in trying to look on the bright side because if one is too negative about a situation then one may not think it's worth trying this or that approach, when doing so might prove to be of benefit.

    The thing is, we can never be entirely certain of the outcome of a set of circumstances and I guess being optimistic allows for a propitious possibility that may have been quite unpredictable.

    There is a philosophical theory based on quantum mechanics which could be argued in favour of optimism. This is the 'Many Worlds' interpretation of quantum mechanics which holds that at every moment reality splits and branches into endless possible 'realities'. So, for example, if I decided to go shopping today instead of staying home, then although to me, it seemed I just went shopping and nothing else happened, actually staying home and and going shopping both happened. The idea is that for every viable arrangement of quantum objects (the bits that make up atoms) there are reflected many versions of 'reality' and that for an observer, such as a human being, only one of these is experienced. This is based on the fact that tiny sub-atomic particles can exist in a 'superposition' state or, if you like, at many places at once, and that by 'observing just one of these states what you do is become part of that particular state among counteless others that exist at the same time that you cannot observe and become cut off from.

    So, the point I am making is that by consciously choosing a particular course of action we can alter our future reality, for good or worse, so nothing is pre-determined and, therefore, we can never be totally sure of the future.

Reply

  • To be blindly optimistic is foolish, of course, but I suppose there are positives invloved in trying to look on the bright side because if one is too negative about a situation then one may not think it's worth trying this or that approach, when doing so might prove to be of benefit.

    The thing is, we can never be entirely certain of the outcome of a set of circumstances and I guess being optimistic allows for a propitious possibility that may have been quite unpredictable.

    There is a philosophical theory based on quantum mechanics which could be argued in favour of optimism. This is the 'Many Worlds' interpretation of quantum mechanics which holds that at every moment reality splits and branches into endless possible 'realities'. So, for example, if I decided to go shopping today instead of staying home, then although to me, it seemed I just went shopping and nothing else happened, actually staying home and and going shopping both happened. The idea is that for every viable arrangement of quantum objects (the bits that make up atoms) there are reflected many versions of 'reality' and that for an observer, such as a human being, only one of these is experienced. This is based on the fact that tiny sub-atomic particles can exist in a 'superposition' state or, if you like, at many places at once, and that by 'observing just one of these states what you do is become part of that particular state among counteless others that exist at the same time that you cannot observe and become cut off from.

    So, the point I am making is that by consciously choosing a particular course of action we can alter our future reality, for good or worse, so nothing is pre-determined and, therefore, we can never be totally sure of the future.

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