Pessimism vs optimism and ASD

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

lostmyway over 9 years ago

lostmyway said:
Also, on a tangent, Lewis Carrol in Alice in Wonderland tells us that words mean exactly what we want them to mean. And he was a master of the nonsense rhyme which made complete sense!
That is one of my problems - I often apply my own meaning to words which are different to the dictionary meaning. I know the dictionary meaning, but the sound of the word actually means and feels like something else to me. When I try and explain to people what the word means to me and how they should interpret it my way, people don't ! I give them my definition but they are not listening. There brains are like so rigid they cannot deviate from a dictionary definition in a special context. So there is miscommunication and misunderstanding. I don't know why I do this but I just do. It is part of my difficulty in processing language. Words are just symbols they actually contain no meaning but are stimuli. The meaning is in peoples brains. People share meanings for common symbols. But it seems people do not have the flexibilty to apply different meanings to the same words, whereas I can, but it means I live in my own Wonderland like Alice.
[/quote]
Language should be a living organism changing and evolving as new connections are made. If this doesn't happen it simply ends up in the dust bin of history, as dead languages such as Latin have. Words are merely handy hooks on which to hang ideas and when words stop changing so do ideas.
Remember the word 'gay'.
[/quote]

Reply

lostmyway over 9 years ago

lostmyway said:
Also, on a tangent, Lewis Carrol in Alice in Wonderland tells us that words mean exactly what we want them to mean. And he was a master of the nonsense rhyme which made complete sense!
That is one of my problems - I often apply my own meaning to words which are different to the dictionary meaning. I know the dictionary meaning, but the sound of the word actually means and feels like something else to me. When I try and explain to people what the word means to me and how they should interpret it my way, people don't ! I give them my definition but they are not listening. There brains are like so rigid they cannot deviate from a dictionary definition in a special context. So there is miscommunication and misunderstanding. I don't know why I do this but I just do. It is part of my difficulty in processing language. Words are just symbols they actually contain no meaning but are stimuli. The meaning is in peoples brains. People share meanings for common symbols. But it seems people do not have the flexibilty to apply different meanings to the same words, whereas I can, but it means I live in my own Wonderland like Alice.
[/quote]
Language should be a living organism changing and evolving as new connections are made. If this doesn't happen it simply ends up in the dust bin of history, as dead languages such as Latin have. Words are merely handy hooks on which to hang ideas and when words stop changing so do ideas.
Remember the word 'gay'.
[/quote]

Children

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