Pessimism is a vital component for any healthy society

Submitted ⁨⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨latenightnoir@lemmy.blahaj.zone⁩ to ⁨showerthoughts@lemmy.world⁩

Foreword: Just My Opinion™

Pessimists are creatives who are able to see the worst possible outcomes. To me, this means we have people who are able to effectively sound the alarm, and it’s worth at least listening to what they have to say.

I feel Pessimism is shunned nowadays because it comes close enough to Realism so as to be uncomfortably familiar, as what we’re seeing unfold is one of the worst potentialities we had at our disposal (I think most if not all of us agree that we couldn’t have anticipated a dystopia THIS fucking stupid).

In a healthy society, however, one in which things work in favour of the citizens and every soul has the necessities of life assured, Pessimism would serve as a cautionary element. It would demonstrate the disasters we’re avoiding or will have to avoid.

I feel this has always been its role, from Ancient Greek Tragedies to contemporary dystopian sci-fi, but somewhere along the way it became something to be avoided like the plague (see Toxic Optimism/Positivism).

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Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
The only difference between optimism and pessimism, is that you prefer one over the other. The only people that think pessimism is closer to reality than optimism are the pessimists, because that’s literally how pessimism works.

Optimists think you’re just depressing and further from reality.

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- surewhynotlem@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  It’s more rare to find a pessimist than an optimist. To be a pessimist, you need to predict outcomes WORSE than reality.
  
  Most people you think are pessimists are realists.
  
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  - Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
    Realists are just people who refuse to believe that their perspective is skewed.
    
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- latenightnoir@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  Well, that would be fair, except I’ve stated no preference for pessimism:)) In my view it is just as important as Optimism. Two sides of the same coin.
  
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  - Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
    
    Well, that would be fair, except I’ve stated no preference for pessimism:))
    
    I’d argue that your tone throughout the post says otherwise, but if I misinterpreted that, the only word I would change is the “you” in the last sentence to “pessimists”. As not to point fingers, but the point still stands
    
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BranBucket@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
An optimist invents the airplane. A pessimist invents the parachute.

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- latenightnoir@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  Exactly! Thank you! Yes, I realised I’ve focused too much on Pessimism (guess I’d make for a good defence lawyer! or a poor one, food for thought…) and not the big picture.
  
  Yes! It’s about reasonably establishing the risks and actually setting safeguards in place, whereas optimism should be allowed to roam free and dream stuff up! One tempers/uplifts the other!
  
  Warning for crummy poetics: and in the synnergy of the two, Reality is born!:)))
  
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OpenStars@piefed.social ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
I would argue that pessimism, like optimism, is too hobbled by an inability to see clearly the arguments of the other side. Realism seems a better way to go, and if that happens to look bleak then well, that still does not make it actual pessimism.

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- latenightnoir@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  But that was my point exactly, Pessimism isn’t meant to fully replace awareness of reality. It, just as optimism, are Hypotheticals at the end of the day, whereas I’d argue Realism, i.e. the ability to see things for what they are is a Concrete. Not even the same conceptual class from where I’m standing.
  
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  - OpenStars@piefed.social ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
    2+2=4
    
    2+2=3 is too small, i.e. wrong in the direction of being too small
    
    2+2=4 is too wrong in the direction of being too large
    
    Likewise, optimism is wrong in being too hopeful, pessimism is wrong in being too fearful.
    
    What you said though is that:
    
    Pessimism is a vital component for any healthy society
    
    So being wrong is a vital component of being right? It is an issue with the phrasing. It is not "pessimism" that is necessary, but a willingness to look at the things that may cause us fear - though your phrasing indicated that pessimism itself was the necessary component, which is what I disagreed with.
    
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