Why Pessimism Isn't Such A Bad Thing
Yes, I know. I know. The majority of us consider pessimism to be a terrible thing, whichever way you look at it. We uphold optimism and anything that has to do with positivity and shun negativity and all that comes with it. But, maybe, if you took a step back for a little while you could find positivity in negativity. Maybe, when all is said and done, pessimism isn't all that bad. To really understand my point of view, I'd like to urge you to quit your perceptions, for just a while. Let's all just ignore what we believe is bad and good when it comes to optimism and pessimism and come at this from a neutral point of view. Most the statements made in this post shouldn't be taken as fact, they're my opinion.
Better handle on stress
Negative thinking could indeed be a causative factor when it comes to stress, anxiety, and related conditions. However, a pessimist might also handle stress better than an optimist.A pessimist is more likely to have less reaction time to a stressful event, greater objectivity and a more practical approach to finding the solution. Optimists have more stable hormone levels when in stressful situations, which makes them better at coping as opposed to pessimists whose stress hormones spike at the least provocation. Human beings often react to events as they are prompted, therefore, the more uncomfortable the situation, the higher the chances that one will take action to eliminate the discomfort. One could, therefore, argue that it would take a considerable amount of stress and time before an optimist reacts as compared to a pessimist. On objectivity, a pessimist is more likely to call things as they are as compared to an optimist who would rather look at the positive aspects and the same applies to practicality, which is somewhat dependent on objectivity.
More cautious decision making
Being too cautious could limit one's ability to take chances, risks and generally explore areas of uncertainty, which in turn may hinder progress. However, the pessimists that manage to get beyond that crippling stage are better off in decision making as compared to optimists. An optimist is more likely to take the leap of faith and hope for the best while a pessimist must take precautions to guarantee assurance. This is a plus in areas such as investment, and especially on platforms such as Steem, or when dealing with cryptocurrencies and generally areas where the level of risk is higher.
Less likely to be influenced
Generally, pessimists are less trusting and less likely to take things at face value. That is why it is considerably harder to sway a pessimist. This is a good thing when it comes to handling negative peer pressure and other influences that might be considered counterproductive.
Form stronger bonds with people
Pessimism is always associated with antisocial tendencies and to some level that might be true. It is much harder to make friends with or as a pessimist that it is for an optimist. That has a lot to do with the skepticism, trust issues, and general discontent. However, when a pessimist makes a friend, it is with someone can be trusted, is reliable and is comfortable handling the negativity. That bond tends to last longer because it has a much stronger foundation. Even more so, a pessimist has a better sense when it comes to a bad relationship and is more likely to cut it off in its infancy before the toxicity grows to uncontrollable levels.
Increased fairness
To be fair, you have to come at something from a neutral place. I find that pessimists are often more indifferent and less opinionated about everything, which presents a fine opportunity to establish neutrality. Aside from that the objectivity and practicality that I highlighted earlier also have a significant role to play here.
Is being a pessimist better than an optimist? I cannot answer that with certainty, and I doubt anyone can when looking at both objectively. However, I find that pessimism generally receives more dislike and scorn than optimism. Most of the posts, even on Steem, will focus on how to avoid pessimism and very few point to its strengths, which is a really bad light to shine on something that also has beneficial strong points even though I definitely didn't cover them all. Pessimism is not a lack of emotion and it is not an evil trait to have. We should all try to have a little bit of both and be considerate and accepting of those that cannot "switch it off" or conform to society's acceptable standards of optimism.nd a more practical approach to finding the solution. Optimists have more stable hormone levels when in stressful situations, which makes them better at coping as opposed to pessimists whose stress hormones spike at the least provocation. Human beings often react to events as they are prompted, therefore, the more uncomfortable the situation, the higher the chances that one will take action to eliminate the discomfort. One could, therefore, argue that it would take a considerable amount of stress and time before an optimist reacts as compared to a pessimist. On objectivity, a pessimist is more likely to call things as they are as compared to an optimist who would rather look at the positive aspects and the same applies to practicality, which is somewhat dependent on objectivity.
More cautious decision making
Being too cautious could limit one's ability to take chances, risks and generally explore areas of uncertainty, which in turn may hinder progress. However, the pessimists that manage to get beyond that crippling stage are better off in decision making as compared to optimists. An optimist is more likely to take the leap of faith and hope for the best while a pessimist must take precautions to guarantee assurance. This is a plus in areas such as investment, and especially on platforms such as Steem, or when dealing with cryptocurrencies and generally areas where the level of risk is higher.
Less likely to be influenced
Generally, pessimists are less trusting and less likely to take things at face value. That is why it is considerably harder to sway a pessimist. This is a good thing when it comes to handling negative peer pressure and other influences that might be considered counterproductive.
Form stronger bonds with people
Pessimism is always associated with antisocial tendencies and to some level that might be true. It is much harder to make friends with or as a pessimist that it is for an optimist. That has a lot to do with the skepticism, trust issues, and general discontent. However, when a pessimist makes a friend, it is with someone can be trusted, is reliable and is comfortable handling the negativity. That bond tends to last longer because it has a much stronger foundation. Even more so, a pessimist has better sense when it comes to a bad relationship and is more likely to cut it off in its infancy before the toxicity grows to uncontrolable levels.
Increased fairness
To be fair, you have to come at something from a neutral place. I find that pessimists are often more indifferent and less opinionated about everything, which presents a fine opportunity to establish neutrality. Aside from that the objectivity and practicality that I highlighted earlier also have a significant role to play here.
Is being a pessimist better than an optimist? I cannot answer that with certainty, and I doubt anyone can when looking at both objectively. However, I find that pessimism generally receives more dislike and scorn than optimism. Most of the posts, even on Steem, will focus on how to avoid pessimism and very few point to its strengths, which is a really bad light to shine on something that also has beneficial strong points even though I definitely didn't cover them all. Pessimism is not a lack of emotion and it is not an evil trait to have. We should all try to have a little bit of both and be considerate and accepting of those that cannot "switch it off" or conform to society's acceptable standards of optimism.