Pessimism the better pathway to contentment
Sat 1:12 am +00:00, 2 Nov 2024 3 |
Optimism is fundamental to the human spirit and has sparked innovation across the centuries, but does it have a dark side? Renowned philosopher and author Roger Scruton argues that unchecked optimism can be dangerous–and that real happiness hinges on a healthy pessimism that recognizes the limitations of human beings.
The Uses of Pessimism is a far-reaching yet concise assessment of how pessimism can compensate for the fallacies generic to the optimistic mind-set and enable us to live with our own imperfection. Spanning from ancient Greece to the current economic crisis, the book persuasively concludes that optimists and idealists have courted disaster by overlooking the hard truths of human nature and by adopting naïve expectations about what can be changed. Scruton demonstrates how many optimism-fueled advances, from the railway to the Internet, reflect a careless pursuit of mastery that is at odds with–and often undermines–the limited happiness that is the best we can obtain. He urges us to see pessimism not as dark and fatalistic, but as a hopeful point-of-view that favors a balanced appraisal of society and human nature as opposed to utopian wishful thinking. Ultimately, pessimism helps focus our energies on the one reform we can truly master: bettering ourselves.
In the rigorous but lively style that is his trademark, Scruton throws down the gauntlet to readers, challenging everyone to reevaluate their assumptions about the meaning of pessimism. The Uses of Pessimism breaks down the fallacies surrounding the optimist’s perpetually sunny worldview, offering a voice of wisdom with which to rein in hopes that might otherwise ruin us.
You can buy the book here (Amazon link).
TAP – I get tired of the Disney princess mentality where you wish and hope and all your dreams will be fulfilled. Get real. Laugh at yourself and the world. The dice are loaded against you, so expect less and be happier, or at least content. People set too much store in material possessions. Doing things is more satisfying than having things – in my experience. The mobile phone generation are watching adverts whether admitted to be such or not, nearly all the day. Very sad. TV is dead for the most part in many homes, but screens are controlling people’s minds even more strongly than television ever did, making them want things and imagining that life is incredibly easy, when it isn’t at all. The deception of the mass of people gets worse by the day. People value each other by what they possess. Crazy. People are fun or interesting, and their wealth level is 100% irrelevant. I am told to keep my thoughts to myself. That’s how intense the dictatorship and mind control has become. In the old days people took the piss from dawn to dusk, and were more content as a result. Cotentment is the way to live well. Pessimism is a good start, and getting on well with others. Try to find friends who are not so materiialistic and who believe less in money, whether they have or not. Pessimism makes laughter more satisfying, and laughter makes you healthy. Proven.
I totally agree with what you say Tap, particularly “In the old days people took the piss from dawn to dusk, and were more content as a result”
Funnily enough I agree with you, other than the subject itself, pessimism! I’m a born optimist/realist, so for me then, cautious realistic optimism works better. “Every cloud has a silver lining” and I keep proving that in my real life, over and over again. Never give up, and always look for the silver lining because it is always there
Compromise, Pete. Parallel thiking would apply as explained by Edward De Bono. Be pessimistic or shall we say use precaution, but have enough optimism to engage in risk and try to go ahead where we can. The actions are what matter – you are more effective if you are pessimistic, take more care, but you have to act, which needs measured optimism. Run with both. The sunny outlook is simply heading into catastrophe as we know. Parallel rhinking requires a modicum of intellect, to know that there downsides as well as upsides.
Yes I agree Tap, it’s a question of terminology rather than disagreement it seems. Compromise, downside assessment and precaution are essential for me too. All good decision making has these elements
If that is what you call pessimism then, I would call it realistic assessment. Some times it necessarily inhibits action too, no way round that, best to be realistic, otherwise you risk unnecessary failure. Most important decision making entails taking calculated risks, that is part of the fun of it