Just because I’m angry all the time, doesn’t mean I’m a pessimist
January 19, 2015 Leave a comment
I get into arguments a lot.
This comes as a shock to many, I’m sure; after all, who could possibly take issue with some one who opines frustration with “allies”, advocates being a “bad” feminist, and professes to liking terrible movies? And on the internet, no less! But alas, it is true. I am no stranger to having my beliefs challenged any time I decide to express them on public fora. And being that I am well-acquainted to such discussions, I am also quite familiar with the recurring patterns that those discussions tend to reproduce. One such pattern is that, almost invariably, I will be accused at some point of being a pessimist. I will be told that attitudes such as mine aren’t constructive, because I insist on “seeing the bad” in everything while “ignoring the good”. I will be told that such attitudes are the reason why the problems of which I speak continue to exist, and that people like me do more harm than good.
There was a time where I might have agreed with such assessments. Where my response would have begun with “I may be a pessimist, but…”, taking for granted that expressing those emotions that our society deems to be “negative” in excess and at the expense of more pleasant, “positive” emotions almost certainly means that I fit the bill of a pessimist. But as any good Zen Buddhist will tell you, you must never accept anything as truth just because it appears to be true. And so, in the spirit of being a light unto our own paths, let’s take a critical look at this idea, challenge everything we think we know about pessimism, and see what we can uncover, shall we?
Pessimism Gets a Bad Rap
As mentioned, ‘pessimism’ has been put into a category of concepts that we conflate with negativity. The accusation of pessimism carries with it the implication that “pessimism” is inherently bad, something to be avoided by people wishing to be perceived as “good”. And so it is that pessimism has become laden with a common understanding completely void of nuance. Pessimism: Bad; Optimism: Good. The End.
This speaks to something that I believe quite firmly, that one of the chief failings of our modern society is the preoccupation with positivity; we have become obsessive in our efforts to project positivity into everything that we are and everything that we do. Such that negativity is not tolerated. We must be happy. We must not be anything less, for anything less is undesirable and shameful. We congratulate each other for emotional strength when we do not express sadness over tragedy, we congratulate each other for emotional control when we do not express anger over injustice, and we congratulate each other for emotional temperance when we do not express doubt over blind assurance. When a little girl shouts that the emperor has no clothes, we rush not to conceal the emperor’s nakedness, but the little girl’s brazen display of negativity. Because negativity is bad, it is better to be dishonestly positive than to be earnestly negative. We do not allow ourselves to process our negativity, merely push it aside so that no one can see it.
But of course, the Zen perspective is that nothing is “good” or “bad” in and of itself. Our minds give form to the emptiness of things and shape our perceptions of them to fit our incomplete notions of ‘bad’ and ‘good’. Or, put in a less abstract way, whether or not something is good or bad is all in your head. The things we see as ‘bad’ can still have usefulness, and the things we see as ‘good’ can still be harmful. And so it is that pessimism, as we understand it, can have positive applications, even if it is largely conflated with negativity. After all, the first step in solving a problem is in recognizing that the problem exists, and that can only happen when we drop the sunshine and rainbows of excessive positivity and allow ourselves to acknowledge and process the unpleasant aspects of the world we live in.
But we’re still operating within a framework of the popular definition of ‘pessimism’. We’ve only scratched the surface of our examination…
Water, Water Everywhere
We all know the framework of the half-glass of water; the optimist sees the glass half-full, the pessimist sees the glass half-empty. As far as mnemonic devices go, it’s fairly straightforward and effective. We assume that water is good, and therefore viewing the glass in terms of how much water it has, as opposed to how much it does not have, would be considered to be the more positive outlook on the situation. As a tool for teaching some one the definitions of ‘optimism’ and ‘pessimism’, it seems to be functionally adequate for people who are just developing an understanding of the concepts.
But at this point, I believe that we’re past ‘developing’ understandings, and that we’re ready to get a little more complete in our thinking.
Looking at this half-glass of water, are we to assume that the water in this glass is the exhaustive supply of water in the world? That there can be no more water in this glass, ever, and as such, it is unreasonable to consider the possibility that the glass will ever contain more water? In looking at this half-glass of water, are we also looking at the only water that could ever exist? Is a half-glass of water the best that can be achieved, all other options being ruled completely impossible? If so, then I suppose the current understanding of the half-glass metaphor still holds.
Suppose, however, that your glass of water is but one of many glasses of water, on a planet principally composed of water, in a room full of people who also have glasses of water, all of varying degrees of fullness, with a water supplier clearly visible in the room. Some of the people, you observe, have glasses that are already completely filled, and yet the supplier continues to pour water into their glasses, the excess spilling over the brim, becoming useless as it does. You also note that the water in the glasses is of varying levels of quality, with some of the less-full glasses being filled with visibly-discolored water, water containing assorted contaminants from various sources. And you note that the water in your glass is similarly discolored. And all the while, that supplier of water seems perfectly capable of dispensing an abundance of clean water for everyone in the room.
In such a scenario, the statement “My glass is half-full” becomes defeatist, a resignation to a reality that would dictate that the way things are is the way things must be, and we had better get used to it. “My glass is half-empty”, meanwhile, becomes a statement of empowerment, one that is unafraid to examine the possibilities that while the glass certainly contains water, the glass’ potential as a container is as yet not fully realized, but with effort and initiative, it could one day be. After all, there are glasses that have more clean, fresh water than they could ever know what to do with, so is it truly noble and optimistic to accept that the excess is going to waste?
The answer, of course, is a resounding ‘no’.
Optimism, or Complacency?
I live in a province that is known for having harsh winters. Where I grew up, I’ve seen it snow in every month of the year. Where in other parts of the country, they shut down entire cities because of one inch of snow, my locality would only ever slow down once we hit -40 (or, for my American readers, -40), and even then, there’d be enough intrepid souls willing to venture forth that nothing would grind to a COMPLETE halt.
I bring this up because I wish to ask you, dear reader, if you can recall the last time you complained about the weather. Chances are, if you were addressing a group, there was bound to be one individual eager to tell you that the weather you’re complaining about is nothing compared to weather they’ve had to deal with. And from that individual’s recounting of the terrible weather they’d miraculously survived, almost certainly would another individual step forth with their own tale of meteorological monstrosity, paving the way for another enterprising individual to regale the group with yet another description of ambient barometric pressure bordering that would have H.P. Lovecraft tugging nervously at his collar.
It happens all the time, and all of it carries the same message: “Stop complaining, it could be worse”.
These days, I live in a part of the province that has much milder winters. Indeed, today we were well above freezing, and by the weekend, we’ll likely be switching to our spring jackets. And it’s January. Nonetheless, we still get the occasional snowstorm, and when we do, I’ll get just as grumpy about it as I did when they happened in my hometown. Why? Because all the reasons I had for not liking snowstorms in my hometown still apply, regardless of where they happen to occur. The fact that the snowstorms are less frequent and less severe than the ones I have previously experienced is irrelevant; contrary to popular belief, ‘not as bad’ is not synonymous with ‘good’.
The context in which I most often am accused of being a pessimist is when my conversational partner wishes to remind me that things are better now than they used to be. In this country, Homosexuality is no longer a criminal offence, black people are no longer openly bought and sold as commodities of labor, women are no longer barred from polling stations and universities, the mentally infirm are no longer sequestered from the rest of people, et cetera. Can’t I be satisfied that things are better now than they used to be? Why must I insist on being so negative?
Running with the idea that ‘not as bad’ is not synonymous with ‘good’, accepting the status quo on the grounds that its imperfections are fewer and lesser than those of a previous status quo is not optimism; it’s complacency. As with the half-glass paradigm, it is resignation to a reality that has no room for improvement, settling for less than what could be. Is that a hopeful attitude to have?
That’s not to say, of course, that it’s completely without merit to reflect on the progress that has already been made, and even to celebrate that progress. Certainly, it can inspirational to recognize that all of us stand on the shoulders of giants, motivating to recognize that the work you’ve done was made possible by the work of those that came before. But the minute that you allow that celebration to eclipse your ability to recognize the work that still needs to be done, that is the minute that it becomes complacency.
Silence is Not Golden
In the end, the accusation of being pessimistic is another way in which people seek to control the conversation. They want you to feel bad for saying the things that you’re saying, and so they paint it with the negative connotations of the word ‘pessimist’. When they do, keep these things in mind:
- Acknowledging negativity is necessary for improvement.
- Resignation from improvement is far more pessimistic than a desire to improve.
- What many call ‘Optimism’ can easily become ‘Complacency’.
That about wraps it up for today. I think my next post will be about something slightly more light-hearted. Always remember that at the heart of true understanding is a willingness to confront and question everything you hold to be true. And always remember that no matter how many people get on your case for not being pleasant enough, you are always loved and appreciated.
~Joselyn