Ahhh, but here is where things get confusing for both of us I feel. I’ve been through these states already (just ask my fiancé I’ve been damn right miserable and pessimistic about this for the past few years.) So, why am I optimistic now? What has changed for me? I’m gonna need to think about this. Thank you, your responses are really helpful :)A realistic assessment of the global warming crisis ought to result in feelings ranging from pessimism to despair, with a side trip to include rage
Thank you for pointing this out, bit of implied virtue theory. Look for the golden mean between optimism and Pessimism. I like this :)There might or might not be a way, so we must try for the best and neither give up nor rest assured, as either of those leads to inaction and so guaranteed failure.
"Climate is a matter of faith and ideology," is vague. — uncanni
It is what folks do that matters
I feel there is a difference here between unrealistic optimism and optimism coupled with realism. — Mark Dennis
I wasn’t describing this as things as a list of successes, but only as a list of things which previous generations would have thought impossible. Which they would have. — Mark Dennis
The survival of our morals, culture and diversity is up for debate though. — Mark Dennis
The climate is relatively unaffected by what people think about it. ... It is what folks do that matters. — unenlightened
That seems inappropriate to me. — uncanni
especially if everyone is assumed to understand the irrelevance already — unenlightened
research has shown that positive thinking, in the form of fantasies about an idealized future, predicts low effort and poor performance.
Charity solicitations often encourage people to imagine a positive future of crisis resolution. The present studies shed light on how such positive fantasies are likely to affect giving,
depending on the amount of resources required. Idealized pos- itive fantasies about future crisis resolution lead people to per- ceive demanding requests (i.e., requests for relatively much money, effort, or time) as too demanding. Accordingly, such fantasies dampen helping when many resources are required to resolve a crisis.
We cannot change.
The social protest is but a mere contradiction - we indulge and waste what we have and at the same time demand change to our own behaviour. Because we are not capable of effecting change, nor do we desire it.
Optimism in the face of adversity. And, if we are also asking what the options are. Aren’t we already engaging in realism if we ask and discuss which is the better of the two options? So long as we are willing to periodically repeat our dispassionate assessments? — Mark Dennis
optimism I believe is overall a healthier frame of mind and probably does equip us to make better choices. — Pantagruel
But which of the two is more pragmatic? — Mark Dennis
optimism I believe is overall a healthier frame of mind and probably does equip us to make better choices. — Pantagruel
Agreed. So if realism dictates after a dispassionate assessment; Optimism in the face of adversity. — Mark Dennis
Because we are not capable of effecting change, nor do we desire it.
I think, if we stop categorically stating that “we can’t change” and instead ask ourselves “how do we change?” at least our mind is open to realistic possibilities and opportunities as opposed to disbelieving and missing them all. Once we have an answer to that question, we need to act on it and enter a conflict with ourselves for change. Sometimes you will fail, but you can always adapt both your tactics and strategy until you succeed.
People that say they can’t change are only correct until they stop believing that, at the point they stop believing that it becomes much more open for debate at the very least.
Chin up my friend. Outcomes might look grim but unless we are bound, chained and gagged we can always be optimistic in our ability to act in some way. Even speaking is an action, as is writing. — Mark Dennis
optimism I believe is overall a healthier frame of mind and probably does equip us to make better choices. — Pantagruel
Aside from the quote not making any grammatical / semantic sense, it is nonsense to think that optimism is a help or a hindrance in the face of adversity, and it is a nonsense to think that pessimism is a help or a hindrance in the face of adversity. They both, optimims and pessimims, play no role in dispassionate assessments. Remember, optimism and pessimism are both reflections of passions; dispassionate excludes the role of passion; therefore it excludes optimism and pessimism.
What if optimism tells us, "hey, God will save us all, don't worry, we are made in his image, just forget it."
Neither pessimism nor optimism plays a role in pragmatism. Your personal opinion on the future of a physical phenomenon is completely negligible. It is null and void. It is immaterial, it is totally irrelevant.
Optimism alone or pessimism alone are ridiculous measures when it comes to fighting a physical phenomenon that threatens mankind.
Can anyone think of good terms for the “rest assured, success is guaranteed” kind of optimism and the “give up, success is impossible” kind of pessimism, in contrast to the more pragmatic “try your best because success is possible” optimism and “try your best because success is not guaranteed” pessimism?
If it didn’t make sense then how did you understand what I meant? — Mark Dennis
Then I’d say this is unjustified optimism — Mark Dennis
Optimism alone or pessimism alone are ridiculous measures when it comes to fighting a physical phenomenon that threatens mankind.
By yours and others answers this is becoming apparent. Any measure employed alone is ridiculous. — Mark Dennis
Get involved in philosophical discussions about knowledge, truth, language, consciousness, science, politics, religion, logic and mathematics, art, history, and lots more. No ads, no clutter, and very little agreement — just fascinating conversations.