Conference quark::mennotes

    Hmmmm....whats the speed limit?

    
    Optimist:
    
    Just because you're paronoid doesn't mean they're out to get you!
    
    
    Pessimist:
    
    Just because you're paronoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you!
    
    
    Realist:
    
    They're out to get you!
    

A pessimist is some who believes things cannot possibly get worse.
An optimist is sure they can :-).

    I'd be more optimistic if life didn't suck so much.

    - Jim

    from Irish folks... an uptimist is the one who sees that the bottle is
    half full.  A pesimist is the one that sees the bottle half empty.
    
    Ana

    "Have I ever noticed how two different people can see the same event
    completely differently?"
    
    I SURE HAVE! And some see the event the same way no matter how many
    facts conflict with their view of it!
    
    Jeff

104.6>     I SURE HAVE! And some see the event the same way no matter how many
104.6>     facts conflict with their view of it!
    
Well-stated.

    Jeff,
    
    Probably the major cause of wars.  When you want to fight, you 
    want to fight.  Facts are irrelevant.
    
    Come to think of it, thats how they sell newspapers!
    
    Is that optimism or pessimism?
    
    Bill

An optimist said "tomorrow will probably be better."

A pessimist said "tomorrow will probably be worse."

Are we brought up like this. Sometimes you may found that if a person whose have
family problem when grown up, they're easier to be a pessimist. A person from a
happy family probably be an optimist.

I remember once my sister told me: Her husband drove the car and pass a certain
place. She saw a van unloading some goods in a place which is not very
reasonable. She then said "May we help them? They probably get some problems with
their van." Her husband replied "Have you ever think that they are doing some
illegal actions?"


Mickwid.

>Are we brought up like this. 

Are there such separations among children?  I mostly see these terms used for
adults.  I suspect it is a (99.99%) consequence of experience, not necessarily
from childhood).

>place. She saw a van unloading some goods in a place which is not very
>reasonable. She then said "May we help them? They probably get some problems with
>their van." Her husband replied "Have you ever think that they are doing some
>illegal actions?"

Is that being pessimistic, or cautious.  Would you pick up a hitchhiker? 
Would not doing so show pessimism?  I would consider it caution/common_sense.

    Optimists believe there is hope that pessimists will see the light and
    become optimists also.
    
    Pessimists think optimists are phonies, that deep down they are also 
    pessimists and once they face it, they will also be pessimists. 
    
    I am pessimistic about those pessimists.

    Picking the hitch hiker up is risky... no doubt about it. BUT, one can
    use certain amount of 'common sense' to determine the amount of risk.
    
    i.e. If it was a broken down car with a woman and a couple of young kids
    chances are the risk is low.  If it was a grubby looking adult male
    with some sort of bag or suitcase your risk is probably alot higher.
    (Granted those are stereotypes but sterotypes tend to get established
    based on factual observations to some extent).
    
    Now that cellular phones are so common one can call the problem in and
    theoretically let the cops handle it.
    
    As a ham radio operator for years I face the breakdown/hitchhiker
    decision often.  Hitchhikers I ignore, unless there is an obvious
    (carrying a gas can) issue in addition to just being a hitchhiker.
    
    Breakdowns and accidents I call in over my ham radio.
    
    Everybody wins this way (I think) and the risks to myself are minimized.
    
    Jeff

>    (Granted those are stereotypes but sterotypes tend to get established
>    based on factual observations to some extent).

Or the retelling of non factual stories until they have the appearance of truth.

>    Breakdowns and accidents I call in over my ham radio.

This of course could put the party needing help at risks.  I recall, and will 
not state as fact, stories of people listening for such calls and getting to the
scene before the offical people (robbery, rape, etc... This was heard of in Pa.)

An optimist spends less time worrying about impending doom and more time 
enjoying life.  A pessimist knows the doom is coming and spends a lot of
time dreading that fact.  In general they both have the same catastrophe
level and number of crisis to deal with, the optimist just has to spend
less time dealing with them because they only deal with them when they
happen instead of whether they happen or not.

Of course, I do know some people who are so busy anticipating and dreading
the next catastrophe that they actually create one.

80)

.10> Are there such separations among children?  I mostly see these terms used for

I'm not an expert in this, but I've seen a few recent reports.  Nothing about
the optimist/pessimist split.  I did see a report on a related split: 
cautious/adventurous.

Some psychologists studied pre-verbal children, about 18 months, and showed
that they behaved consistently: some were always cautious and some were 
always adventurous, and most were somewhere between.  They studied the same
children five and ten years later and found they were still in the same
categories.

The classic explanation, from Erik Erikson, is that this is determined by 
early feeding experience.  The authors of the study above suggested that it
may be genetic.

.0> Have you ever noticed how two people can look at the same situation

Yes, I've noticed it.  I find I prefer the company of people who can respond
to the situation in front of them, rather than produce an unvarying standard
reaction.  People who react negatively all the time are a real drag.

    I know, that I'm a total optimist, but sometimes people call this
    being naiv.........
    
    Do I have to call them being pessimistic?
    
    Gosh, how can people spend so much time thinking about things that
    " might " happen, instead of caring about things that " have "
    happened.
    
    Just enjoy life, it's too short to waste ......
    
    Birgit
    
    ps. Just one example, one of my budgies is breeding and I took a careful
        look at one of the small eggs.....and guess what, I saw this little
        guy inside moving!!!!!! This can already save my day.....!!!!!

    -.3
    > Besides, it is more fun to expect the best
    
    Then again, if one expects the worst, one can only be
    
    *pleasantly* 
    
    surprised!
    
    [dale]