Dangers of Pessimism
In 2015, I had a classmate who left the university to enter the military academy. We were sitting in an economics class when he just shared his idea. 'We're doomed. China will invade us in a year or two, and there are not enough people who will fight for the country,' he said.
I wasn't able to give a sensible response to that. In my head, if that's gonna happen then so be it.
There was a sense of urgency in his plans, that I couldn't really understand fully. I was focused on finishing my degree, and that's all I thought of. The threats of war can sit out of my head but I couldn't adjust my personal goals.
Six years after, the war he was thinking about hasn't broken out yet. On the one hand, it's a waste that he needed to leave for his 'imagination.' On the other, maybe he's really fated to leave. I'm sure he's doing good. He's smart and really passionate, wherever you place him he will thrive.
However, I just can't help but think that this is the dangers of pessimism. This is the outcome of a mind which was too keen for the negatives. What led him to decide haphazardly was his overexposure to media. A pessimistic outlook about the world isn't something you acquire pulling an all-nighter of brainstorming. It is compounded from the piles of news on the end of the world and hearing about the receding moral values of humanity. While there are still killings all around the world, and how they are done is becoming grosser, when you compare them against the facts and figures, the criminality rate of the world really drops.
The Way Out.
The first and most effective way to to avoid the dangers of pessimism requires changing our mindset.
Becoming rational optimist is the only way out.
Now, how do we become rational optimists instead of just falling into the traps of negative thinking?
Well, there are already available principles we can abide to, but in this post we'll try to be familiar with the 4 perspectives of thinking.
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4 PERSPECTIVES OF THINKING
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Irrational Pessimists are unemployed bum who thinks it's impossible to have a job. Paralyzed by fear, they don't even try to look for work. We are too aware of the structural causes of unemployment, but irrational pessimists are those who are resolved to not do anything. The one who doesn't take action for fear that it won't yield results.
Irrational Optimists are cousins to gamblers. They focus on the upside but often neglect the probable risks.
Rational Pessimists are risk-averse academicians. They use logic but are more inclined to think of the downside.
Rational Optimists ate someone who thinks clearly. They use logic and effort to make things work. They take mitigated risks for something that has unlimited upside. Rational optimists create more stuff, and are focused on giving value.
When we focus on what we can do, and focus less on the external events that we can't control, we have the chance to shift to being a rational optimist. By trying things that have lots of upside with minimal risks, we can train our brain to be more susceptive to be optimists. We can always see the good while not being too overwhelmed with the negatives. Yet, we can still be grounded on truths, not being joyful gamblers who take unnecessary bets in life.
It's Sunday, watch less news. Reflect. Rest. Then take action starting tomorrow (or later if you're really inspired by this post).
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