Always look on the dark side of life ....

Lash, If you will agree to split up the description you've given, I can unhesitatingly plant myself in one camp. You've adequately described the pessimist. But is it necessary that they should also be blind? Is it necessary to be a pessimist to "consider a person guilty of anything just by accusation"? Are pessimists, by the mere fact of being pessimists, necessarily "selfish" and "uncompassionate"? I'm sure you'll agree that both optimism and pessimism can be combined with bigotry, prejudice, hasty judgement, lack of compassion, and so on. For instance, just considering a person guilty based on accusation is more a sign of a lack of thinking and balanced judgement. But this same person could still have a rosy outlook on life. If, as I asked to begin with, Lash, you will agree to remove this characteristic from the pessimistic personality, I can tell you that the glass does seem kind of empty. I think it hasn't even been filled to the half-way mark. There appears to be a leak somewhere, because the glass seems less full than when I last looked at it. You get the picture, of course. Schopenhauer would have been proud of me. Especially because, like him, I can still have a mystical approach to life, and, again like him, I believe in thinking things out rather than jumping to conclusions. But could somebody please stop draining my glass! And, you know Lash, being pessimistic actually makes you more compassionate. When you see the overwhelming suffering of people all around you, you cannot help but feel the burden of the human situation.

Where do I fit? *holds one hand out to each side of body* I fit in about here. I think that I am a pessimistic optimist or an optimistic pessimist. Then again, perhaps I am just weird. I guess it depends upon what is in the glass and how much I like or do not like it whether it is half full or half empty.

I really do know a fair few people like that. There are just many people out there who decide to look on a bit of a negative outview of life. Is it justified? Well let's just say that there are people who have many experiences that could in fact color their perceptions of a lot of things in life to say the very least but there comes a time where you need to just let it go. I think that the inability for people to let it go is really going to be something that is a huge, huge, problem for many people. They are going to continue to have a jaded, out view on everything. Not just a thing here or a thing there, but everything. I think that in some way, it does way, it brings down the mood of everyone around them.

Good day Lash. Like you, I am an optimist. There are people who step on my toes. I let them know that I don't like what they are doing to make them aware of it. If they choose not to do better, I don't have any control over other people's actions, reactions and choices. But, I have control over mine. I'd stay away from them in order to avoid getting hurt again. We all make mistakes, but let's learn from it and grow from it. There are so many beautiful things in life with which we can enjoy and be grateful for. I choose to focus on that. Have a great day.

I am a hard core optimist . No matter how difficult the situation is I will try to find the positive angle in it . I have gone through lot of suffering in my life but nothing could make me sad and despair . Then when I got Christ in my life in 2008 my life became all the more happy and smooth . Now all my worries are taken care by Jesus . So all the more I find life meaningful and full of positivity . Thanks for the discussion .

I am more in between. However, I believe that the reason why people makes several mistakes is because of miscommunication. When you are partnered, you should both decide on something you both wants instead of only the half. I have been in the same situation wherein I always say ok yes if that's what you want. Until we end up broke! Now it is too late and everyday I always blame both me and my partner. He didn't listen to me before and that's what I always tell him everyday. I know it is wrong but if he had listened to me many many years back before deciding on something, we could have avoided the problem we are experiencing now.

I was not always pessimistic and I try very hard not to be but I have become so used to things going wrong or going against me that sometimes I slip up and see the dark side. I was born an optimist but burdened with a pessimistic mother who systematically poisoned my life over the years. While I did eventually escape her there are times when the negativity sneaks up on me. I think it is a form of brainwashing to constantly put someone down, especially when the person doing it is the one person you are supposed to be able to trust. I spent a long time and many self help groups trying to cleanse the negative poison from my soul and I manage mostly. It is just that when too many things start going wrong at the same time that I slip up and then I can get drepressed. I do not sleep well these days and the tiredness can make things worse.

I am an optimist too. I do, however, expect the worse so when it is good...it is great..lol. Expecting and having a way to deal with it is different than being negative I think. To be honest..if I were negative..I don't know how I would have ever made it..optimism has been a tool for resilience for me in my life.