Being Real: Drawing the line Between Optimism and Pessimism.
In my last post, I revealed I had been pondering a quote from Yvon Chouinard. Here is my pondering expanded.
The quote argues that there is no difference between optimistic and pessimistic decision-making if they allure the same outcome. The pessimist would be unhappier, although would a pessimist be quicker to test a new solution? Whereas an optimist may attempt to push water uphill.
I started thinking, are pessimists more productive? Or do they possess the ability to see life as it is? Although being pessimistic around the clock results in depression, there may be a time and a place for it. Do not be the pessimist at the party; you will make no friends. Most small talk regards the optimistic future we have planned for ourselves. Plus, people like optimists; they have a comforting energy.
So, we must find a balance between the traits. We must know when to be real. We must understand the differing notions of optimism and pessimism and exploit them for productivity.
Here is a link to strengthen your understanding.
When and When not to be Optimistic.
For me, year 8 was the first year of high school. On the first day, my year was divided: into high achievers and underachievers, or as the students interpreted: smart and dumb. Based on my learning abilities before I reached the age of 12, in the eyes of the education department, I was an underachiever. For the next three years, I would learn math, economics, science, and English at a level lower than half of the students in my year. I have always found this rather unfair. I do not want to speak for all students in the underachieving class; however, many of us had ambition. I know I did – to put this into words without sounding egotistical is difficult, even though I mean it. Unfortunately, from experience, I can say these classrooms weren't designed to nurture. Although I may have found learning difficult, I have always been inquisitive and tried to fill my mind with knowledge worth obtaining. I remember feeling rather hopeless at recess and lunch when my friends would discuss their results from a test they took in a class I had not been smart enough to be part of, and to be honest, at that time in my life, I probably wasn't smart enough to discuss what my mates were. How could I be? I was being taught differently.
I remember a particular event vividly: a group of classmates would intentionally produce the vilest noises their mouths could, hoping to allure the most humorous reaction from whoever was teaching. Honestly, I found this rather amusing; it was clear the teacher at stake looked upon us students as dregs, so why not fulfill the teacher's judgment? So, placing curious students in unproductive classrooms nurtures pessimists. The dumb class was for those who were expected not to follow an intellectual path; however, it was more than that. It was a group of children indirectly told they had little potential.
That said, I am a natural-born optimist; however, only if the matter is worth being optimistic about. Although I often have pessimistic thoughts, as everybody does, if the task is something I genuinely care for, I am sure I learn the material the best I can, using pessimism to encourage a non-dramatical reaction when failure persists.
To elaborate, without reference to the systematic approach of the department of education; I may be optimistic, although, you would not find me circling a parking lot for any longer than five minutes. I would much prefer to park further away. Although inconvenient, daily steps accumulate. Therefore, you can manipulate unfortunate circumstances to harvest productivity. For example, say you fail a mid-semester exam, you would ensure you pass the end-of-semester. Hence, given you have an equal balance of behavioural traits, failure fuels motivation. The point is, we should be pessimistic in identifying where we invest time and energy. However necessary optimism may be in recognising potential alternatives, for the sake of efficiency, to discover the superior solution is equally important. So please, do not beat a horse that is already dead.
Op-TIME-istic.
Depending on how you use it, ‘time’ is the most valuable tool in achieving a feeling of self-accomplishment.
If you know me, you will know I have broken ten arms, and my collarbone. I have also had a rather serious knee injury. A full recovery differs among bones. For the arms, wrist, and collarbone, it takes roughly 12 weeks for a 100% recovery, depending on the seriousness of the fracture. Whereas for the knee, I used it in the best way I could, roughly 16 weeks after the incident.
So, if my math is correct, this is 142 weeks or 2.85 years of wasted time, well, depending on how you look at it.
It is in these times optimism is vital. Rather than looking upon this number as time lost, look at it as time gained for recovery and self-growth. You could take the pessimistic approach and feel sorry for yourself. I had taken this route for roughly three-quarters of this number. Or you could be optimistic. To elaborate, you may be worried about accumulating debt during your absence from the workplace, so why not use the surplus time to develop your knowledge of online trading, keeping a close eye on the winners and the losers of the New York stock exchange? You could use this time to nurture your creative passion, a skill now so unpractised it could have been smoked in a pipe. You could even take action, evolving that idea lingering in your mind; hell, turn the idea into a business. After all, time is money.
Over the years, I have come to know my body rather well, and unfortunately, I pack on weight easily. When recovering from my knee injury I was withdrawn from my regular exercise routine and became anxious about losing all my progress. I wanted to ensure I wouldn’t regain the weight I had only recently lost. So, I educated myself on nutrition. I managed to keep relatively lean and developed a diet I still follow daily.
Therefore, time is like a fire, slowly burning until the light turns out. However, do not worry, you can keep it alive with little effort. The flames will soar when properly stoked. Like time, fire is multipurpose: for entertainment, clearing land, and alluring heat. It is a valuable and highly important tool depending on its use.
The point I am making is that we must keep the fire burning. Do not be intimidated by time. I understand injuries are inconvenient. There are financial and mental repercussions. Well, there was for me. So, remember optimism is nothing more than a behavioural trait, it can be manipulated for your benefit, and this is what we must nurture in hard times. It is difficult, but, possible, nonetheless. Injury and unemployment may seem inconvenient; however, they could potentially be the most productive era in a lifetime. We have the time to learn as much as we would like, and when we re-emerge from hiatus, we will do so equipped with a much greater understanding.
In writing this, I reminded myself of a Jerry Seinfeld quote describing my argument in a more comedic tone “The mind is infinite in wisdom. The brain is a stupid little dog which is easily trained.”
Finally, if someone tells you that you have too much time on your hands, they are pessimistic in the sense they do not.
The smart pessimist.
It is important to note that pessimism is not a trait I would often encourage. Optimists are generally much happier. However, in my pondering, I uncovered some benefits of pessimistic behaviour.
Firstly, pessimistic decision-making is, in many cases, more rational. To expand, if it were 3 a.m. and I was at a party, I would not be optimistic about the experiences the night is yet to offer. I would much prefer to be tucked under my sheets and curled around my pillow. However, this raises the question: In some circumstances, can pessimistic decision-making generate more happiness than optimistic decision-making? I think so, however, only in certain circumstances such as the one provided above. This is a question we must ask, to demonstrate a perfect balance between behavioural traits. This also reinforces my previous point.
Moreover, pessimists are well equipped for failure, as it is what they expect. Often optimists see through rose-tinted glasses; for example, someone may feel they're great at their job when they, I hate to say it, are not. Pessimists, on the other hand, can acknowledge their level of productivity by comparing how well they are at one task to another, meaning they can develop predictions regarding how they may be affected by the future. For example, they may invest a portion of their savings or budget more frequently, all to be better prepared for unemployment. So, in expecting the worst, you will both; never be disappointed, and be equipped for disaster.
In conclusion, time is the most valuable tool we have; however, we must ‘be real’ in the way we use it, carefully drawing the line between optimism and pessimism to achieve our wildest dreams.
A book to read…
Lost Connections. Johann Hari.
If you can recall, in my first post, I mentioned I had read a book called 'Chasing the Scream.' A book debunking the war on drugs. 'Lost Connections,' is written by the same author, Johann Hari. Much like 'Chasing the Scream,' Hari embarked on a journey that took him to all corners of the world, seeking to understand why we as a society have become increasingly depressed as our lives pass us by.
I will not give away his findings, however, I will say this. 'Lost Connections,' has made me question the components of everyday life we have standardised. I began to question the science behind anti-depressants. And most importantly, I learned that today depression and anxiety are at epidemic levels, resulting from living conditions, not our biology.
A song I’ve been listening to…
Falling. slowthai.
This track comes from slowthais latest album, UGLY. It is simple and, I find, emotionally engaging.
Since its release, I have listened to the tune frequently, which is probably a testament to my current well-being. Listen to the track whenever you want. That said, often, I find myself tuned-in at the end of the day rather than the beginning. As I said, optimism is no more than behavioural trait, and this song will potentially manipulate your current psychology.
Save the track for the drive home after work or the long walk back to the car after your final tutorial. 'Falling,' is appreciated most when accompanied by vulnerability.
An idea I’ve been inspired by…
Run Club.
Recently some friends started a running club, and ever since, I have been running more than usual. In fact, last night I ran my first 10km, a distance I am rather happy with considering, only a month ago, I would struggle to reach 5km.
Every Tuesday the club assembles. The club isn't competitive, nor do we run far or fast, as statistics aren’t what the club is about. It's about running at the same pace as the slowest member. Also, it is a much healthier way of socialising. A lot of the time when I go for a beer, it's not because I necessarily want a pint, it's because I want to chat with my mates. So, why not socialise while burning calories rather than ingesting them? Mid-week of course.