Hard to find Optimists in this world, it seems. Even many who appear optimistic, at first, will eventually give way and share with you their pessimism. Pessimism reeks of self-hatred to me. When people are pessimistic about life and existence, usually or always it comes from fears, of death. So many people I’ve met, and have met only a few, a handful of exceptions, are ego-centric. They and perhaps many reading this, you believe that when you die, existence ceases to exist. Reality revolves around you, so when you die, existence dies with you. I believe otherwise, and my belief seems very, very rare. Truly “unique” if I dare say so myself.
To the egoist, the world moving forward without you, is demoralizing and humiliating. A complete humiliation, a sword through the heart of pride. The majority of humanity clings to life, desperately, but without even understanding or realizing the value of life. Therefore the desperation of many is unfounded. The source of one’s pride can be misguided, built on lies, flaws, irrationality, and many other chimeras.
Fear is common in life, all life in fact. Therefore Courage is rarest. If fear represents pessimism, then courage represents optimism. If fear is sourced from death, then courage is the response of life, and is life itself. Courage is synonymous with Hope. Despair in life is a giving up, and giving into death. Therefore pessimism represents, also, a laziness and passivity. Those who are pessimists, have “given into” fate. Perhaps you then believe that you are powerless. Optimism then would be powerful.
It is one thing to be blindly optimistic and that’s not what I’m referring. Naivety and innocence is not the same as Optimism. Optimism is looking at, bathing in, and absorbing all the sick, twisted, evil, bad, foul shit of the world, swallowing the cesspool, and in spite of that, still grasping hope in a future. That’s a challenge of life, that breaks most people. Therefore what I’m talking about can be linked to willpower. Willpower, Courage, Optimism, Hope, all of these “positive” aspects of life are entwined together, parts of the same concept.
Personally, the people I’ve experienced in life, their pessimism stems from fear of their own death, first. And secondly, the propagated fears spread by Mass Media, and other sources. For example, children watch an apocalyptic movie, and then believe that such a thing may happen, and the world will end. Or modern day politicians, in 3rd grade, practiced “red alert” fire drills of Soviets launching nuclear missiles over the globe. Whatever the source of these fears, the pessimism of people is palpable. They, or you, gave in a long time ago to them. And I’m against that.
Just because others are sucked into fear, like quicksand, drowning in dirt, they, or you, want to pull others down into that misery and despair. I connect this with nihilism and self-hatred. These sentiments and emotions, pulsing throughout society, want to suck and absorb everybody into the abyss. “If I’m going to die than I’m going to take everybody with me” thinks the egoist. That’s not only nihilistic and self-hating, it’s all-hating. It’s hatred of existence, something beyond mere nihilism.
I compulsively say “in spite of that” but that’s not true. Optimism is rare in such that it’s difficult to confront the ills and darkest sides of humanity, and still retain hope and happiness afterward. It is a test of faith, in life of life. Optimism produced from wisdom and experience, is genuine and valuable. People seek that out, and cling to it, because they don’t have it within themselves. Perhaps most here, too.