Are You An Optimist, Pessimist, or Realist? — A Poll

[Deleted User]DarkLordChungus (deleted user)
in General

So, dear reader, which are you? Do you describe yourself in this way? Or, perhaps, others have regularly categorized you as being one of those things?

The things I think have grouped me with the pessimists. This shouldn't be a surprise for anyone familiar with my posts here.

  1. Which are you?77 votes
    1. An optimist.
      23.38%
    2. A pessimist.
      11.69%
    3. A realist.
      53.25%
    4. I'm not sure.
      11.69%

Comments

  • [Deleted User]creedhands (deleted user)

    Wife: "You're such a pessimist!"
    Me: "No, I'm not!"
    Wife: "There you go being negative again!*

  • [Deleted User]DarrenWalker (deleted user)

    I think it's difficult to be pessimistic enough to predict reality from a standard human perspective: you end up committing the planning fallacy.

    In order to be a realist, I think you've got to either have a lot of experience of the thing you're trying to predict (and then guess it'll go the way it usually does), or else be really, really, super pessimistic.

    Not sure what that makes me—but I don't think I'm pessimistic enough to be a realist in most cases.

  • CatloafCatloaf

    It’s going to be a lot of people looking at this post and thinking, “Oh great. I wonder how long it’ll be until w, x, y, and z post in here and depress the hell out of me.” 🌝 I’m just bringing my dish to the potluck. Enjoy!

    I’d like to think I’m a good mix, centrally leaning towards realism. Funny thing is I say I’m a realist while also being a converted Christian. Yes, I’m laughing about that, at myself. For some more elaboration, I absolutely despise toxic optimism or toxic positivity. Those are entirely different beasts, and I see a shit ton of it online. I’m probably branded as a pessimist most often by optimists, because of my scathing delivery of written words or ideas. And I’d assume that’s also conflated with being a not very nice person. I’m nice, it’s just my writing and my philosophy on certain things can come off as... harsh? I don’t know. I don’t feel like I present as outwardly upbeat or as optimistic as other people imply you need to be on here and I’m not apologizing for it. I sit where and communicate what I actually feel, at any given time. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be authentic of me at all.

  • AmortentiaAmortentia

    O p t i m i s t

  • SuperManCuddlesSuperManCuddles

    Realist but optimistic thinking is typically based if there is a possible/realistic chance of occurrence.

  • Maverick07Maverick07

    Realist and, between the other two, I might be just a little more pessimist; this way if I'm wrong, what the case is, it should turn out better :lol: I guess it's a weird optimism :lol:

  • TheFunCartelTheFunCartel

    Expect the worst and you will never be disappointed.

  • deefinedeefine

    Of course most people say they're a realist 😆 but of course most realists are accused of being pessimists.

  • [Deleted User]admirer97_ (deleted user)

    Any male sustaining an account on Cuddle Comfort qualifies as an eternal optimist!

  • SideonSideon

    "Instant gratification takes too long." - Carrie Fisher from Postcards From the Edge

  • Maverick07Maverick07

    @admirer97_ :lol: :lol: :lol:

  • TheGypsyCuddlerTheGypsyCuddler

    I'd like to think I'm an optimist- always try to see the bright side of things though it can be hard sometimes! A good cuddle helps with that :)

  • pmvinespmvines

    There is no optimism nor pessimism. Only what is real. You can control your thoughts but you can't control reality. So I would say I'm a realist.

  • AmortentiaAmortentia

    @pmvines I agree with you that you can't control reality but you can still react to it right?

    Like what would a realist do if he stepped in fresh poop for example?

    I think I can see how an optimist or a pessimist can react.
    Optimist: oh well, at least it wasn't a bear trap or something.
    Pessimist: Ugh. This always happens to me. What's next? Do I get hit with lightening?

    My version of a realist.
    Realist: I stepped in dog poop.

    (To me a realist is almost like a robot without a positive or negative reaction but it's probably not your version of a realist lol)

    What is your version? And are not positive or negative reactions possible depending if you typically view things as no big deal or end of the world kind of thing?

  • AmortentiaAmortentia

    @FunCartel

    Expect the worst and you will never be disappointed.

    lol. Even though I liked what you wrote better I'd probably change it slightly myself.

    Expect the worst so it doesn't catch you by surprise first.

  • ZacRedBearZacRedBear

    I voted realist, but reading through this, I’d say optimistic.

    @admirer97_

    Any male sustaining an account on Cuddle Comfort qualifies as an eternal optimist!

    I'll agree with that 😂

    @Amortentia

    Like what would a realist do if he stepped in fresh poop for example?

    Optimist: oh well, at least it wasn't a bear trap or something.

    100% me!

  • [Deleted User]arghdaddy (deleted user)

    I think I’m a realist with an optimistic attitude. One because I have no expectations so I can never be disappointed. But the other because I have a positive outlook on life.

  • AmortentiaAmortentia

    Technically everyone is a realist because they just accept what happens to them but with an optimistic or a pessimistic approach. Unless...if going back to my example of stepping into poop...that if one stepped in it but is in denial. Then he doesn't fit into anything else but denial only. Would be tough to pull off denial if they stepped into a bear trap instead of poop though. I'd think they'd be a realist and even a pessimist real quick probably. Those that become realist and optimistic from that are true optimists.

  • [Deleted User]Ennea2HugU (deleted user)

    I'm am optimist. I want to see the best in people, in life. I'm a realist enough to acknowledge that life is often hard, stressful and straight up sucks at times. However, I feel that good is coming and will shine bright, that the bad won't last and will fade. I find that the bad times in my life I can see as an opportunity for growth or something to laugh at and move on from, and the good times I treasure and then use feed my nostalgia addiction.😊

  • [Deleted User]DeadGirlWalking (deleted user)

    I'm a catastrophist. I'd love to be an optimist and I think sometimes I am, deep down, but I'm getting quite jaded lately with some things that are going on, and I'm finding it hard to see the silver lining.

  • [Deleted User]Mmart (deleted user)

    @Ennea2HugU I share your feelings.

  • sillysassysillysassy
    edited June 2021

    Omgosh! @DarkLordChungus what a fascinating poll!!! These answers are so interesting as well. i.e.

    Mr. @FunCartel ahem..... "EXPECT the worst and you won't be disappointed"...... UNLESS they bring you sunshine and you find that annoying!!! 😂🤣😁 Not that I don't completely get what you are implying..... The thing that I keep coming back to is that someone/something will always have the ability to disappoint me and vice versa. It is of course humans that I am speaking of. We have the ability to choose love, sunshiny outlooks, or kindness. That might make a pessimist extremely frustrated! OR VICE VERSA....

    Hmmmmmmmm Now I am thinking.... I would've immediately answered OPTIMIST!!!! I don't think that is the truth though... like @pmvines said "the reality doesn't change we can only control our thoughts"

    Maybe the poll needs two more options......
    ------------ REALIST with a desire/decision to find the positive
    ------------ REALIST with a desire/decision to find the negative

    I love what you wrote @Catloaf

    For some more elaboration, I absolutely despise toxic optimism or toxic positivity.

    I would 100% agree with this. I don't want toxic anything. I truly want to be authentic and search for that in others. There is benefit to both sides of this coin. Thank goodness there is a little bit of something different in everyone.

    My MOTTO...... It could always be better, and it could always be worse. I choose what to focus on. I choose gratitude. Not because its best for anyone else but because it is best for me to be thankful for the experience.

  • soulloversoullover

    Am all of them, it feels great to never feel down and always with hope on humanity...

  • TheFunCartelTheFunCartel
    edited June 2021

    @sillysassy I think you aren’t getting what I am saying with “Expect the worst and you will never be disappointed.” It means if the worst happens, oh well, you expected it. But if something great happens, then you are happy and still not disappointed. It is not pessimism, optimism, or realism—it is proactive temperance of expectations. I never know what will happen, so I am prepared to never be disappointed.

    For example, I have been in and out of hospitals most of my life for some really nasty stuff and I survived and persevered. I feel like I am playing with house money so nothing really scares me much anymore because I probably should have died years ago—and I expect I could die at any moment—I covered the basics of a lot of it with you—and I really don’t fret about it. I think in some respects it could be called nihilism—a lack of fear and a sense that i control nothing so let it all just happen and if I start to burn let nature do its best because it all ends sooner or later. If it is not nihilism it is at least acceptance on my own terms.

    I think what is missing in this poll is one person’s realism is another person’s optimism and another person’s pessimism. Individual perception dictates which one you will choose and the reason why people sometimes have a disparity between what they think and what others think. I also believe skepticism plays a role as well. You can be an optimist and be skeptical. And in the digital age you may think you are a realist but are highly skeptical about people because human interaction has been warped by social media, entertainment and isolation largely due to the “work” of in real life social interaction being replaced by technology. I am really surprised anyone would know what they are anymore from one moment to the next.

  • sillysassysillysassy

    Ahhhhhhhhhhh @FunCartel thank you for the clarity!!!! That does seem very different than the "everyone always disappoints me" mantra which didn't actually fit what you portray in real life. Thank you for the extra added tidbits.

    @DarrenWalker what a fabulous article!! This makes so much sense..... its like when I promise myself I will get my homework done two days ahead of the deadline instead of looking at what I usually do and that is usually 2 MINUTES before the deadline. 🤣 Good read though thank you for that!!!

  • lovelyday43lovelyday43

    Realist with optimistic tendencies

  • littermatelittermate

    Realist with optimistic tendencies.

  • BabichevBabichev

    I’m a Benjamin Franklin pessimist: I expect the worst and since it never turns out that way, I’m left pleasantly surprised.

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