Would This Be Pessimistic or Optimistic?

[The Sum of Awe]

I commented on a post on facebook; "Hoping for something as unlikely as that is probably a bad thing; either you're hope will completely fail you or it will spoil the miracle."

It wasn't anything extremely personal of course. To be specific it was this picture:

The guy who shared it is pretty much a very optimistic guy, and hope I don't break his heart by seeming too pessimistic.

 

[Amechania]

While you're being realistic it does come across as pessimistic compared to the picture. Maybe he's thinking more than just their physical lives are at stake? At any rate it would probably have been best not to say anything, especially the part about "spoiling the miracle."

 

[The Sum of Awe]

While you're being realistic it does come across as pessimistic compared to the picture. Maybe he's thinking more than just their physical lives are at stake? At any rate it would probably have been best not to say anything, especially the part about "spoiling the miracle."

Why's that? I added that part in hopes it lightened up the post's tone, reassuring that I'm not limiting it to only hope failing.

 

[Quintessence]

Optimism would be seeing the positive regardless of the outcome. I hear that dying in the open ocean - usually by dehydration - is a terrible way to go. Optimistically, my wishing them hope would be a quick release one way or the other: a quick death, or quickly found.

 

[Badran]

I doubt he'd be heart broken over it, unless he was extremely sensitive. But i do think it might have been best not to say that. I might have felt a need to say something if i saw someone being overtly attached to a highly unlikely outcome, where they might be devastated when it doesn't happen, and i would have worded it a bit differently in that case.

Basically, i wouldn't have said that holding hope at all was probably a bad thing, but rather that it's important to also be realistic about the chances of that hope happening (while still holding the hope).

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Optimism would be seeing the positive regardless of the outcome. I hear that dying in the open ocean - usually by dehydration - is a terrible way to go. Optimistically, my wishing them hope would be a quick release one way or the other: a quick death, or quickly found.

Yeah, in fact ever since I heard news about it I had my mind on "What if they actually are still alive and we can't find them?" then I rattled on about them having a big dramatic scene going on in there; a conflict between passengers who think they can swim to the top and are impatient wanting to break the seal keeping them alive, and the passengers or staff who have confidence in waiting it out, believing someone will find them in time.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

I doubt he'd be heart broken over it, unless he was extremely sensitive. But i do think it might have been best not to say that. I might have felt a need to say something if i saw someone being overtly attached to a highly unlikely outcome, where they might be devastated when it doesn't happen, and i would have worded it a bit differently in that case.

Basically, i wouldn't have said that holding hope at all was probably a bad thing, but rather that it's important to also be realistic about the chances of that hope happening (while still holding the hope).

Ah... You can definitely put it better than I can. At least he's probably not going to be heart broken as you said.

 

[Amechania]

Why's that? I added that part in hopes it lightened up the post's tone, reassuring that I'm not limiting it to only hope failing.

Understood, but it might be percieved as particulary pessimistic for someone who clearly believes in the power of prayer. He might think you are essentially saying that prayer is not only pointless but possibly harmful.
Again, I don't read it that way but I see how someone could.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Understood, but it might be percieved as particulary pessimistic for someone who clearly believes in the power of prayer. He might think you are essentially saying that prayer is not only pointless but possibly harmful.
Again, I don't read it that way but I see how someone could.

Thanks for the input! I'll think better next time.

 

[idav]

This is why I can't post anything on facebook. If you ask me people seem a bit overly optimistic on FB. So I rather not start controversy with people I know, and I consider myself optimistic. I hope for things but if I don't add some sort of god indication like "pray for you" or "god bless" it just doesn't fit with all the theists postings. Drives me nuts especially when there is genuine tragedy involved and people decide to share it with anyone who has an account. IDK I guess people gotta cope somehow so I let them.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

The guy who shared it is pretty much a very optimistic guy, and hope I don't break his heart by seeming too pessimistic.

I'm pretty sure your casual pessimism is cancelled out by his shallow optimism. Don't sweat it and just keep in mind that facebook is primarily an outlet for peoples' social affectations and surface platitudes.

 

[Deva758]

One thing about being a pessimist is that when positive things do happen, you are surprised.