Another Darn Poll: Are you an optimist, a pragmatist, or a pessimist?

[elperromagico]

Poll question: Another Darn Poll: Are you an optimist, a pragmatist, or a pessimist?

[johnnie]

1. I'm a realist n/t

[elperromagico]

2. That's essentially what a pragmatist is,

isn't it?

[johnnie]

5. In a way I guess

But being practical isn't always realistic.

[elperromagico]

6. Have you voted already?

If not, I'll add "realist."

[johnnie]

7. I voted......other

[Magrittes Pipe]

3. I am a frotteurist.

[elperromagico]

4. Okay. I'm going to stay on the other end of the room then.

;)

[Mara Steele]

8. I'm a futurist...

& an optimist in that sense...

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

14. really - which one Marinetti? Boccioni? Carrà? Severini?

[rogerashton]

9. Remember,

"The optimist thinks that this is the best of all possible worlds and the pessimist is afraid the optimist might be right."

But I'm an optimist in the William Godwin sense: with increasing knowledge, we can do better without limit.

By the way, it seems to me that a pragmatist is a kind of optimist -- that is, a pragmatist sees progress as a process of problem-solving. That would mean problems have solutions -- and that's pretty optimistic.

[blindpig]

10. nonsense

a pessimist is an optimist in full command of the facts.
As someone who has been concerned with wildlife conservation nearly all of his 50 years how could I be anything but?

[rogerashton]

11. So, are you still trying to do something about it?

If so, you are an optimist -- whether you admit it or not --

and if not, you see how pessimism corrodes the will.

[blindpig]

12. call it going though the motions

I find checkbook environmentalism and "act locally, think globally" to be sops. Only by real changes at the decision making level can turn things around, and we're not really getting that. To be sure, I welcome Kerry's excellent LCV rating going to the Whitehouse,but his attachment to the status quo portends a lot more needed band aids but no serious attempt at dealing with the causes, overpopulation and corporatism run amok. Morbid fascination keeps me going.

[rogerashton]

16. Well, I can't say I disagree, really.

The glass is a lot less than half full, if you make that old joke your definition -- but I stick with Godwin's insight that, in a long enough run, growing knowledge can solve our problems.

But what worries me is: for that to happen, we have to survive the short run. And that is not a given.

So, as a temperamental pessimist, I have to be an optimist on principle. And we have made some progress on some things, such as surface-water pollution.

[blindpig]

17. temperamental pessimist/optimist on principle

I like that. Pretty much how David Quammen described his POV at the end of Song of the Dodo. Little of the good work being done today in the environment or politics would happen without at least some amount of blind optimism. The ability to ignore the elephant in the room staves off paralysis. Nonetheless, I suspect that few if any of those workers would deny the elephant's existence, if asked.
Perhaps there is no dichotomy in the optimist/pessimist relationship, only shades of grey.

[SarahB]

13. I try to be an optimist.

I can go into pessimism mode easily if I'm not careful though, but for the most part, optimism usually kicks in again. I find myself stronger and more confident to do what I need to do to make good things happen if I believe them to be capable of happening.

I think thus far in my adult life, I've been a bit too pragmatic. There's a balance being pragmatic and taking care of your emotional needs as well. :)

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

15. I'm a Surrealist