The optimist sees the half-full glass, the pessimist the half-empty. But who is right? Obviously both, says the realist. "I'm not being (optimistic/ pessimistic), just realistic," is often said, for both the optimist and the pessimist would prefer to be thought of as a realist.
I have no quarrel with either optimists or pessimists who own their ism. But I do have a quarrel with so-called realists who believe their rose-colored perceptions against all evidence, and with cynics who refuse to see anything positive in a situation. I think realism is often invoked unrealistically as a mask for cynicism.
Optimism, pessimism, and realism alike are inherently flawed by being only mental constructs, predictions for things that have not yet occurred. But of the three, only realism is not based on hope or fear, but prior experience. Only realism is patient enough to await outcomes and evidence before proclaiming what is true.
But realism isn't always easy to adopt. It often requires a willingness to give up some deep-rooted prejudices and preferred beliefs, and it can make one vulnerable to all kinds of slings and arrows. It's harder, I think, to be realistic than to be either optmistic or pessimistic. The rewards, however, can be greater than the risks, and ultimately it is the stance that will put one on the most solid ground as a general outlook on experience.
The truth is what actually happens, what really is. But it is not always simple or easy to apprehend, and definitely not easy to perceive by everyone the same way. Truth is, as they say, in the eye of the beholder.
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2 comments:
i agree. pessimism and realism are constantly fighting each other for labeling rights in the social realm. pessimism is misconstrued as realism and vice versa. how do you know the reality? how do you judge reality? is a realist one who balances everything to be both fair and wicked? or is it more complicated where some things are fair and others wicked? would that be construed as being optimistic and pessimistic about different things? trying to define each instance universally can split your brain. it seems to me that since reality is different for each of use, realism is also different for each of us. maybe it all depends on what mood you're in. if you're happy, you see the world optimistically; upset, pessimisticaly. and that is one's own reality. truth is in the eye of the beer-holder =p
Good comment,U.N.! Reality can be objectively measured by instruments and scientifically described, but it usually isn't. What we perceive is reality to us. and since our perceptions are tinted by our personal experience, we all see things a little differently. It's a wonder we can agree on anything, when you think about it.
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