Tag: pessimism

When you are stuck, you think it will last forever

Post Xmas shopping at Aroma

When you are stuck, you think it will last forever.

It’s natural to think that way, since being stuck is often a negative situation, and such situations make one pessimistic. Pessimistic thinking can make you think that the bad times are permanent and pervasive.

If that describes you, just know that we all live in a stream constantly flowing strongly downstream. Regardless how stuck we may be, the stream will push against you and eventually you will no longer be stuck.

So yes, it may seem like it will last forever, but the never ending change all around you will eventually free you. If you don’t free yourself in the meantime.

On recent pessimism, or not being born or staying alive


Two pessimistic articles that made a big impact on me recently are this The Case for Not Being Born | The New Yorker  and this I am not always very attached to being alive.

I think there is a strong case for being born (many, in fact) and also many reasons to be attached to being alive. But it is not nonsense to think otherwise. I think those articles bear that out.

I like that image: depending on your frame of mind, it is someone floating and enjoying the water, or someone reaching out for help. No form of thinking is more important than how you align your thoughts; everything follows from there.

Reasons to be optimistic in 26 charts

The folks at Vox have put together this: 26 charts and maps that show the world is getting much, much better.

One of my favourite statistics/charts is this one:

Even hardcore pessimists have a difficult time with that one. 🙂

The other 25 charts are worth checking out. They highlight significant areas where life is getting better. If you need a reason to be optimistic or to be more optimistic (or to be less pessimistic), you owe it to yourself to see the Vox post and then think about it.