optimism.......

How optimistic are you?

I picses on the whole optimistic(my glass is always half full!!!}

I love life, sometimes its sh** , but mainly its good........so what about everyone else—??

Same here woodsnake, i am an optimist too. Sure, we all have our emotions & challenging days now and then; but i Love life and never let anything or anyone get me down for long...'there's just too much to savor and be thankful for, everyday is a gift!!! 🙂

I am optimistic but have a cynical side. It is more for the sake of humor or reaction than being a pessimist.

I do admire the realists though, the ability to take things how they are and let it be. However I wouldn't want to be one. I believe that optimism is the true realism, as it provokes the people around you to be more rather than simply what they are and in so realizing their true potential or the true potiential of a situation.

i think i'm positive after i've thought of the negative...i've got two sides to myself, i'll automatically assume the negative...but a huge voice in my head will tell me to shut up and think positively, and that's when i do. lol kind of weird but it works for me.

i am not optimistic, i'm realistic. excessive optimism is kind of ignorant.

I'm pretty optimistic, as things just tend to go my way.

"i am not optimistic, i'm realistic. excessive optimism is kind of ignorant."

This works both ways, excessive realism promotes comfort, which promotes stagnation.

"This works both ways, excessive realism promotes comfort, which promotes stagnation."

how is it possible to be excessively realistic? i mean...you either are, or you aren't.

maybe excessive realism really being realistic? *raises eyebrow*

*isn't really

Well, most people are a combination of Pessimist, Realist, and Optimist and we just have a tendancy to be one more than the other two. So, if you have a completely realistic perspective and never dabble in the optimistic or pessimistic, that is what I was implying by excessive realism.

Like I said I admire the realist perspective and am trying to become more so myself, as I am naturally dominantly optimistic. Both have their bennifits, though I couldn't imagine having a predominantly pessimistic outlook on life, that would suck furiously.

"Well, most people are a combination of Pessimist, Realist, and Optimist and we just have a tendancy to be one more than the other two."

Eh, disagree. There is a "optimist/pessimist" dichotomy, but that's about it-realism is not about the person's attitude itself, but how well reality fits it.(or at least the reality that the person who makes the judgment perceives) For example-if Saddam is totally pessimistic, and believe things will just get worse, he's also realistic.(probably)

"Well, most people are a combination of Pessimist, Realist, and Optimist and we just have a tendancy to be one more than the other two. So, if you have a completely realistic perspective and never dabble in the optimistic or pessimistic, that is what I was implying by excessive realism."

duh, of course that's what you meant; i'm so stupid sometimes. and please no one search my birthchart for the reason. here, i'll help you out, it's because i have sun in leo. happy?!

but is a person unrealistic if their perspective is optimistic from time to time? or pessimistic? hmm....i better think before i write anything else before i end up sounding like a truly hopeless idiot. 😛

ugh, that's what i was thinking, what yama said.

"here, i'll help you out, it's because i have sun in leo. happy?!"

Actually, according to my latest findings(😛) Leos aren't really that stupid.

"Actually, according to my latest findings() Leos aren't really that stupid."

well now. what's this?

Well, long ago I concluded that checking the signs of Nobel prize winners and billionaires is an extremely bad way of checking intelligence, after all, not all smart people feel like benefiting humanity, or keep working when their future is already secure, right? So, I decided to look at intelligence at it's purest-prodigies. I concluded that it's the best way to check intelligence, short of looking in MENSA's records, because I don't believe those children have much say in their development, and it's more about the parent's motives. So, I'm assuming that there isn't any connection between this sort of expression of intelligence and motivation, since I also assume that everybody has an equal chance to have any sign as his/her parents.(admittedly a big assumption)
So, anyway, Leos aren't doing that badly, you're better than 6 other signs.

"...realism is not about the person's attitude itself..."

That is exactly what it is about. Attitude is everything, it is the beromiter of personality we all use to discern how we are going to interact and treat the people around us.

"...but how well reality fits it..."

Nope, how well reality fits in has no bearing on their default outlook on life, weather it be realism, pessimism or optimism. How well reality fits in has to do with that persons sense of perspective and ability to prioritize variables that are required to make that outlook a reality.

"but is a person unrealistic if their perspective is optimistic from time to time?"

That question illustrates exactly what I am talking about. The answer (yes or no) depends on that persons ability to prioritize the variables included in whatever they are applying their optimistic attitude towards.

"That is exactly what it is about. Attitude is everything, it is the beromiter of personality we all use to discern how we are going to interact and treat the people around us."

Yeah...And realism isn't derived from it. No one goes-"Gee, I'm gonna be optimistic instead of realistic today!"

"Nope, how well reality fits in has no bearing on their default outlook on life,"

...I just said that.

"Yeah...And realism isn't derived from it. No one goes-"Gee, I'm gonna be optimistic instead of realistic today!""

Umm....yeah we do, if you don't then who does? Everyone chooses to be realistic, optimisic, or pessimistic regarding every situation that they encounter, that is what perspective and attitude are all about. For me to be right you have to believe that people have the power of choice over their own disposition, the only alternative would be that their enviroment or some magical force chooses it for you. And that would be a complete philisophical dichotomy stemming from two different fundamental values. And if fundamntal values differ, there is no resolution in debate stemming from two differing fundamental truths.

"..I just said that."

Either we just went two completely different ways about qualifying the same opinion or one of us is missing something.

"That question illustrates exactly what I am talking about. The answer (yes or no) depends on that persons ability to prioritize the variables included in whatever they are applying their optimistic attitude towards."

yeah, i see what you're saying.

i guess it's pretty hard to distinguish between them.

yama, i can't believe you just admitted leos may not be stupid. but i don't think there's really an accurate way of measuring which sign is most intelligent, 'cause of all the variation.

"Umm....yeah we do, if you don't then who does?"

Err...That would only be possible under the condition that reality is a constant.O_o
Are you claiming that there's one, objective reality that a person can just choose to "connect"?

"And if fundamntal values differ, there is no resolution in debate stemming from two differing fundamental truths. "

Not always.

"yama, i can't believe you just admitted leos may not be stupid. but i don't think there's really an accurate way of measuring which sign is most intelligent, 'cause of all the variation."

It's not completely accurate, but it's certainly better than anything that was put forth thus far.

"Umm....yeah we do, if you don't then who does? Everyone chooses to be realistic, optimisic, or pessimistic regarding every situation that they encounter, that is what perspective and attitude are all about. For me to be right you have to believe that people have the power of choice over their own disposition, the only alternative would be that their enviroment or some magical force chooses it for you. And that would be a complete philisophical dichotomy stemming from two different fundamental values. And if fundamntal values differ, there is no resolution in debate stemming from two differing fundamental truths."

i think yama meant that people will have a natural tendency toward one of the 3. of course people can choose their outlook, but that doesn't mean they always do. know what i mean? like, your dog dies, initially you're in a bad mood. afterward you may choose to alter that.

"Err...That would only be possible under the condition that reality is a constant.O_o
Are you claiming that there's one, objective reality that a person can just choose to "connect"?"

I think I see what you are saying here with a little help from wheelhomies. You are saying that people have a tendancy towards one of the three but it is effected by conditions? (like a death of a loved one?)

I was saying that people have a tendancy towards one of the three and they may choose another as a reaction to these same conditions.

The difference is one states that the condition dictates the outlook and the other is that the person dictates the outlook in the face of the condition.

"I think I see what you are saying here with a little help from wheelhomies. You are saying that people have a tendancy towards one of the three but it is effected by conditions? (like a death of a loved one?)"

Well, I'm saying that there are only two things one can choose to be-either optimistic or pessimistic. Realism is subjective, like optimism and pessimism, but unlike them, it is dependent upon reality, so, while a person can conclude whether s/he is optimistic/pessimistic(since it's an internal question, and the individual is the sole decider with regard to internal questions) a person cannot determine whether s/he is realistic or not, as realism is not a constant.

can anyone determine it then?

and does that mean it's impossible to always be realistic?

"it is dependent upon reality,"

To clarify, when I use the word "reality" here I mean reality that can be perceived equally by others, and thus a person cannot decide things in an absolute manner.

"can anyone determine it then?"

Not in an absolute manner, no.

"and does that mean it's impossible to always be realistic?"

Realistic, as in, a constant, infallible fact? Yes, it is impossible.

Reality is a popularity contest.

"Reality is a popularity contest."

*sigh* isn't everything though.

"*sigh* isn't everything though."

Bread isn't.

I think.

that really depends on the type of bread. for instance, in the us, white is much more popular than, say, pumpernickel.

and apparently sliced bread is the greatest.

"that really depends on the type of bread. for instance, in the us, white is much more popular than, say, pumpernickel. "

Yeah, but Bread never judges you, right?*fondles Bread lovingly*

"and apparently sliced bread is the greatest."

It's the greatest thing since Yama, I've heard.

"it is dependent upon reality,"

Ok, I agree with you there. As long as you are saying objective made up of the known facts reality not percieved reality which is conditional upon someones subjective outlook.

"It's the greatest thing since Yama, I've heard."

so i guess yama wins this popularity contest. *pouts*

"Ok, I agree with you there. As long as you are saying objective made up of the known facts reality not percieved reality which is conditional upon someones subjective outlook."

Pretty much.🙂

"so i guess yama wins this popularity contest. *pouts*"

I want to get a T-shirt that has on the back "You

"You

and most of the time it would probably actually be true.

"and most of the time it would probably actually be true."

O_o
...
*speechless*

finally. 😉

Ouch. Nice set up.

hahaha...yama's a toughie, he can handle it. besides, he knows that my love for him runs eternal.

(yes, that is a threat...muah ha ha)

you are very intelligent.

a tip, the next time you get in a debate with yama (if the occasion again arises)...NEVER agree with him. if it comes down to it, just say no. over and over again. i realize this may not sit well with your diplomatic nature, but just trust me.

It's not my diplomatic nature it is my ability to discern between right and wrong. there was a poin we agreed on there is no winning or loosing just clarifying. 😉

How is that for diplomatic nature?