It's honestly not hate. It's more of a rather heavy differing of world views, and what I feel is a lack of respect for mine. I'm willing to disagree with people, but disagreements lead to discussions. Not anger. Shit, this isn't even worth me getting angry over. I find it hysterical that people think I'm angry. You can't hear me laughing but boy, I wish you could...
I'm not a pessimist. I will deny it. I'm a cynic. There is a VERY fundamental difference.
pes·si·mism ( P ) Pronunciation Key (ps-mzm)
n.
1. A tendency to stress the negative or unfavorable or to take the gloomiest possible view: “We have seen too much defeatism, too much pessimism, too much of a negative approach” (Margo Jones).
2. The doctrine or belief that this is the worst of all possible worlds and that all things ultimately tend toward evil.
3. The doctrine or belief that the evil in the world outweighs the good.
cyn·ic ( P ) Pronunciation Key (snk)
n.
1. A person who believes all people are motivated by selfishness.
2. A person whose outlook is scornfully and often habitually negative.
(alt) Cynic A member of a sect of ancient Greek philosophers who believed virtue to be the only good and self-control to be the only means of achieving virtue.
I'm not upset about it. In fact, I find it rather amusing. All things don't ultimately tend towards evil. You honestly think I believe that? Jesus, do people listen to me when I talk about force of will, and how the strong survive? How can I be a pessimist when I'm habitually talking about how great my friends are? I'm not going to get into a pissing contest of "whose life is worse" with him. You know why? It's not worth it. Fine, you think your life is more awful, I'll let you have that if that's what you want.
I'm more concerned that I'm not understood as a person, or that people's perception of me doesn't mesh and align with my own. If I had to simply it down, I'm more of an entropist.
en·tro·py ( P ) Pronunciation Key (ntr-p)
n. pl. en·tro·pies
1. Symbol S For a closed thermodynamic system, a quantitative measure of the amount of thermal energy not available to do work.
2. A measure of the disorder or randomness in a closed system.
3. A measure of the loss of information in a transmitted message.
4. The tendency for all matter and energy in the universe to evolve toward a state of inert uniformity.
5. Inevitable and steady deterioration of a system or society.
And despite all of that, I still write things like "I am walking a path of my own choosing and while it's not often easy or fun, it is the path I have chosen, and from that I can draw all the strength I need." I repeatedly talk about how through force of will people can overcome odds and survive strife.
So yeah, I'll deny I'm a pessimist. As I was trying to point out before, the world isn't any better or worse than it was before -- it's just changing. And if I don't like the direction it's changing, I, as a member of the human race, have every right to try and change it some another direction. No one has to agree with me. Hell, people can fight me if they like. That's what we call societal change. But I pull through. I survive.
sur·vive ( P ) Pronunciation Key (sr-vv)
v. sur·vived, sur·viv·ing, sur·vives
v. intr.
1. To remain alive or in existence.
2. To carry on despite hardships or trauma; persevere: families that were surviving in tents after the flood.
3. To remain functional or usable: I dropped the radio, but it survived.
That's me. I'm a survivor. And that's a good thing.
As for calling him an ass, yeah, that's a bit of anger coming out, but mainly a reaction I think to being called one at the start. It's not the best way to start an argument.
Anyhow, that's it for THIS rant. I'll be back in a few hours to rant about the California Recall, in an attempt to give the masses something they can respond to and get interested in, instead of a discussion of philosophy between a so-called optimist and a non-pessimist cynic.
I'm not a pessimist. I will deny it. I'm a cynic. There is a VERY fundamental difference.
pes·si·mism ( P ) Pronunciation Key (ps-mzm)
n.
1. A tendency to stress the negative or unfavorable or to take the gloomiest possible view: “We have seen too much defeatism, too much pessimism, too much of a negative approach” (Margo Jones).
2. The doctrine or belief that this is the worst of all possible worlds and that all things ultimately tend toward evil.
3. The doctrine or belief that the evil in the world outweighs the good.
cyn·ic ( P ) Pronunciation Key (snk)
n.
1. A person who believes all people are motivated by selfishness.
2. A person whose outlook is scornfully and often habitually negative.
(alt) Cynic A member of a sect of ancient Greek philosophers who believed virtue to be the only good and self-control to be the only means of achieving virtue.
I'm not upset about it. In fact, I find it rather amusing. All things don't ultimately tend towards evil. You honestly think I believe that? Jesus, do people listen to me when I talk about force of will, and how the strong survive? How can I be a pessimist when I'm habitually talking about how great my friends are? I'm not going to get into a pissing contest of "whose life is worse" with him. You know why? It's not worth it. Fine, you think your life is more awful, I'll let you have that if that's what you want.
I'm more concerned that I'm not understood as a person, or that people's perception of me doesn't mesh and align with my own. If I had to simply it down, I'm more of an entropist.
en·tro·py ( P ) Pronunciation Key (ntr-p)
n. pl. en·tro·pies
1. Symbol S For a closed thermodynamic system, a quantitative measure of the amount of thermal energy not available to do work.
2. A measure of the disorder or randomness in a closed system.
3. A measure of the loss of information in a transmitted message.
4. The tendency for all matter and energy in the universe to evolve toward a state of inert uniformity.
5. Inevitable and steady deterioration of a system or society.
And despite all of that, I still write things like "I am walking a path of my own choosing and while it's not often easy or fun, it is the path I have chosen, and from that I can draw all the strength I need." I repeatedly talk about how through force of will people can overcome odds and survive strife.
So yeah, I'll deny I'm a pessimist. As I was trying to point out before, the world isn't any better or worse than it was before -- it's just changing. And if I don't like the direction it's changing, I, as a member of the human race, have every right to try and change it some another direction. No one has to agree with me. Hell, people can fight me if they like. That's what we call societal change. But I pull through. I survive.
sur·vive ( P ) Pronunciation Key (sr-vv)
v. sur·vived, sur·viv·ing, sur·vives
v. intr.
1. To remain alive or in existence.
2. To carry on despite hardships or trauma; persevere: families that were surviving in tents after the flood.
3. To remain functional or usable: I dropped the radio, but it survived.
That's me. I'm a survivor. And that's a good thing.
As for calling him an ass, yeah, that's a bit of anger coming out, but mainly a reaction I think to being called one at the start. It's not the best way to start an argument.
Anyhow, that's it for THIS rant. I'll be back in a few hours to rant about the California Recall, in an attempt to give the masses something they can respond to and get interested in, instead of a discussion of philosophy between a so-called optimist and a non-pessimist cynic.
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