Is the glass half empty or half full? When asked this question, I give a smartass reply, like, "Well, I don't know. What's in the glass? I mean, what you're getting at is whether or not I'm an optimist or a pessimist, right? Well, if it's a glass of poop and I say it's half full, I'd say that's pretty pessimistic."
I'm a fan of sarcasm. The more bitter, the better. I love a good dose of good-humored cynicism, a dash of contemplative skepticism, a snarky quip here and there. I've always found all-out cheery, bubbly people to be slightly obnoxious, maintaining that if you think about life hard enough, there is always something to make fun of, something to criticize, something to find absurd and ridiculous. If you're all smiles, you're not using your brain.
I suppose that conclusion is bitchy in itself.
To the casual observer, I would appear to be a pessimist. After all, I can rattle off a list of worries and "what ifs" with frightening ease. I can tell you all about global warming and how text messaging is eroding intelligence and how the economy is a big house of cards. I spend most of my day observing oddities and asking myself life's big questions, like, "Why do people rip off 1/4 of a donut and put the rest back in the box?" and "Is foot-tapping really necessary?" In a depressed state, I would let these things annoy me. Now, in my normal state, they amuse me. Yes, I'm amused. I'm not the cranky kind of pessimist. I'm the giggly kind of pessimist. Some would call this an optimist.
For all my little anxieties and expressed doubts in humanity, I am hopeful at heart. I think I've used cynicism and sarcasm to ward off hopes because they are so strong (and I know I'm super sensitive to disappointment). The thing is I do expect good things to happen, so much so that I feel the need to tame myself, to reel in my exuberance (there's a word most people would not associate with me). As much as I whine about how hard the publishing industry is, for example, I do expect to get published some day. I don't know when that day will be, or if it will involve the novel my agent is currently trying to sell, but I'm confident it'll happen some day, and that makes me happy. I guess my lenses are pretty rose-colored, though they may appear dark if you take me too seriously.
Do you consider yourself an optimist or a pessimist?
Oh, and for the record, I don't think the glass has poop in it. You?
***
Today's gratitude:
1. It's Friday!
2. Friday = DVR night ("Project Runway," etc) + calzones.
3. I'm thinking of exploring a new hiking trail this weekend.
4. My anxiety about the "no yoga for 10 days" mandate has completely dissipated.
5. Sleep. I'm exhausted today and can't wait to get in bed tonight and sleep in tomorrow.
Friday, March 19, 2010
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12 comments:
Just a few minutes ago I was feeling very optimistic as I wrote a response to this post...a LONG response. And then I hit publish and the entire thing disappeared!! I am no longer so optimistic. I am quite bitter instead.
Anyway, normally I am a very optimistic person. I am still a very sarcastic person and like you said, the more bitter, the better it is!
I am not being optimistic when I say this, but I am being truthful -your book will be published. Soon.
This will be the lamest comment ever, but I agree with your outlook 99 percent. The last bit is because those little things people do still annoy the shit out of me. Like I said, I need better drugs.
I am the queen of sarcasm, but I prefer "witty" to "bitter," although I think I'm bitter as well...
Anyway, I'm kind of Larry David in that it doesn't matter what's in the glass, I will analyze why it's there and if I really need/want it. Unless it's vodka.
I would say that I'm optimistic with a healthy dose of realism thrown in. To my dad, that means that I'm a pessimist (anyone who isn't 100% optimistic is a pessimist). I believe that attitudes CAN influence experiences and life itself, although I don't think that we should be polly-anna either.
So, yeah, somewhere in between.
Seeing that it's Friday afternoon, I'm VERY optimistic!
I always give a smart-ass answer to that question as well..but being an "engineer", I always tell people that they clearly just have too much glass for the amount of liquid!
I always say I'm a realist, which most people then equate with a pessimist. But I think that like you, I just want to try and minimise disappointment. Good things can and do happen. And good things will happen for you.
How introspective :) I feel the same way: hopeful with the need to tame it It's always made me wonder so thank you for verbalizing it!
On another note, I know you will get published! Your novels are too good not to be read by all! But now, since I have you buttered up, I should alert you that I'm that person that eats 1/4 of the donut and puts it back in the box except that you will find a few like that because I can never make up my mind, "Do I want maple or chocolate or sprinkles or glazed?" So I go for a taste of them all... and I don't plan on changing ;) However, I do promise not to do that to your donut and I promise not to tap my feet around you.. just my hands ;)
Have fun exploring new hikes!! I heard about a couple at the end of El Toro that leads to waterfalls. I'm a sucker for the woodsy/foresty kind :)
Heh, I'm mostly the same way. I'd self-identify as middle-ground now that I'm in a better place in my life, but the truth is I just derive pleasure from being wry and dry. The thing is I'd never use it to hurt someone's feelings or intentionally do it to down-talk myself; it's just something I like to do in order to laugh.
something goofed up, i hope i'm not leaving this twice...
but omg, to say you have to reel in your exuberance, that sound so amazing! i wish i felt that way, i'm envious.
good for you for getting to this place in your journey!
i'm a rose-colored glasses girl myself, although i'm not exuberant. :)
I agree with a lot of your post. I'd say I'm mostly an optimist at heart but certainly have the days where I'm looking down on things more. I like to think I can view things from both a big picture and detailed perspective, as well as realistic too.
Like you, I'd say I giggle at most of the annoying things I observe.
Some cynism and sarcasm never hurt in life is my opinion. ;-)
LOL!!!! Oh Kim, you seriously crack me up. I never even thought of it that way, but it's so interesting how your mind works....glass of poop indeed!
For me, it really depends. I'm optimistic when it comes to people. I always think the best of people....and I get disappointed if I'm wrong. But still, I keep on believing that there is some good in there.
I seem to be pessimist, though, because I may complain and worry and stress...but almost all the time, deep down I know things will turn out fine. I just need to release some vent out, if you know what I mean.
For other things I'm just too lazy to even care about. But that also stems from my optimism, that things will work out even if I don't stress abt it.
I'm very much the same way--I'm very sarcastic and cynical but deep down I do have a lot of hope for things. And I think a lot of times I use the cynicism as a way to protect myself so that I won't be hurt if my hopes aren't met.
Like you, a good dose of sarcasm is my kind of humor. It's taken me a long time to realize that not everyone (most people in fact) do not get this type of humor, and I tend to come off as a bitch. But I understand what you are saying, and I indeed consider myself to be an optimist, with some pessimistic tendencies. But I look at things more generally and would also say that I'm overall a positive person. My friends might not agree, they nicknamed me "bitter J" back in the 9th grade...
I remember reading and totally relating to a post of yours about thinking that you are too sensitive. I feel my thin skin ties in a bit with my tendency to see the things that could go wrong, sort of like preparation. I'm typically really sarcastic and cynical, but believe that I'm secretly a closeted optimist. The pessimism is a defense mechanism to try and avoid getting upset if/when things don't turn out the way I want and hope they will.
It's kind of depressing how frequently your posts state my thoughts and feelings, mainly because they are phrased much in a manner much more articulate and witty than what's buzzing around in my head!
Rachael*
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