Have you been called a pessimist?

[Mattymatt]

I get called a pessimist often. I counter by saying no, I’m a “realist”. I often describe things as I see them happening. It seems people often like to lie to each other and say what they want to hear. I would just prefer to describe things truthfully.

Telling people what they want to hear seems to be something unique to NTs. Personally, I hate being told what I want to hear. Tell me the truth. I think NTs avoid the truth due to passive aggression. Passive aggression seems to be another strange thing.

 

[Laughingowl1975]

Expect the worst to happen and if it does then its not so bad and if something good happens you'll enjoy the surprise even more than an optimist, that's my view on the matter.
I don't like optimists, they annoy me with their unrealistic view on life and the word just makes me think of the leader of the Autobots.

 

[onlything]

I see myself as a realist, although surely slightly pessimistic. Unless depression hits, then it's pessimism all the way but this is just how this sickness works.

How others see me seems to depend on how I behave. If I smile, people say I'm optimistic or naive. When I'm not, I'm suddenly pessimistic. To me my words and opinions are mostly balanced.

Confusing for sure, hm?

Still, realism or pessimism are not widely appreciated. People are escapists or hedonists for the most part. They are dreamers in a way. They don't want to hear or think about darker aspects, however true they may be. They like being oblivious and lied to if the lie is 'white'. Let them be. No point in alienating yourself because of a mistaken sense of duty or whatever else.

 

[Fade2black]

I'm on the pessimistic side and almost always correct in my assessments. Bouncy and overly optimistic people just seem fake to me. I can't understand how those people get through life lying to themselves.

 

[Billy Miller]

You might want to learn how to play poker. If you don't display your emotions. You could be the next big Texas Holden champion. I can't get my phone to open Snapchat so Here we go again.

 

[Billy Miller]

You can choose how you want to look at Life. You want to be sad and unhappy you guys go ahead and be u say come hang out with me I'm gonna have a good time. So misery likes company and your company is contagious. Hacent you ever looked back and ran into someone that brought a smile to everyone face. If I get to choice his I feel I'll choose happy even if it plain out sucks.

 

[Billy Miller]

U hey

People think I’m mean and negative. I assume it’s becuase I don’t really smile a lot and have resting B face. But I’m not negative. Sometimes I’m happy and optimistic and people still think I’m negative because I’m not smiling or bouncing around with happy excitement. I don’t know.

 

[Billy Miller]

Just hit me in this would you

 

[Mr Allen]

I've often been told I'm too negative, but 20 odd years ago before I left school I was repeatedly told "You know you? You'll never amount to anything!", and over 26 years since I left, they're kind of right IMO, I mean come on, aside from loads of voluntary work I've never had a job, I'm also still single at 42, I've even applied to go on The Undateables but they said no (damn you and your South West Coast bias)

 

[Misery]

I have enough trouble getting through the day without stabbing anything.

So I would definitely say that "pessimist" doesnt even begin to describe it. But it's definitely a term I've heard a few hundred times.

 

[William miller]

Hey major I was just wondering what is going on with you? Listen what is wrong with the tractor driver that hit fired he has turned into a nut job now I was wondering if anything he said has any truth to it. If it does if you are mad at me and called me a monster let me know and I'll quit my job t sucks anyways. So no reply is a quit my job reply. If you do think that it is strange how this place has attempted to change the person I am. I am not a bad guy and find it hard to do things that need done. Anyways let me know if you even read this anymore. Or silence strikes again.

 

[William miller]

Hey major I was just wondering what is going on with you? Listen what is wrong with the tractor driver that hit fired he has turned into a nut job now I was wondering if anything he said has any truth to it. If it does if you are mad at me and called me a monster let me know and I'll quit my job t sucks anyways. So no reply is a quit my job reply. If you do think that it is strange how this place has attempted to change the person I am. I am not a bad guy and find it hard to do things that need done. Anyways let me know if you even read this anymore. Or silence strikes again.

 

[GrownupGirl]

I've realized that when I say that the good thing about being a pessimist is that you're always pleasantly surprised is actually a pretty optimistic way of looking at pessimism.

Maybe saying "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst" is being more of a realist.

 

[HidinginPlainSight]

I get called a pessimist often. I counter by saying no, I’m a “realist”. I often describe things as I see them happening. It seems people often like to lie to each other and say what they want to hear. I would just prefer to describe things truthfully.

I have been told that I'm negative or too serious which is basically the same thing.

I don't however like to think of myself as a realist, only someone who is true to his own perspective. There are extremely valid scientific reasons why two people can witness the same event and witness it in very different ways with no act of deception on either side.

This is mainly because what we think we see is not reality in the strictest sense of the word. Our brains fill in so much information which makes everyone's experience quite a bit different. What may be a lie to you could be completely true to someone else. This goes for factual information as well as emotional.

This is the main reason why eye witnesses make such awful and, at the same time, compelling witnesses. They can make their statements with complete certainty and honesty and yet be completely mistaken as to what actually happened.

 

[tlc]

Yes, I've been called that.
I say I'm a realist, but, agree @Gritches that if you are pessimistic you'll never be disappointed, just
pleasantly surprised.
I can see where it can be used as a tool for what can go wrong too, by using it to see all possible
outcomes and using it in your favour.

As an engineer and one who keeps mechanical things going, it's pretty much a requirement to address all the possible bad outcomes, to avoid problems in the future. Useful for many other walks of life too. I too call myself a realist. People say I'm pessimistic, but most of the time I've been correct and it's saved me from not being blindsided down the road.

Telling people what they want to hear seems to be something unique to NTs. Personally, I hate being told what I want to hear. Tell me the truth. I think NTs avoid the truth due to passive aggression. Passive aggression seems to be another strange thing.

I've also been regularly called passive aggressive. I don't like to live a constant battle, I just wish everybody could get along. Many things I couldn't care less about and I don't want to mess with someone else's decision because I don't feel it's fair to do that if it doesn't really matter to me one way or the other. Now if there is a real problem with something, I do speak up, and that's what people don't like.