Continuing the recent riff on the distinction between optimism and hope, I had a thought in the doctor’s office this afternoon. I spend a lot of time thinking about underlying assumptions and motivations for orientations to this or that issue. In the midst of that consideration this afternoon, something novel occurred to me: pessimism is, at bottom, an expression of vulnerability. Many friends who self-identify as pessimists have related to me over the years that if one is pessimistic, one is never disappointed. When one is vulnerable to disappointment, one is best served to protect against that disappointment- or so the argument goes. While on the surface, this ethos seems pragmatic and utilitarian- it reveals a deep interest in, engagement with- and vulnerability to- expectations and outcomes. Pessimists are not apathetic and they are not naive. In a very real sense, then, pessimists -not blind optimists- are the best candidates for conversion to the camp of HOPE. Facing the fear of disappointment, taking into account the obstacles faced and remaining open to life’s tough bargains seems to me to be a useful enterprise.
Perhaps not, but I am hopeful.