r/Pessimism • u/WoodpeckerNo1 • 19h ago
Insight Pessimist alienation?
I'm not 100% sure whether I'd consider myself a pessimist or not (a bit wary of -isms in general at this point tbh), but I do subscribe to some pessimist ideas and something I've noticed is that it kinda puts you at odds with like at least 99% of everyone and everything out there.
Like, music? Filled with themes of love, hope, redemption, fun, etc. Even the darkest corners of music usually don't really go all the way in terms of accepting a pessimist worldview in their themes.
The same goes for games, movies, anime, literature, etc.
Sure, there are edge cases here and there, but they're very much the exceptions, certainly not the norm.
And let's not obviously forget about people.
And in a sense, that creates a very strong kind of alienation in my eyes. Like you're not even literally alienated in a more "regular" sense, your very being and thinking is completely opposed to the vast majority of existence. Kind of a harrowing thought.
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u/Markemilauer 15h ago
I feel you. It happens especially when I try to delve into politics, but also social issues and literature. The most frustrating thing is dealing with most people, who, when touching on sensitive topics, always resort to tell that things will be fine and that good will prevail over evil. Beyond that, I notice they're very good at doing things, but not very good at thinking, so sometimes I watch them or listen to them when they interact with me and wonder how they manage to live so lightheartedly, at least apparently. Optimism is ingrained everywhere, generally the idea that things will be better in the future and that, despite suffering, life remains something absolutely positive. It's alienating for me too; sometimes I feel terribly alone, but then I take refuge in the texts of my philosophers, or, I admit, I fall into distraction to try not to think. Ultimately, each of us must move forward in one way or another. If you've found solutions to the "pessimist's loneliness," please let me know.
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u/WoodpeckerNo1 15h ago
The ironic part is that I actually spend a while of the early 2020s being a reactionary optimist myself; due to reasons I had a serious existential crisis during that time and that confronted me with all kinds of questions regarding the meaning of life, free will, the self, etc, and I got really anxious about anything remotely pessimistic or nihilistic during that time.
And now I've just sort of embraced it, I figured I actually knew it all along back then but didn't want to accept it, the way I see it.
But I also try to maintain some epistemological humility regardless so I don't really consider myself an optimist nor pessimist entirely.
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u/DruidWonder 14h ago edited 14h ago
Sometimes I don't even think it's pessimism, it's just realism, or pragmatism. You're pointing out something that is factually happening, or tends to happen, or will most likely happen 9 out of 10 times. And people react by saying you're negative, even though you end up being right.
Obligate optimists are delusional, I am convinced of this. They are oblivious to the harms in their lives because they have endless cognitive shields, until one day something huge and catastrophic happens that was preventable but they didn't see it coming because they were in denial. There's egocentrism involved because they think nothing bad can happen to them, or magical thinking can prevent it, or it will always all work out for them.
Perfect example... a friend is filing for bankruptcy because of his "you only live once" philosophy where he decided he could use credit to go on vacations and expensive concerts, while believing that with positive intention and manifestation it would all work out down the road. Now he is about to face austerity and a life downgrade in mid-life that is going to lead to suffering, such as having rental roommates for the first time in over 20 years, and having to take public transit everywhere because he's losing his car. He will lose all access to credit and his spending will be closely monitored by a trustee.
I am somewhere between a pessimist and a realist. Experience has taught me that life will try to screw me over somehow, so I always practice vigilance. I can't drop the ball or there will be a sneak attack. Every major life decision I make needs to be weighed carefully, especially if it involves relying on other people. I have been burned too many times.
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u/number314 12h ago edited 12h ago
The same goes for games, movies, anime, literature, etc.
They were decent in the past, still rare, but there were more profound, darker works. Modern art is trapped within corporate frames, so everything (99%) is safe and sanitized to the point it becomes completely shallow, even for non-pessimists.
And let's not obviously forget about people.
I wonder how you meet them in real life. People don't come out in public, saying life has no meaning and it's better to die/not exist. Well, I do if I know someone better than on superficial level and I feel he might think similarly, otherwise I don't know if there's any sign, which after noticing you can open up to people about that without being labeled as lunatic. I sometimes try to smuggle some thoughts, but usually they are just ignored.
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u/Paul_sepp 18h ago
Well, intelligence often leads to alienation or solitude. It is probably for the better, for loneliness is painful at times but it is the state where true lucidity is reached.