Why are Optimists so Negative about Pessimists?
Pessimists have much to offer society. I would not go as far to write that pessimism is the best policy, but I would not take the other extreme and support my superintendent’s pitch that “Optimism Is the Best Policy.”
True to the optimist approach, my super outlined in a recent blog posting the many positive benefits of optimism, like “...that optimists are: healthier, less likely to give up, more successful in school, on the job, and on the playing field, more successful in relationships, depressed less often, and for shorter periods of time.” Furthermore, she affirms “optimists help create some of the good they come to expect, so they are probably right more than not – and they don’t waste time worrying about what they’re not right about.”
Who would criticize such an optimistic view of optimism? Optimists won’t. The dirty, but noble work of critical thinking is left to the pessimists.
Pessimists bring much to the table to be valued--including a healthy skepticism about conventional wisdom. In my field of study, I was trained to look at the past and present critically. I teach this same skill to my history students. In the historical field, it is understood that, quite often and more so as time passes, cognitive dissonance kicks in and distorts reality.
Historians are critical thinkers by design and most often in search of the truth. As James Loewen exposed in his important examination of United States history textbooks, the past is often misrepresented in an overly optimistic way to promote patriotism and avoid the conflict and drama of our country’s history. I worry those promoting optimism might negatively view thinking of this type as unhealthy
