The Power of Pessimism

I love to share this type of message as a positive idea. The importance of imagination and creativity. The value of stories. The need for children to learn through play. And so much more. There are many previous posts on this blog in that vein.

This isn't about what is . . . it's about what people think is. It's all imaginary anyway. That's why it's important. People only fight over imaginary things.

― Neil Gaiman, American Gods

However, pretend is a two-edged sword that can be used for harm as well as good. The stories that define us often give us others to align ourselves against. And lately, one of those winning the game of pretend is our current president. Anything he imagines is instantly defined as reality for far too many people.

And with that pessimistic lead, here are three items that might seem negative on their surfaces but with a surprisingly positive twists.

I have to admit to being intrigued by the app WeCroak. Unfortunately, I have an Android and it's only available for IOS, so I can't check it out. From its website, the premise:

Find happiness by contemplating your mortality with the WeCroak app. Each day, we’ll send you five invitations at randomized times to stop and think about death. It’s based on a Bhutanese folk saying that to be a happy person one must contemplate death five times daily.

The WeCroak invitations come at random times and at any moment just like death. When they come, you can open the app for a quote about death from a poet, philosopher, or notable thinker.

You are encouraged to take one moment for contemplation, conscious breathing or meditation when WeCroak notifications arrive. We find that a regular practice of contemplating mortality helps spur needed change, accept what we must, let go of things that don’t matter and honor things that do.

I've shared evidence before that pessimism can actually be a good thing. This article from The Atlantic presents even more: The Power of Negative Thinking. Decades of research have found that positive thinking isn’t always so positive. In some cases, pessimists fare better than those with a sunnier disposition. . . . 

And, as a librarian and book collector, I find special solace in this: Why You Should Surround Yourself With More Books Than You'll Ever Have Time to Read. Excerpts:

[If] your book reading in no way keeps pace with your book buying, I have good news for you (and for me, I definitely fall into this category): your overstuffed library isn't a sign of failure or ignorance, it's a badge of honor. . . .

An antilibrary is a powerful reminder of your limitations - the vast quantity of things you don't know, half know, or will one day realize you're wrong about. By living with that reminder daily you can nudge yourself towards the kind of intellectual humility that improves decision-making and drives learning. . . .

So stop beating yourself up for buying too many books or for having a to-read list that you could never get through in three lifetimes. All those books you haven't read are indeed a sign of your ignorance. But if you know how ignorant you are, you're way ahead of the vast majority of other people.

So pretend. Just don't pretend that you're going to live forever, that everything's going to be great, or that you know more than you do.