Pessimism
noun
The feeling of expecting the worst to happen.
Despite the initial optimism, his pessimism took over when he started facing the reality of the situation.
Often appears as...
- deep pessimism
- pervasive pessimism
noun
A belief or philosophy that life is negative or evil.
His world view is marked by a deep, philosophical pessimism about human nature.
Often appears as...
- philosophical pessimism
- underlying pessimism
Usage tips
Academic
noun
The feeling of expecting the worst to happen.
Despite the initial optimism, his pessimism took over when he started facing the reality of the situation.
Often appears as...
- deep pessimism
- pervasive pessimism
noun
A belief or philosophy that life is negative or evil.
His world view is marked by a deep, philosophical pessimism about human nature.
Often appears as...
- philosophical pessimism
- underlying pessimism
Usage tips
Academic
Definition 1 of 2
Pro Tip 1/3Expecting Failure
Pessimism often implies a belief that efforts will not succeed.
No matter how hard I study, pessimism creeps in, making me fear I'll fail the exam.
Pro Tip 2/3Emotional State
Pessimism can reflect someone's temporary mood, not their entire personality.
She felt a sense of pessimism after the bad news but remained generally optimistic.
Pro Tip 3/3Not Always Rational
Pessimism isn't always based on facts but can be a general negative outlook.
He had a pessimism about sunny days, fearing they'd always end in rain.
Pro Tip 1/3Expecting Failure
Pessimism often implies a belief that efforts will not succeed.
No matter how hard I study, pessimism creeps in, making me fear I'll fail the exam.
Pro Tip 2/3Emotional State
Pessimism can reflect someone's temporary mood, not their entire personality.
She felt a sense of pessimism after the bad news but remained generally optimistic.
Pro Tip 3/3Not Always Rational
Pessimism isn't always based on facts but can be a general negative outlook.
He had a pessimism about sunny days, fearing they'd always end in rain.
Pro Tip 1/3Expecting Failure
Pessimism often implies a belief that efforts will not succeed.
No matter how hard I study, pessimism creeps in, making me fear I'll fail the exam.
Pro Tip 2/3Emotional State
Pessimism can reflect someone's temporary mood, not their entire personality.
She felt a sense of pessimism after the bad news but remained generally optimistic.
Pro Tip 3/3Not Always Rational
Pessimism isn't always based on facts but can be a general negative outlook.
He had a pessimism about sunny days, fearing they'd always end in rain.
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Video examples
How to recognize a...
So why bother with all this pessimism? Because at their heart, dystopias are cautionary tales, not about some particular government or technology, but the very idea that humanity can be molded into an ideal shape. Think back to the perfect world you imagined. Did you also imagine what it would take to achieve?
Video examples
Why I choose humanism...
and realize we have agency in the scheme of life. We need to put an end to this game of blame that has prevented us from taking full responsibility for our own lives. For too long, we have been prisoners of our past. We have allowed despair and pessimism to drain us, drain our energies, limit our imaginations
Video examples
National Geographic...
of communication and navigation. They learn colors and scents. And they can map their environment out. All with a brain the size of a milligram. It's a little, tiny thing. And, and now according to some work we think-- we find out they might have emotions. They might possess pessi-- pessimism.
Video examples
How We Can Make the...
We have to prioritize social progress, and really scale solutions around the world. I believe the Global Goals are a historic opportunity, because the world's leaders have promised to deliver them. Let's not dismiss the goals or slide into pessimism; let's hold them to that promise.
Video examples
Is the world getting...
to rake the muck, to speak truth to power? Well, not exactly. It's good to be accurate. Of course we should be aware of suffering and danger wherever they occur, but we should also be aware of how they can be reduced, because there are dangers to indiscriminate pessimism.
Video examples
Capitalism will eat...
out of work. And consequently, low aggregate demand, which in a never-ending cycle, reinforces the pessimism of the investors, who, fearing low demand, reproduce it by not investing -- exactly like Oedipus' father, who, terrified by the prophecy of the oracle
Video examples
Jamais Cascio: Tools for...
In difficult times, pessimism is a self-fulfilling, self-inflicted death sentence." The truth is, we can build a better world, and we can do so right now. We have the we saw a hint of that a moment ago, and we're coming up with new ones all the time.
Video examples
Who owns your view? PIPE...
who I'm sure some of you mutual fund Empire builders must know or have heard of and he said look for the points of maximum pessimism and invest there well I am and me and my friends are we work
Video examples
It's time to reclaim...
The second principle is hope, and I want to say this about hope. Hope is not naive, and hope is not an opiate. Hope may be the single greatest act of defiance against a politics of pessimism
Video examples
Yuval Noah Harari...
pessimism um spectrum i would try to kind of summarize my my my views like that things today are better than ever for humanity things are still quite bad and things
Video examples
How to recognize a...
So why bother with all this pessimism? Because at their heart, dystopias are cautionary tales, not about some particular government or technology, but the very idea that humanity can be molded into an ideal shape. Think back to the perfect world you imagined. Did you also imagine what it would take to achieve?
Video examples
Why I choose humanism...
and realize we have agency in the scheme of life. We need to put an end to this game of blame that has prevented us from taking full responsibility for our own lives. For too long, we have been prisoners of our past. We have allowed despair and pessimism to drain us, drain our energies, limit our imaginations
Video examples
National Geographic...
of communication and navigation. They learn colors and scents. And they can map their environment out. All with a brain the size of a milligram. It's a little, tiny thing. And, and now according to some work we think-- we find out they might have emotions. They might possess pessi-- pessimism.
Video examples
How We Can Make the...
We have to prioritize social progress, and really scale solutions around the world. I believe the Global Goals are a historic opportunity, because the world's leaders have promised to deliver them. Let's not dismiss the goals or slide into pessimism; let's hold them to that promise.
Video examples
Is the world getting...
to rake the muck, to speak truth to power? Well, not exactly. It's good to be accurate. Of course we should be aware of suffering and danger wherever they occur, but we should also be aware of how they can be reduced, because there are dangers to indiscriminate pessimism.
Video examples
Capitalism will eat...
out of work. And consequently, low aggregate demand, which in a never-ending cycle, reinforces the pessimism of the investors, who, fearing low demand, reproduce it by not investing -- exactly like Oedipus' father, who, terrified by the prophecy of the oracle
Video examples
Jamais Cascio: Tools for...
In difficult times, pessimism is a self-fulfilling, self-inflicted death sentence." The truth is, we can build a better world, and we can do so right now. We have the we saw a hint of that a moment ago, and we're coming up with new ones all the time.
Video examples
Who owns your view? PIPE...
who I'm sure some of you mutual fund Empire builders must know or have heard of and he said look for the points of maximum pessimism and invest there well I am and me and my friends are we work
Video examples
It's time to reclaim...
The second principle is hope, and I want to say this about hope. Hope is not naive, and hope is not an opiate. Hope may be the single greatest act of defiance against a politics of pessimism
Video examples
Yuval Noah Harari...
pessimism um spectrum i would try to kind of summarize my my my views like that things today are better than ever for humanity things are still quite bad and things
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Jesmyn Ward
American Novelist
Young people have a right to optimism, and rightly so; human beings have grown and developed and accomplished wonderful feats in the world. But what mires me in pessimism is the fact that so much of life is pain and sorrow and willful ignorance and violence, and pushing back against that tide takes so much effort, so much steady fight. It's tiring.
Quote examples
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
German Novelist
The older books were quite light-hearted. But I think most of my novels do end on a deep note of pessimism. Shadows seem to be closing in. The final conclusion isn't that life is wonderful and everything is bright and cheery and in the garden.
Quote examples
James Gunn
American Director
Science fiction always has had strains of pessimism and optimism weaving through its historical development, sometimes one dominating and then the other, usually depending on the state of the world.
Quote examples
Antony Beevor
British Historian
I believe passionately in preemptive pessimism, especially before a book comes out. I expect the worst both from reviewers and sales, and then, with any luck, I may be proved wrong.
Quote examples
Rivers Cuomo
American Musician
I wouldn't say that I relax and enjoy anything. But I think my pessimism helps. I never really expect anything good to happen, so when it does, it's a nice surprise.
Quote examples
Said Sayrafiezadeh
American Playwright
We were poor, my mother and I, living in a world of doom and gloom, pessimism and bitterness, where storms raged and wolves scratched at the door.
Quote examples
Rosabeth Moss Kanter
American Businesswoman
Confidence isn't optimism or pessimism, and it's not a character attribute. It's the expectation of a positive outcome.
Quote examples
John Ortberg
American Clergyman
Both hope and pessimism are deeply contagious. And no one is more infectious than a leader.
Quote examples
Alain de Botton
English Writer
I think a certain degree of pessimism is actually helpful to love.
Quote examples
Ian Mcewan
British Author
One has to have the courage of one's pessimism.
Quote examples
Jesmyn Ward
American Novelist
Young people have a right to optimism, and rightly so; human beings have grown and developed and accomplished wonderful feats in the world. But what mires me in pessimism is the fact that so much of life is pain and sorrow and willful ignorance and violence, and pushing back against that tide takes so much effort, so much steady fight. It's tiring.
Quote examples
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
German Novelist
The older books were quite light-hearted. But I think most of my novels do end on a deep note of pessimism. Shadows seem to be closing in. The final conclusion isn't that life is wonderful and everything is bright and cheery and in the garden.
Quote examples
James Gunn
American Director
Science fiction always has had strains of pessimism and optimism weaving through its historical development, sometimes one dominating and then the other, usually depending on the state of the world.
Quote examples
Antony Beevor
British Historian
I believe passionately in preemptive pessimism, especially before a book comes out. I expect the worst both from reviewers and sales, and then, with any luck, I may be proved wrong.
Quote examples
Rivers Cuomo
American Musician
I wouldn't say that I relax and enjoy anything. But I think my pessimism helps. I never really expect anything good to happen, so when it does, it's a nice surprise.
Quote examples
Said Sayrafiezadeh
American Playwright
We were poor, my mother and I, living in a world of doom and gloom, pessimism and bitterness, where storms raged and wolves scratched at the door.
Quote examples
Rosabeth Moss Kanter
American Businesswoman
Confidence isn't optimism or pessimism, and it's not a character attribute. It's the expectation of a positive outcome.
Quote examples
John Ortberg
American Clergyman
Both hope and pessimism are deeply contagious. And no one is more infectious than a leader.
Quote examples
Alain de Botton
English Writer
I think a certain degree of pessimism is actually helpful to love.
Quote examples
Ian Mcewan
British Author
One has to have the courage of one's pessimism.
Example 1 of 10
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