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Optimist or pessimist. Are we doomed?

Naughtiest_Maximus

Naughtiest_Maximus

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Joined
Apr 10, 2004
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It seems everywhere you look the world is going to pot. It seems we are determined to wipe out our own existence. War and famine, let alone what we are doing to this planet.
Are you optimistic that we can change the way people think and act, or are we all going to hell in a handbag?

As the world gets smaller i would like to think that we could all just cop on, and stop being so selfish, pigheaded or just plain arrogant and ignorant. Then again you only have to look in the papers to see how we treat each other in our own backyard. Why is it so hard to give ground or forgive past wrongs.
Are we or the next generation the ones to promote peace and harmony, or are we on a downward spiral.
How do you feel? :\
 
I'm an optimist because i believe in self-fulfyling prophecies.... i don't subscribe to pesimism because i believe negative thinking creates negative reality. There is what i love to call the lovely oxymoron of optimistic pesimism, ie bill hicks, tool, rage against the machine, activists.... people who think negatively but act in ways to create positive change. Anyway as i was saying i believe all actions and thoughts are creative, so if you think and act positively you will spread a good energy that will create a chain effect. It's not about being ignorant at all.... actually i guess in some ways it's simular to existentialism... taking full responsiblity for your situation and making the most out of it :)

peace
 
we are all fucked.

greed will kill us all....


from greed over countries borders, all the way down to greed over the last bulb...
 
^ The struggle over the last bulb is not one of greed... but of survival.

I definitely think we're on a downward spiral until we eventually blow ourselves up. It will be a fantastic moment for mankind and one we've obviously been working towards for some time. With the power of the weaponry that has been developed all you need is one crazy person and they could order the death of everyone on this world. I don't think it will happen in our lifetime but I get the feeling that moment is not all that far away.

And yes I'm a pessimist. Can you tell?
 
Naughtiest_Maximus said:
It seems everywhere you look the world is going to pot. It seems we are determined to wipe out our own existence. War and famine, let alone what we are doing to this planet.
Click to expand...

How is now any different from any other time in human history? According to the history books, there's always been war and famine and mass destruction. It's just that the scale of it keeps magnifying with the increase in population and technology.

But seriously, as an individual, how can u worry about these issues? There's nothing u can do to stop a bomb being dropped or a country going to war.
However, I do believe in "shining one's spirit in the dark". That is, to act in the best way that u can, according to your own best wishes and instincts, despite the fact that the rest of the world might not.
It's not easy, but life isn't easy.
 
Re: Re: Optimist or pessimist. Are we doomed?

Originally posted by punch e punch


But seriously, as an individual, how can u worry about these issues? There's nothing u can do to stop a bomb being dropped or a country going to war.
However, I do believe in "shining one's spirit in the dark". That is, to act in the best way that u can, according to your own best wishes and instincts, despite the fact that the rest of the world might not.
It's not easy, but life isn't easy.
Click to expand...


Are you saying that no matter how many people protest they cannot persuade a country from going to war? I'm a big believer in "shining one's spirit in the dark" but is it tantamount to sitting on your hands if you don't try and encourage the same in others. I saw this written on what's left of the Berlin wall " Many Small People in Many Small Places Do Many Small Things That Can Alter The Face Of The World". I still hope it can be for the good. :)
 
Well, Naughtiest Maximus- I attended recent anti-war protests along with alot of other ppl. I consider it shining my spirit because I got to speak out and register my disapproval of the 'war on terror'. But it didn't stop the war from happening.
The whole point of shining one's spirit is to set an example that might inspire others. I don't think that's "sitting on your hands" at all. It's doing all that you can do and without forcing your opinions down other ppl's throats.
 
Keep on shining P_P. :) You asked me how i can worry about these things, when it seems you do as well. I just think that not to think about it is an admission of apathy. Just imagine if all the people who were against the war on terror acted on their thoughts and marched beside you. Could it be ignored?
 
the one thing that is going to be the end of the world is the ever increasing gap between the rich and the poor.

the rich will be held gradually become less accountable for their actions and the tolerance for people less than the status quo will diminish. i mean, that's the current state, but it will progressively get worse.

sooner or later, everyone's civil rights will be taken away from them if they can't afford to pay for them.

also, 'shining one's spirit' could quite possibly be the stupidest thing i've ever heard. but don't blame me for my opinion, i'm just a pessimist
 
Naughtiest_Maximus said:
You asked me how i can worry about these things, when it seems you do as well. I just think that not to think about it is an admission of apathy.
Click to expand...
I never said I don't think about those issues. I do. And it just makes me angry. But I'm not in the position to stop it happening. I can attend the protests, write letters to politians, give to charities etc. but I cant stop a war happening. Therefore, it's pointless for me to worry. I just have to get on with my life in the way that I see fit.
Hope I'm gradually clarifying what I meant in my first post. I know I've been completely misunderstood here. It's not easy to explain what I mean.
 
up all night said:
^ The struggle over the last bulb is not one of greed... but of survival.

I definitely think we're on a downward spiral until we eventually blow ourselves up. It will be a fantastic moment for mankind and one we've obviously been working towards for some time. With the power of the weaponry that has been developed all you need is one crazy person and they could order the death of everyone on this world. I don't think it will happen in our lifetime but I get the feeling that moment is not all that far away.

And yes I'm a pessimist. Can you tell?
Click to expand...


<lol>

no more bulbs for you :p

optimistic pessimistic pfft!... now realistic <--- thats what im talking about :D
 
There was a documentary concerning a culture up on an island years ago, that built these stone heads to gain the blessing of the Gods. Dunno the name of the place, its been on doco's n stuff, somewhere south east of Australia I think. Anyway, after a number of years the different tribes and towns got compeditive, building bigger and bigger heads to show God their dedication. Only problem was that the bigger the head, the more coconut tree's you needed to cut down. So as they chopped them up, it caused ecological problems, and so they decided to build even bigger heads to gain the help of the Gods. This went on until one day the last tree was cut down. Soon after they all died out and their culture was destroyed due to the devistation caused due to a lack of trees. Land slides, wind storms, no boats being built etc. Kind of ironic, people destroying the god-given environment that provided them with everything, just to please God.

That may very well be where we are heading. The most devistating effects on the history of this planet occured due to some type of environmental change, psychologically and socially we are pretty much a product of our environment. I dont doubt things will be done, and probably are being done today to help fix the ecology, but once the problem really becames apparent and effects your lifestyle, it will most likely be too late.

I rarely goto protests though Ive been to a few. I know their usefulness, but if we had democractic rights to expression, not just voting, then they wouldnt be necessary cause you'd be able to get your individual voice across. Because we have none, you need to go outside of the bounds of society and protest, and so it rarely has much of an effect. The media usually puts a negative slant on it. With martin luther for instance, you had the police dressing up as protestors and then begin throwing things and smashing shops, so that the police had an excuse to charge in.

Anyway, I dont believe in self-forfilling prophecies. Maybe they are true, but we already have everything we have here to do anything and everything we want, whether to create paradise or death. If we expect the hand of God to come down and fix it all for us then it'll never get done.
 
Dj ScAtTeRfAcE said:
I'm an optimist because i believe in self-fulfyling prophecies.... i don't subscribe to pesimism because i believe negative thinking creates negative reality. There is what i love to call the lovely oxymoron of optimistic pesimism, ie bill hicks, tool, rage against the machine, activists.... people who think negatively but act in ways to create positive change. Anyway as i was saying i believe all actions and thoughts are creative, so if you think and act positively you will spread a good energy that will create a chain effect. It's not about being ignorant at all.... actually i guess in some ways it's simular to existentialism... taking full responsiblity for your situation and making the most out of it :)

peace
Click to expand...

Good post :) I agree with all of that :)
 
I'm an optimistic realist. I do have hope that things will get better but I have to live in the now. I haven't attended an anti-war rally or any rally for that matter. I prefer to who my dissatisfaction with governemnt policy through the power of my vote.

I'm the sort of person who needs to get off my ass and get to more protest rallies, because it is the people like me who have the belief against all the government bullshit that don't go to rallies, which in the end doesn't really help the cause very much in the short term. More people at rallies means more exposure, which leads to more support in just causes. It is a self-propagating experience.

Ah I dunno. There are some things that are completely beyond our control, like the US elections, for which I am hoping against hope that first of all Bush is not re-elected, and second of all that that will mean something, in 2 ways, that he doesn't pull some shit out and still remain president, and if Kerry or whoever gets in that they aren't still meat-puppets to multi-billion dollar companies :\

I do like the shining ones spirit theme as it is something that I do, I live my life as (what I perceive to be) a good person and try to inspire that in others.

I dunno, what we can do is fairly limited, but is ultimately important.

CB.
 
Things have gone downhill since Adam ate that damned apple - we could all be running around naked having free love ;)
 
I think some people are exerting their mental energy in the wrong directions.

It's not about one tiny person making huge statements and worldwide efforts. It's about starting with yourself, changing yourself first; then your own personal relationships, then your community, and then finally, mobilising as a community to change the outside world.

A lot of people, I think, skip the part about working on their own attitudes and their own ways of living and relating, because it's easier to place blame on governments for their feelings of frustration, helplessness and impotence.

Change happens from the inside out, not the outside in. Instead of stressing about the environment, try taking shorter showers and recycling. Instead of moaning about war, try being nicer to the people around you for a start.

I would respect more someone who LIVED the values they were fighting for, rather than someone who simply marched in rallies and wrote letters. Who was it who said "Be the change you want to see in the world"?

That's the kind of optimism that helps.
 
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