I’m a pessimistic realist. I’m definitely not a smug pessimist nor an optimist (I believe there is a whole spectrum of optimistic and pessimistic and it’s too binary to say it’s one or the other as an absolute), but I am a writer. My realistic pessimism is that writing is hard, but it still gives me a dopamine hit: my work may never be published by one of the big houses, but that that is fine and I can self publish, or go independent. If good things happen I’m happy, when bad things happen I don’t get depressed about them as I am either used to them, ‘them’ being the reality of life, or I have coping mechanisms I have developed over the years. I keep on writing for me. The pessimism is also fuel. I also use it just as optimistic use their being as fuel. Don’t write us pessimists off please.
I think the key is writing definitely writing for ourselves and not for others. Also by your description you sound more like a realist than a pessimist!
Yes probably, a realist who errs on the side of caution. A glass of water is neither half full nor half empty it’s just a glass of water. And it might be nice if it was wine or orange juice but water will hydrate and so is good.
Better to be a slightly disappointed optimist, looking forward to the next possible thing, than a smug pessimist saying “I knew it wouldn’t work so why bother trying.”
well I'm not sure pessimists are always smug about it but I do think it can be very hard to pick ourselves up after failure and disappointment without any optimism.
Is it optimism though, or being a person capable of hope? This is what AI says about the difference: Hope and optimism are closely related but distinct concepts. Hope is a feeling or desire for a particular outcome, often rooted in a sense of possibility, even in challenging or uncertain circumstances. It involves an emotional component and can persist despite setbacks, focusing on what could happen. Optimism, on the other hand, is a broader mindset or belief that things will generally turn out well. It's more of a cognitive stance, a tendency to expect positive results based on confidence or past patterns.
For example, someone might hope for rain during a drought because they long for relief, even if the odds are low. An optimist, however, might assume rain is likely because they believe things tend to work out.
Hope can thrive in desperation; optimism often assumes a sunnier baseline.
I don’t think optimism is assuming a certain outcome at all. I think it’s knowing that whatever the outcome, something good will probably come out of it in the end, even if it’s not exactly what we planned or hoped for, even if we fail along the way.
I’m a pessimistic realist. I’m definitely not a smug pessimist nor an optimist (I believe there is a whole spectrum of optimistic and pessimistic and it’s too binary to say it’s one or the other as an absolute), but I am a writer. My realistic pessimism is that writing is hard, but it still gives me a dopamine hit: my work may never be published by one of the big houses, but that that is fine and I can self publish, or go independent. If good things happen I’m happy, when bad things happen I don’t get depressed about them as I am either used to them, ‘them’ being the reality of life, or I have coping mechanisms I have developed over the years. I keep on writing for me. The pessimism is also fuel. I also use it just as optimistic use their being as fuel. Don’t write us pessimists off please.
I think the key is writing definitely writing for ourselves and not for others. Also by your description you sound more like a realist than a pessimist!
Yes probably, a realist who errs on the side of caution. A glass of water is neither half full nor half empty it’s just a glass of water. And it might be nice if it was wine or orange juice but water will hydrate and so is good.
If its filtered 😉
I definitely think being optimistic is crucial if you're a writer. Otherwise how else would you keep on writing?
I think it would be very hard to keep after failures without a bit of optimism
Better to be a slightly disappointed optimist, looking forward to the next possible thing, than a smug pessimist saying “I knew it wouldn’t work so why bother trying.”
well I'm not sure pessimists are always smug about it but I do think it can be very hard to pick ourselves up after failure and disappointment without any optimism.
Love this. Without optimism I don't think there would be a single Substack writer! It is our fuel! ✨
It's definitely fuel! And thank god so many of my fav writers had enough fuel to keep them going in the early days
Is it optimism though, or being a person capable of hope? This is what AI says about the difference: Hope and optimism are closely related but distinct concepts. Hope is a feeling or desire for a particular outcome, often rooted in a sense of possibility, even in challenging or uncertain circumstances. It involves an emotional component and can persist despite setbacks, focusing on what could happen. Optimism, on the other hand, is a broader mindset or belief that things will generally turn out well. It's more of a cognitive stance, a tendency to expect positive results based on confidence or past patterns.
For example, someone might hope for rain during a drought because they long for relief, even if the odds are low. An optimist, however, might assume rain is likely because they believe things tend to work out.
Hope can thrive in desperation; optimism often assumes a sunnier baseline.
I don’t think optimism is assuming a certain outcome at all. I think it’s knowing that whatever the outcome, something good will probably come out of it in the end, even if it’s not exactly what we planned or hoped for, even if we fail along the way.
Thats a fair take.