Wednesday 29 July 2009

Optimistic | Pessimist

I have been an optimistic person all my life....one of my friends actually criticizes me for being too optimistic about anything and everything but I can't help it, that's how I think, it comes naturally. That doesn't imply I am unrealistically positive or not sensible about it. Maybe I don't give up easily when my heart is inclined towards something. Generally being optimistic is considered a good thing and it works for me, though the disappointment level is amplified and so is the heart-ache if things don't work out the way I intended.Nevertheless so far so good . The potential of some serious pain hasn't stopped me from reaching out to a wish. All praise and thanks to Allah who has been most kind and most giving and I pray for his continued mercy and compassion for me and everyone I know. Ameen

I came across the article that I quote below. It's an interesting read. I could relate to the thinking style of a pathological pessimist who worries about the worst-case scenario but is willing to give it a shot. I do worry about the worst case too, at times I worry sick but i try to shoo away the negative thought by making dua.The article published in Times Online brings to surface the postive sides of being a pessimistic.

Imagine you are walking down the street. It is a lovely day — clear blue sky, a light breeze, sunshine. You marvel at what people refer to as “the miracle of life”. The leaves are so green! The birds are chirping! You are blissfully caught up in a state of vitamin D-induced euphoria. You think of the person you love most in the world, someone to whom you are profoundly attached. Visualising their face, you have a sense of infinite safety; you are filled with joy.

Then, you picture them dead.

Suddenly you are filled with dread, consumed by all the what-ifs that are contained in this thought. Thousands of them, like a shoal of sardines, racingare contained in this thought. Thousands of them, like a shoal of sardines, racing frantically through your mind. The more you try to push this thought away, the more space it occupies, expanding uncontrollably until you are not just experiencing the loss but are fixating on the details. The funeral arrangements, the life-insurance papers, questions of their Pin and the password for their e-mail.

Forget the leaves on the trees — you have more pressing concerns. Where’s the joy in being alive now? The sunshine has become oppressive; it’s no longer energising; it causes melanoma. You cross over to the shady side of the street. Read On

9 comments:

Saira Andleeb said...

Did this ever hit you that a pessimist probably prays more than an optimist, because of her innate ability to predict something negative which an optimist would ignore :).

khany said...

the first few paragraphs of article transported me to 'house m.d.'!

you are a unique optimist given that you admit to worrying about the worst case, a quality that is characteristic of pessimists.

ameen to your prayres.

Syra said...

@sak--yupes, if the person is a person of faith.
@khany--how have you been? long time!
house m.d is a good show, btw sak you will love it,you should watch it....grey's anatomy is more of my type though :)
jee, there has been a couple of exceptions of worrying sick abt worse case...but that doesn't happen on daily bases.shukar allah ka.

Saira Andleeb said...

Syra, I have been watching House M.D for a long time now.

khany said...

alhamdu lillah i am well.

i have been around. the regularity of our 'meetings' shadow the regularity of your blog updates :)

you have been busy!

Syra said...

that's a valid correlation!
see you around :)

Umar Faheem Khan said...

I don't remember how I landed onto your blog, but I am amazed by how your thoughts are surprisingly similar to those of mine. Though there is a small difference: You appear to have this inbuilt nature of being an optimist, whereas I, despite being a bit less of an optimist by nature, force my way into optimism - sometimes euphoric optimism, but it usually pays.

Syra said...

Umar, thanks for sharing your thoughts.
In my exceptional experiences of pessimism I come to conclude that Negativity eats the mind up.
3 cheers to Optimism!

UFKhan said...

Yeah Rite! 3 cheers to optimism!