Community Forums

Lincolnboy2 · 08-08-2012, 03:09 PM

I have always been more of a pessimist than an optimist. I disguised it under the pretense of "Well, I'm just a realist"

I still have a lot more pessimism that optimism, overall. So I recognize it immediately in others.

I have a dear friend who is the first to jump on the 'negative' bandwagon, no matter what, where, when, it's always the downside he brings up first. Then an afterthought is the upside. I do notice it getting worse as the years pile up on us. I would almost classify this pattern as 'bitter'

I also notice as other, younger friends of mine get older, they too seem to lose their always up and happy selves to more of a grumpy and pessimistic mood.

Do any of you have people in your lives like that?

mick · 08-08-2012, 03:20 PM

Yes, most are under 45 years old though.

Lincolnboy2 · 08-08-2012, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mick

Yes, most are under 45 years old though.

Wow, thats not good, younger folks being so negative is not a good sign eh?

wildtoad · 08-08-2012, 03:40 PM

I sure was looking forward to becoming a grumpy old guy. As I get older I find I'm putting up with less crap from other people cause I don't have to. I'm normally a very optimistic person but find our (USA's) immediate future problematic and very hopeful for a near term change.

bronk · 08-08-2012, 03:48 PM

As we age, we often exhibit less patience with others and with situations that really get under our skin then when we were younger. Much of this has to do with maturity and the fact that we have many years of experience/s under our belt/s. It isn't that were are not always less tolerant, but rather, that we tend to "cut to the chase" and are less likely to "play games", but to deal with issues more quickly and decisively than in the years past. A natural part of the aging process, I believe.

Bronk

John H... · 08-08-2012, 03:55 PM

Yes. I golf with a bunch of them. I also find myself doing it more often with age....

Fred1609 · 08-08-2012, 04:00 PM

I absolutely agree....I find that My patience is tried listening to many people who ramble on and say nothing.....I don't understand it....I have often said to my kids "my views are the result of my years of life experiences". I do "cut to the chase" much more quickly and have the view that lots of folks walk away from conversations with their feelings "hurt". I guess its just the aging process.....

ga traveler · 08-08-2012, 04:06 PM

I think it has a lot to do with what has happened in our lives. In one year, my 17 year brother, my 13 year old nephew, and a 32 year old, close friend of my wife's died. A few years later her mother was kidnapped and attempted murder. These things weigh on your mind, but you have to remember the good things. I believe we are both positive people and look on the bright side most of the time.

Bigd9 · 08-08-2012, 04:20 PM

Funny, we were just talking about this. Neighbor on one side always upbeat and "things are good" attitude. Neighbor on the other side just the opposite being negative and the world is out to get him.

Neighbor #1 just had a heart attack and he was telling me about it keeping me in stitches

laughing at the way he described the whole episode from the attack, ambulance ride, emergency room where he died and was brought back to life and his rehab.

Neighbor #2 came within a hair of flipping upside down into his pond while clearing brush with his Bobcat. He, being about 500 feet away, was yelling for help as he was trapped and couldn't get out, and if the Bobcat had slipped just a inch more he would have been trapped inside the cage under 10 feet of water. I jumped on my 4 wheel drive John Deere tractor with ropes and chains that I keep in a box on the tractor and drove over to his pond as fast as I could. As I got closer I could hear him screaming " don't attempt to help me with that toy of a tractor you have, get my real tractor you fool"!!!

Yes, it takes all kinds to make this world go around.

MartySQ · 08-08-2012, 04:31 PM

I have observed there are those who sweeten and are quick smilers with age moreso and those who become more bitter and pessamistic as they age. I want to be the sweeter more smiley kind... but I'm fighting my natural inclination of pessamism. Hope the sweet ole eccentric side wins out!

Benny367 · 08-08-2012, 04:33 PM

I am an optimist and if given the choice I will avoid grumpy, pessimistic and negative people of ANY age! I find that I tend to be brought down (depressed) by their attitudes. I avoid negative energy because there is already plenty of negative and depressing things going on in the world today! (ever watch the news, I used to, but it is so depressing, so I stopped watching everyday)

So while I try to surround myself with positive energy (optimists) I do have a few people in my life that are not but I still love them, warts and all!

navychaps · 08-08-2012, 04:58 PM

Until recently I was always optimistic, now I find that I have very little to be optimistic about. I use to dream that I would be able to retire and enjoy all this great nation had to offer, now I am not so sure much of that will be left in the next few years. Our economy is in shambles, we have leadership that believes we need to spend to get out of debt and I feel that I will now have to work till I die as my retirement will not cover the future inflation that seem to now be inevitable.

But other than that, I'm having a great time!

RedneckExpress · 08-08-2012, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by navychaps

Until recently I was always optimistic, now I find that I have very little to be optimistic about. I use to dream that I would be able to retire and enjoy all this great nation had to offer, now I am not so sure much of that will be left in the next few years. Our economy is in shambles, we have leadership that believes we need to spend to get out of debt and I feel that I will now have to work till I die as my retirement will not cover the future inflation that seem to now be inevitable.

But other than that, I'm having a great time!

Congrats, you just described the mind set that's set in on me over the last four years and I'm not even to the 40's range yet

. Everyday I wake up and wish I could hop a ride in a Tardis and go back about 33 years or more.

Rmiscoord · 08-08-2012, 05:22 PM

I am neither a half full or half empty person, more a I know I have to wash the class after drinking the last half

Life is full of tearful events and lost opportunities or mistakes (I have seen/done it all) but nothing that is worth ruining the rest of today.

I like to study history and one thing for sure is that everything changes but mostly in circles. It has always been worse and has been better but nothing can stop change so why fret about it.

I have family, food, shelter, no fear, fairly good health, pride of my life's work, confidence I will continue to enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of the natural world, and understand not to bitch about which I have no power to change