Often times, my friends and family will tell me I'm
a pessimist, that I'm too negative. Admittedly, there is validity to their
points; I will often expect the worst of situations, the potential downsides to
actions, and act less-than-pleased when I'm put into unfavorable or stressful
scenarios. Honestly, I've been this way for quite a long time. While it may
seem like quite the flaw, I'll take a moment to act out of character and be
optimistic about my pessimism. My so-called pessimism stems from and reinforces
my tendency to be prepared for the unfavorable possibilities of every
situation.
My shift into a pessimistic character most likely was gradual, from a young age, but I don't recall many details; it was probably the culmination of many experiences. I was always really excited for trick-or-treating during Halloween, and afterwards I’d be happy about the good time and candy I got. But one year, I was sick on October 31st, and was crushed by the disappointment of missing out on something I had so looked forward to. I eventually realized that the disappointment from a good situation turning sour far surpassed the pleasure experienced from an expected good situation. Several quotes I came across (in books or online) aided this realization. For example, a character in a novel I read said "Prepare for the worst...that way you'll never be disappointed," and someone quoted in a magazine said "The good thing about being a pessimist is that you're always right or pleasantly surprised." I ended up accepting these as good pieces of advice.
On one hand, people may understandably frown at my tendency to assume and prepare for the worst. However, my so-called pessimism results in me being more prepared for many situations. I'll often prepare for things with a "better safe than sorry" mentality. Even if it's small, trivial things, like always charging my devices in the night even if I think I have enough battery to last the next day. Even after doing that, I’ll still bring my chargers. When studying, I'll spend a good amount of time on a topic or piece of information that the teacher only mentioned briefly, in the anticipation that it could be on the test. There have been quite a few history tests where doing so has saved me some points or even granted me some extra credit. For interviews or events with a vague or nonexistent dress code, I'll lean to the formal side. Interviewers are much more often put off by a t-shirt and jeans than by a dress shirt and dress pants.
My shift into a pessimistic character most likely was gradual, from a young age, but I don't recall many details; it was probably the culmination of many experiences. I was always really excited for trick-or-treating during Halloween, and afterwards I’d be happy about the good time and candy I got. But one year, I was sick on October 31st, and was crushed by the disappointment of missing out on something I had so looked forward to. I eventually realized that the disappointment from a good situation turning sour far surpassed the pleasure experienced from an expected good situation. Several quotes I came across (in books or online) aided this realization. For example, a character in a novel I read said "Prepare for the worst...that way you'll never be disappointed," and someone quoted in a magazine said "The good thing about being a pessimist is that you're always right or pleasantly surprised." I ended up accepting these as good pieces of advice.
On one hand, people may understandably frown at my tendency to assume and prepare for the worst. However, my so-called pessimism results in me being more prepared for many situations. I'll often prepare for things with a "better safe than sorry" mentality. Even if it's small, trivial things, like always charging my devices in the night even if I think I have enough battery to last the next day. Even after doing that, I’ll still bring my chargers. When studying, I'll spend a good amount of time on a topic or piece of information that the teacher only mentioned briefly, in the anticipation that it could be on the test. There have been quite a few history tests where doing so has saved me some points or even granted me some extra credit. For interviews or events with a vague or nonexistent dress code, I'll lean to the formal side. Interviewers are much more often put off by a t-shirt and jeans than by a dress shirt and dress pants.
I’ll admit that my pessimism has caused problems. The most
obvious detriment is the negative mindset; my urge to consider the worst can
become overwhelming, and a difficult (but definitely manageable) situation will
sometimes cause me to severely overthink and drown in my own negative thoughts.
A constant swirl of “What if?” fills my head and makes it harder for me
to think clearly and find motivation to complete the task at hand. I’m also
prone to sharing my own brand of crushing realism with others around me, be it
complaining about a long paper or pointing out any issues I can think of in
peoples’ plans (no matter how trivial). I myself understand this is neither
helpful nor healthy.
Despite the potential drawbacks, I stand by my credo of
pessimism. The part I take to be valuable is not the negativity, but the idea
of being ready and prepared in case things go bad. It's a central part of who
I've become.
Very well written, this essay gives me a different view of pessimism than it is normally though of. However when you bring up something in a personal essay you want to view from both sides, I think you could use like a sentence talking about the other side of the argument rather than just using it to give your points. You do a very good job of presenting your side. Also I think the statement where you say your credo is just one of the quotes is not a good way to finish off the essay, I think you should name a quote or just have nothing there and let the reader make that connection themselves. I also learned more about you based on this and think you did a good job of presenting your argument. One more thing, I think you could use one specific event that happened for more narration, like sometime that either you got paid off for planning for the worst or punished for not, because that would add strength to your argument and balance out the narration and reflection better. Good job. Brian
ReplyDeleteI liked how you gave several examples of your pessimism (the one about charging devices is really relatable), as it gives the reader a more nuanced view of your outlook. They weren't particularly personal or anything, but I feel like together they were able to help paint you as a person. I agree with Brian, though - it'd be nice to see you explore the opposing view (that is, why your pessimism might be a bad thing/detrimental in certain situations). That way, we could also get to know even more of your reasoning behind being a pessimist, since your argument would have to even stronger to convince the reader. One thing that would be cool to explore would be if this sort of outlook should even be classified as pessimism by your friends and family (or maybe you've just accepted that it is).
ReplyDeleteNice job! I liked how you acknowledged that others could see you as pessimistic but then put that judgement into a different light, explaining that you felt prepared rather than negative. This is pretty clear and well explained when it comes to your description of 'over-preparing'but I am not sure how it applies to things like being pessimistic in conversation. Maybe you could talk a little bit more about how this 'preparing for the worst' affects you inter-personally too. This might add some voice/vulnerability to the essay (which is the only element that seems to be absent). Good job :)
ReplyDeleteNice essay, I like how you wrote about the originiation of your pessimism and the everyday things that stem from your general pessimistic attitude. I'm curious as to why you tended to lean towards pessimism at a young age. You wrote that you realized the disappointment surpassed the pleasure; do you have any experiences you can share that can explain your realization?
ReplyDeleteAlso, I agree with Brian and Tina; exploring the consequences of your pessimism would add to the essay. I'd also suggest comparing the pros and cons of pessimism/optimism and relating your own personal experiences as you go. That way, the reader can get to know you and also the underlying reasons for your pessimism. Overall, great essay- I liked how you tried to explain why you were pessimistic and the examples with which you supported your behavior.
I quite like the phrase "optimistic about my pessimism". However, I think while overall it gets your point across it is very repetitive in places. As part of that I feel like the first and second sentences of the third paragraph could be combined, and the same thing for some other places. Also, there is some repetition of words that causes it to read less well. For example, the two "quite"s in adjacent sentences in the first paragraph. Finally, the bit about clothing in the last paragraph seems somehow separate from the other points you were making. More importantly, though, the paragraph isn't concluded. Overall, though, I think picking pessimism as your credo is creative and it made for an interesting essay to read.
ReplyDelete