It used to be the old thing about whether the glass is half full or half empty, or whether the glass is broken. Now people are saying that the optimists are learning to speak Spanish, while the pessimists are studying Arabic. Any opinions?
2006-10-21 02:13:19 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Other - Society & Culture
For those of you who wonder what languages have to do with it, I would suggest that you read up on current events. This question is actually more of a political statement.
2006-10-21 04:42:50 · update #1
I am an eternal optimist,, I am studying Latin.
I am sure it will make a come-back.
2006-10-21 02:17:17 · answer #1 · answered by landerscott 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
What???? An optimist always sees the good side of things while a pesimist is always negative about everything. It's very easy to distinguish between the 2. I have no idea what learning different languages has to do with being an optimist or a pessimist. These are outlooks on life. Positive vs. negative
2006-10-21 11:11:12 · answer #2 · answered by vanhammer 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Quick Explaination using examples
Optimist: Happy people
Pessimist: Emo
Definition:
Optimism:
* the optimistic feeling that all is going to turn out well
* a general disposition to expect the best in all things
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
* Optimism, the opposite of pessimism, is a lifeview where one looks upon the world as a positive place. Optimists generally believe that people are inherently good. They have a "positive" outlook on life, believing that given time, things will work out in the end. A common example used to illustrate optimism is this question: given a glass that has been filled halfway, is it half filled, or half empty?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimism
Pessimist:
# To expect the worst "I'm pessimistic about the Sonic's chances in the playoffs...they'll lose in the second round."
www.seattleschools.org/schools/laurelhurst/staff/howard/vocabulary.html
# a person who expects the worst
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
# Pessimism, generally, describes a belief that things are bad, and tend to become worse; or that looks to the eventual triumph of evil over good; it contrasts with optimism, the contrary belief in the goodness and betterment of things generally. Philosophical pessimism describes a tendency to believe that the life has a negative value, or that this world is as bad as it could possibly be. In particular, it most famously describes the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pessimist
2006-10-21 09:30:54 · answer #3 · answered by Mike J 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
An optimist is someone looking forward to marriage. A pessimist is a married optimist.
2006-10-21 09:23:52 · answer #4 · answered by Kevin F 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
An optimist enjoys life, a pessimist wants to go to heaven.
2006-10-21 09:16:16 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Throw them in a pit of horse manure. The pessimist will complain of the smell and being in manure, the optimist willl start digging to find the free pony... guess which I think is more realistic?
2006-10-21 09:18:12 · answer #6 · answered by stuck_fla 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I hate the "glass is half full or half empty" analogy because to a philosopher it depends on whether you are filling the glass or drinking from it. If you are filling the glass it will be half full, but if you are drinking from the glass it will be half empty...
Never heard of the other one with languages.
2006-10-21 09:16:51 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Ask him to describe something (e.g. the environmet, a day etc.). Ask him to describe himself as a person. You'll know if he is an optimist or a pesimist.
2006-10-21 09:21:46 · answer #8 · answered by Euroget I 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am not studying spanish and there is NO WAY I will EVER learn arabic.
2006-10-21 09:29:08 · answer #9 · answered by Porterhouse 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is pretty cute.
I think you can tell the difference merely by the smile or lack of it on their face as they go through the day.
2006-10-21 10:54:26 · answer #10 · answered by June smiles 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋