I’m a Pragmatist
What About You?
I’m a pragmatist. I accept that the glass may be half empty but can easily celebrate if it reaches 75%. I’ve never received 100% of what I want from life. I don’t know anyone who has. It’s pretty easy for me to feel gratitude because I don’t seem to require rose-colored glasses to greet the day. On the contrary, I want to hear the facts, even if they’re troublesome. I figure I’ll have a better chance of discovering my options if I know what I’m up against.
— I beg your pardon, but life never promised you a rose garden
Don’t get me wrong; I love the idealists of the world. Often the most idealistic is the young. They embrace the hopeful belief that things can be reformed. Furthermore, they think that they’re the ones who will do the reforming. So, they plan to be better parents than their parents were, create a life for themselves that rises above the naysayers to claim what is rightfully theirs, that is, a meaningful existence centered around the important things in life. That’s right! Love, creativity, fairness, equality, and genuine happiness are ideals they often see lacking in the lives of their elders. They’re determined to change that. And some do go on to change things.
Thank you!
I’m always on the side of the young. They are the best of us. I’ve never understood the ancient trend of old people complaining nonstop about young people. Don’t they see that without young people, new ideas would never take root. Why not marvel at their enthusiasm, something which old people often lack? But no, traditionally, old people act as though young people are ridiculous. They may have started out life that way, but lost their grit along the way. They resent anyone trying to change what they created as a young idealist even if it’s outdated.
Sad.
There are always those who remain happy go lucky Lucys and Levis, however. They never outgrow their optimistic natures. I contend these fully grown people are simply wired that way. Just like there may be a gene that causes depression, there may also be a gene that produces happy endorphins for some at a higher rate than the average person.
I like these people, too.
However, they don’t always offer solutions because they’re determined that, given time, most people want to do what’s right and so everything will work out in the long run. I’m not sure about that, especially when it comes to most people wanting to do the right thing. There’s another gene, the selfish gene, which tends to interfere with good intentions.
Just saying …
Ignoring the general makeup of human beings who have been thrust into a world totally unprepared and then challenged to survive at all costs seems a bit counterproductive. The eternal optimist sometimes maintains their rosy outlook because they refuse to acknowledge the rough edges in life.
Of course, there are the pessimists.
The doomers. The naysayers. Those who look at the glass and not only see that it is half empty but also that it’s rarely refilled. They are quite likely to poo poo good ideas, drag their feet, and even sabotage their well-being because life seems like a heavy burden that they’ve been assigned to carry. They’re one step away from playing a dirge while wearing only black. They see the rose-colored glasses crowd as eternal fools and are willing to call them on it if needed. When their predictions come to pass, however, they appear to be wise, even better prepared for the worst that is to come.
Pessimists serve a purpose, too, although they often seem grim to the rest of us.
Realists, in my opinion, are a bit different yet. They face life without fear of the truth. They want the truth at all costs. They tend to be more practical when they offer solutions, sometimes opting to accept that there is no solution and so why waste time? If they can fix something, they will, however.
Realists get things done, because they look for as many options as possible. Thank you.
It’s interesting to note that if given enough time, I can think of people I know who fall into one or another of the above types. Perhaps all types are needed to bring a kind of balance to society. Each playing a role in society as we struggle to survive the challenges life throws our way.
What do you think?
Teresa is an author and professional myth buster. You can find her books on Amazon.
