Are you a Cynic or a Realist?

[frash.exe]

When the same outcome keeps repeating itself, when does being "negative" stop being cynical? I realize this isn't exactly related to the thread, just trying to increase my knowledge since this is in your line of work. (I know I could google but that mostly just pulls up articles like "how to stop being so damn cynical" which isn't what I'm looking for)

You're probably better off just looking online

[panthers55]

When the same outcome keeps repeating itself, when does being "negative" stop being cynical? I realize this isn't exactly related to the thread, just trying to increase my knowledge since this is in your line of work. (I know I could google but that mostly just pulls up articles like "how to stop being so damn cynical" which isn't what I'm looking for)

Negative is a mindset which tends to influence your thinking. There is a lot of research which supports the notion that negativity may be inherited and that each of have a tendency to be negative or optimistic.  It doesn't mean you can't change your attitude but for people who tend to be more negative it is harder to do and requires work.  People who are consistently negative tend to be that way regardless of the circumstances. When something goes right instead of being happy or excited they wait for things to go the other direction.  They might say that sure that great but just wait and see, it won't last or for every good thing that happens, 2 bad things happen so..........

 

Cynicism is related to negativism in that the most cynical people tend to be the most negative but not all cynics are negative.  The difference is really that someone might be somewhat cynical or skeptical about something but aren't necessarily negative and are willing to listen to a counter idea with somewhat of an open mind.  You see it on the huddle.  Posters who have a negative point of view about something look for affirmation that they are right and even when given information to the contrary, refuse to change or reconsider their point of view.  True skeptics might say this is what I see or believe but when given information to the contrary consider it and are willing to change their mind as the evidence dictates.  This is different than people who say this is what I see and this is why I believe it.  That is healthy discussion.  But when someone says this is what I believe and I don't care what you say or what you present I am not changing my mind, that is a predetermined negative mindset.  I realize that few people would be that blatant in their posts to say they ignore other points of view but it is clear that is what they are doing.

[Jangler]

Now that this is the lounge...

 

In general, I am an optimist.

 

Best summed up in a song, as usual

 

 

[Dpantherman]

I've always felt like the Internet was the place for cynicism and sarcasm.  I'm capable of serious conversations but I usually have those in person.  In real life I hold things in and let a lot of people's poo go in one ear and out the other. I'm very non-confrontational, and don't really find many reasons to be argumentative.

 

Some of my family members probably think I'm a push over because I'm quiet but thats not the case

[Cat]

 

The Realist Attitude

 

• Positive Traits: Clear-headed, Gets the big-picture, Grounded, Non-judgmental, Objective, Sees both sides of things, Sees the world as it really is, Sorts out fact from fiction

   

• Negative Traits: Biased, Jumps to conclusions with insufficient facts, Struggles with choices, Subjective, Supposition, Won't see point of view of others

 

 

 

So they are objective and subjective, they see things from both sides and they also can't see the point of view of others.  Hmm....am I missing something?

[SZ James (banned)]

OP=

[frash.exe]

How about a riddle for people who are following this thread involving a poster I'm not going to name but let you interpret his outlook based on his posts?

"I'm a guy who berates people for having a different opinion than me. I'm not afraid to tell people on a message board that I whip my kids for having a poor attitude, and I occasionally make idle physical threats to people online because I'm not afraid to go there. I generally have this attitude that everyone around me is an idiot and remind everybody i think that constantly. I have no faith in Americans after Obama got re-elected. Despite all this i get viciously defensive when people talk negatively about the panthers, especially DeAngelo Williams, Marty Hurney, and the like. What am I?"

[pstall]

so the truth is somewhere in the middle? dang i hate seeing the golden mean fallacy get blown up again.

[Zod]

Any psychologist worth a darn would not begin to try to analyze anyone based on an internet message board, no?

[panthers55]

How about a riddle for people who are following this thread involving a poster I'm not going to name but let you interpret his outlook based on his posts?

"I'm a guy who berates people for having a different opinion than me. I'm not afraid to tell people on a message board that I whip my kids for having a poor attitude, and I occasionally make idle physical threats to people online because I'm not afraid to go there. I generally have this attitude that everyone around me is an idiot and remind everybody i think that constantly. I have no faith in Americans after Obama got re-elected. Despite all this i get viciously defensive when people talk negatively about the panthers, especially DeAngelo Williams, Marty Hurney, and the like. What am I?"

Who is the poster who is the biggest cynic on this board?  Constantly negative and critical who is largely disliked by most everyone for his constant negativity??  Who is the poster that constantly puts others down and attacks others thinking he is funny and cute when the reality is most others think he is a jerk and a bully.  Despite this he posts daily despite having little if anything to say of any circumstance.  He is the poster who changed his name from Ragin Bull because people got tired of his negative posting.  Who is the same poster that uses this message board to gain recognition because he has no friends and people avoid him??

 

Now when someone says something negative about cynics he gets all mad because he can't stand looking at himself and knowing he has been exposed.

[panthers55]

Any psychologist worth a darn would not begin to try to analyze anyone based on an internet message board, no?

Posting an article talking about being a cynic and realist is not analyzing anyone based on an internet message board. It is informational nothing else. You are right no one would try and counsel someone or give advice without a complete assessment and without their permission.  Saying someone is a cynic is a personal opinion not a professional assessment.  There is a big difference between the two.

[frash.exe]

Wow that's some real technical psychological analysis right there patch adams

[panthers55]

Wow that's some real technical psychological analysis right there patch adams

There is no psychological analysis there. Everything I say here is a personal opinion to be rejected or accepted as you wish.  it doesn't make it less true just not a professional assessment. Okay, Don Rickles?

[SZ James (banned)]

so the truth is somewhere in the middle? dang i hate seeing the golden mean fallacy get blown up again.

The problem isn't really "what is the right attitude or worldview to have". A real moderate would say that there isn't an all encompassing truth to that question.

The problem is that the OP listed cynic and realist as opposites. What is the middle truth in that equation? They're not even in the same class.