What Does pessimism Mean
The word pessimism has its etymological origin in Latin. Thus, we can establish clearly and concisely that it is the result of the union of two Latin words. On the one hand, from the term pessimus , which can be translated as “very bad”, and on the other, from the suffix - ism , which is equivalent to “conduct”.
However, the term as such was coined by the French writer and philosopher François Marie Arouet, who has gone down in history as Voltaire. Specifically, it was in the year 1759 when this figure of the Enlightenment established the aforementioned term as a way of opposing the concept of optimism that the German politician Gottfried Leibniz had already created.
It is known as pessimism to the propensity to judge things by their most unfavorable or negative aspect . This concept is the opposite of optimism , which consists of analyzing situations from the most favorable dimension.
For example: "Enough with pessimism, the situation may improve and you don't have to sell the car" , "The country presents daily news that invite pessimism; It is difficult to look to the future with hope ” , “ People who do not allow pessimism to live the longest ” , “ Pessimism is part of the daily life of certain people ” .
Many are the characteristics or identity signs that make it clear that a person is pessimistic. However, among the most significant are the following: low self-esteem, fear of many things in life, capacity for negative self-criticism, distrust of others ...
In addition to all the above, it must also be emphasized that a person who gets carried away by pessimism is someone who, faced with any problem, runs into a wall that is difficult to overcome. And it is that he does not see things clearly and does not have the necessary objectivity to see them. That in the end translates into increasing your state of anxiety and stress, worrying excessively about the situation and entering a dynamic of absolute chaos.
Quite the opposite of what happens to the optimist who accepts reality, sees the problem with greater objectivity and discovers the capacity he has to face it.
Pessimism is, on the other hand, the philosophical system that attributes the greatest possible imperfection to the universe . This means that, for pessimists, we live in the worst of all possible worlds.
Pessimistic philosophers hold that human beings must recognize that they know nothing, are nothing, and cannot achieve anything. Therefore, life has no purpose.
The religions are based, in a certain way, on the pessimistic doctrine since they recognize the existence of Evil in the world and minimize human existence in front of divine entities. However, they leave the door open to some kind of redemption (through following God's commands , etc.) for after death.
For psychology , finally, pessimism can be a symptom of diseases such as depression . Pessimistic thoughts and manifestations, in this sense, can reflect the existence of an emotional disorder characterized by dejection and unhappiness.