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Sebastien's avatar

As you said, pessimism is often nothing more than an immune reaction from our system. It is the old sour grapes fable; if I can't have it/make it, then it is probably useless/a lie. This is a comforting stance because then, everything is solved... but nothing is solved, isn't it? Your mind does not speak to you indeed, you speak to your mind and then your mind starts speaking back to you like a well-taught parrot. I think this is very common in young adults because (apart from our growing hormones) there is so much that we don't understand and so little we have a grip on, that this is just one way to hold it all together. But once the mind has found an apparently efficient system, it's very hard to discard it or "update" the software. So something that should have stayed a child's cope becomes a way of living. And the more we use it, the more we dress it with nice clothes and ornaments and we see it as wisdom because we can't face the fact that this is just weakness in disguise. In a way, pessimism is a courtesy that cowardice does to courage.

If I may, I think there is a pretty good "third way". And as usual, it is to be found in the (real) wisdom of the past. The ancient Greeks used to think that the gods (or "fate", later on) were ruling their lives. But that didn't mean they weren't trying to create and conquer. They believed in a form of fatalism: doing everything in your power to live well and honour the gods by your deeds, but ultimately accepting that your fate will be decided by these same gods. A modern translation would be to act as if you were destined to make whatever-you-want-to-accomplish happen, but eventually accept defeat by telling yourself that maybe this was not your destiny, and that maybe there is still something good that you did along the way that you have to find back and work upon. I agree this is a bit sanctimonious and "easy" to say, but really, is there an other way to live?

Always a pleasure Thomas, see you next time.

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Sutpen's avatar

"The aim of journalism is for it to be read. The aim of literature is for it to be re-read." Perfect after being inundated with news cycles all week.

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