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Quote of the Day: Half-Full, Half-Empty, or Not a Glass at All?
“The Optimist thinks this is the best of all possible worlds, the Pessimist fears it is true.”
I first saw this quote in a book of quotes in high school, attributed to J. Robert Oppenheimer. As I had written my high school paper on the nuclear bomb test at Trinity Site, and I revered explosive devices, this was a natural choice for my yearbook quote. It played into my natural cynicism as a teenager – the world was broken, and everyone was an idiot. (The level of cynicism displayed by most people in my high school had would make Fake John Galt blush)
Looking from twice that age, I can still value in it. People clearly see the world completely differently. People look at Trump and see completely different things. Some people see him as the best world leader of the last century, others see him as the source of all evil in the universe past, present, and future. Obama was even more famous for being something people projected their own worldview onto, seeing him the way they wanted to see him (Obviously I think my perspective is correct – if I thought it was wrong, I would change my perspective).
I have a good friend from Singapore who thinks democracy is insane and the only way forward is rule by a bureaucracy. Actually changing what the government is doing is impossible. I could only imagine how alien life would see the world.
Now, this is not the end of the story, since this quote was not made by Oppenheimer, but was instead by James Branch Cabell, a satirical fantasy author. His version of the quote was even better from the know-it-all, above-it-all adolescent:
Creeds matter very little… The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true. So I elect for neither label.
How many times have you we heard people proclaim their transcendence of simple categories? Beyond left and right, they represent a higher plane than all of us grubby partisans. Almost without exception, this is a Trojan horse for their ideology, usually left-wing.
Now, Oppenheimer did have a fairly cynical view of the world, as the below quote demonstrates, but it was tempered by a certain conservative skepticism of magical solutions to all of our problems:
Published in Religion & PhilosophyIt is perfectly obvious that the whole world is going to hell. The only possible chance that it might not is that we do not attempt to prevent it from doing so.
Finally got to a place with WiFi so I could post this.
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This reminds me of what I used to tell people who said I didn’t respect their opinions: Of course I don’t respect your opinion. If I did, it would be my opinion. I respect your right to have a differing opinion.
“I am become death, the destroyer of worlds”.
I always want to offer him a high five.
Whoa, Paladin! Hafta say, this was not the optimal thing for your everlovin’ Panda to read today…Glad I did, though, I think. :-)
That reminds me that the Trinity Site is open in one month, for its semi-annual open day. I need to get down there.
I think this post should get to the Main Feed
If it does not, this is why I pay for Ricochet, and subject myself to abuse:
Excellent post, @omegapaladin. So often people don’t even realize they have a choice on how to see the world! Well done and thank you!
The engineer wants a bigger glass.
I love this, thank you!
Strive to be a Realist.
The optimist sees the glass half full.
The pessimist sees the glass half empty.
The Realist knows that they are both wrong, because the glass is 100% full: the glass is half full of liquid, with the remaining half full of air.
The optimist sees the glass as half full.
The pessimist sees the glass as half empty.
The engineer sees the glass as correctly designed with a k-factor (safety margin) of two.
I always opted for the half-full glass. That way I get to fill it with what I want.
Hopefully what you want makes the drink stronger . . .
My brother, the Missing Rhody, made a cognizant point about that question. A glass that is being poured into is left half full. A glass that is being drunk from is left half empty.
It all depends on whether the glass is in the process of being filled or emptied, doesn’t it?
DRINK!
The glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
I like the original quote, but I love this one.
Hope he’s found soon. You were the smart one, the Rhody less traveled.
I don’t know if I agree with this Susan. What data do you have that people’s pessismism or optimism aren’t based on their genetics and the interplay of the chemicals in their mother’s womb?
Think about communism. Which is now called socialism. The right after the fall of the Berlin got tired and quit making the arguments that government control is bad and now millenials are into government control.
I don’t believe optimism is the way.
I don’t believe pessimism is the way.
I believe in physics. F=MA.
That rarely fails to sort things out.
If you would like to suggest a a more optimal quote for me run with, let me know!
Will do, it was well-chosen, but I was not in the best of places to have read it, then. Clouds are lifting, slowly but surely…No worries. :-) How about this one?:
“In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have overcome the world.”
(John 16:33) New American Bible: Revised Edition HarperCollins. [Kindle Edition.]