Monday, March 28, 2011

Dichotomies, Paradoxes, and Pessimists

People call me a pessimist because I see the negative. I reject this notion. Here's why.

Take a look at the picture to the left. What is it? Some see a vase, others see two faces looking at each other. Which one is it?

Yes.

Two sides of the same coin. There is no vase without two faces, and there are no faces without the vase. One can not exist without the other. So what I'm saying is, the existence of one object makes us see two objects. In reality, they are one; perfectly unified. Unfortunately, our puny minds are incapable of comprehending such an object, the same way we can never ever see all six sides of a cube. But nonetheless, it is one perfectly unified object. This is a dichotomy.

The same applies to good and bad. We all know that there is no good without evil, and vice versa. "Good" does not exist in a vacuum; it is eternally contrasted against evil, hence the necessity of there being "opposition in all things". Personally, I see the negative.

A perfect understanding of the negative perfectly outlines everything that is positive.

Now, how does this make me different from a pessimist? A pessimist does not see the dichotomy. A pessimest beleives evil exists in a vacuum, so he distorts his perception to see everything that is evil and ignore evil's very real limits. Yes, a pessimist is a negative thinker. Yes, an optimist is a positive thinker. Only looking at one or the other is irrational and distorted.

This is why I am an optimistic pessimist. Some say this is factually impossible. They are wrong. It is a dichotomy that I can see that very few others let themselves see.

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