Tuesday November, 2, 2010, was a historic day. One of the largest shifts in Congressional, and State, power in the life of our country. Some argue that Tuesday’s election results are spectacular news. Others argue that Tuesday's results are terrible news. Those arguments are largely up to interpretation. However,the third, and weakest, argument is that the results don’t matter at all. This last argument is best described as the 'Mindset of Least Resistance.'
Its an easy thing to always forecast doom. No matter what news comes, the least creative, least forward-thinking, and least helpful philosophy to embrace is that in which things are inevitably going to get worse.
We have all heard these pessimistic arguments: “no matter who has power, they are all just cut from the same cloth,” or “the system is so broken, its irreparable.” While these sort of whining statements show a cynical belief in humanity, there are worse than that. These arguments, and mindsets, are representations of the purest form of simplistic-nihilism and cowardice.
Taking this pessimistic outlook is cowardly for two distinct reasons:
- The pessimist is insulated from being wrong. If something good happens the pessimist can say “well, as bad as things are, something good was bound to happen.” However, if something bad happens, the pessimist can say “I told you so.” Often the pessimist actively ignores good news, and focuses on the bad to validate a deeply held, and wholly self-serving, belief in impending doom.
- Pessimism is a backhanded way of absolving oneself of responsibility. If there are forces beyond anyone’s control driving the Nation, and(or) World, to destruction, one’s person’s actions simply don’t matter. This cowardice may be manifest in belief in conspiracy theories, obsessing about some cabal that few “truly understand,” physical detachment from society, or ignorance for the purpose of avoiding negativity.
These distinct characteristics of cowardice are best combated by calling those out who demonstrate such behavior. This is not to say that one spends most of the day in a cloud of bliss and rainbows; there is a middle-ground between ignorant bliss and gloom-mongering.
In all, few pessimists have accomplished anything of great worth through history. Likewise, those who embrace this easy and weak mindset today, accomplish little. If we ever hear our friends, or even ourselves, sounding like a pessimist, its best to assist that person back to a mindset of being a force for general optimism. No one is served when a gloomy predictions becomes a stumbling block to a solution.
Don’t take the Mindset of Least Resistance. There are always things which can certainly be improved. Likewise, there are just as many things to admire. No matter what your personal feelings on this historic week in early November, 2010, don’t cower in a pit of self-serving pessimism. You're better than that.
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