Pessimism is killing me

Terin · Huzzah! Gender: Joined: 27 Oct 2003

Those who know me know that I'm an optimistic person, laid back, happy go lucky guy. My tolerance levels for putting up with almost any behavior is through the roof (thanks to my two younger sisters ^_^) However, my BS tank is reaching capacity, and pessimism is what's filling it.
Anymore it seems like everyday, I get bombarded with it in the news, at work, by friends, by family. Everyone's looking to take a jab at me if they can get one in. Do I make it easy? Perhaps (like telling the whole office that I'm a vegetarian but I hate salad), but for crying out loud lay off. It's getting to the point where I'm afraid to voice any ideas/opinions I have to anyone because I know they'll go into "devil's advocate mode" and tell me why I'm wrong. I have no problem being wrong, I don't understand why people find it so damn hard to admit that they are fallible. Congratulations, you're human. The only shows I can watch on TV seems to be limited to The Food Network, Man against the Wild, and for some odd reason I have a morbid fascination with VH1 reality shows. I can't talk to anyone in the office about health because every overweight guy there is a self-proclaimed expert telling me to cut the carbs. It's getting to the point where I'm going to have an identity crisis because I don't know who'se right, I only know that I always seem to be wrong. May has not been fun.
-T

Silver Adept · Otaku Lord Age: 41 Gender: Joined: 20 May 2003

Take a lesson from the Transmetropolitan School of Journalism. To wit:

This is the chair leg of truth. You should respect the chair leg f truth. In fact, anybody who goes devil's advocate should be told to listen to the chair leg of truth, because it does not lie.

They may feel like they're going to always e right, but all you can really do is thank them for their input, and hit them with the chair leg of truth if things get to far out of hand. Remember, the chair leg of truth does not lie.

Graillik Tur · Renaissancetaku Gender: Joined: 09 Jul 2004

Next time some douche product tells you to cut the carbs, tell him to quit wasting $35 on a shirt that he could have bought at Wal-Mart. He's not a fashion expert, your not a dietician, everyone has something to learn.

Try that, see what happens.

Blackmage · Posted: Thu May 10, 2007 8:30 am Post subject:

I agree with Graillik, also when people tell you your wrong look at what they are telling you twist it around some and spin it back to them. Make them feel like an ass it'll make you feel better without actually being like them.

Akanari · Owns your reality Gender: Joined: 29 Sep 2004

Or you could become immune.

Retorting is certainly nice sometimes, but wouldn't it be better if you just hadn't been hurt in the first place? I'm not expecting anything, just, I've been dissapointed many times by expecting other people to treat me and my opinions with respect. So, fewer expectations, more pleasant surprises. but do I deserve to be treated like this? Hell no, but I can't change people.

Heh, I'm often the only liberal in debates in my classes...I take pride in being the dissenter, because without me, wouldn't life be boring?

*glomps* Now if only I had time to teach you to salsa. :] We'll find some.

ScrumYummy · bunnyhunches of scrums Gender: Joined: 29 Jun 2005

Welcome to the world of veg*nism

Everybody has the right to their own opinion, but most people are going to tell you that you are wrong, why you are wrong and what you should do. The best advice I can give you is to ignore it as best as possible and do as much research as you can, so that the next time somebody tries to tell you what to do or rags on you, you can give them the appropriate response to make them go away

Some people won't listen to research, though, at which times I tell them that I'm not going to argue with them, because I don't see the difference in arguing with them and arguing with a brick wall, and that I'd probably get more response out of the wall. Pick your battles, because sometimes it doesn't matter what you tell a person, they're convinced that you are wrong.

Akanari and I recently put forth some very good arguments for veg*nism in this thread, if you are interested =)

Ming · DOOM! Gender: Joined: 13 Jan 2003

ScrumYummy · bunnyhunches of scrums Gender: Joined: 29 Jun 2005

Ming · DOOM! Gender: Joined: 13 Jan 2003

Ahhh...interesting and clever. I thought it was something like how Wiccans refer to magic as "magick" and some feminists refer to women as "womyn".

Sperrit · Chosen of Earth Gender: Joined: 16 Oct 2002