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Are You an Optimist or a Pessimist?

Sunday 17 October 2010

I was in a big book shop yesterday. The pessimist in me said, "There are more great books written than I'll ever be able to read in my lifetime." The optimist in me said, "I'll never run out of great books to read."

I don't know, how do you see it?

Posted by Simon Kewin at 11:07

15 comments:

  1. Bruce Coltin17 October 2010 at 11:39

    At that moment, you were both an O and a P. Maybe that is what we should strive to have -- a perspective from both ends. Maybe.

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  2. Simon Kewin17 October 2010 at 11:53

    Bruce! You're back! Fair point too. There is wisdom in your words.

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  3. Anonymous17 October 2010 at 11:56

    I have the opposite problem in bookshops at the moment, I go in and other than a small handful I see there is nothing I want to read at the moment. I even had an author pounce on me yesterday with books of his he was signing, he literally pounced, it was the most off putting approach ever, how to make a potential reader run a mile in the opposite direction.

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  4. Simon Kewin17 October 2010 at 11:58

    lacer,

    He literally pounced? I'd quite like to have seen that!

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  5. Anonymous17 October 2010 at 12:18

    Yep, pounced, it was like being assaulted by an elderly jaguar with a large pile of books I'd never heard of. He smelt of desperate author (and I did wonder if Waterstones knew he was actually in there) I felt a bit sorry for him really.

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  6. Simon Kewin17 October 2010 at 12:34

    lacer,

    Wow. Did you see what the book was? Book Marketing for Beginners?

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  7. Old Kitty17 October 2010 at 13:51

    Optimist!! Always! I never ever want to run out of great books to read!

    :-)

    Take care
    x

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  8. Simon Kewin17 October 2010 at 14:16

    Old Kitty,

    Good to know!

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  9. Milo James Fowler17 October 2010 at 14:18

    I agree, Simon. I've always been a pessimist who masquerades as an optimist, so I can easily see both sides of this proverbial coin. We will never run short of books to read! Perhaps we should invest in a good speed-reading course...

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  10. Simon Kewin17 October 2010 at 14:21

    Milo,

    When I was younger I'd have taken the pessimistic view more, I think. Now I would tend to go for the optimistic. There's a lot to be said for growing older!

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  11. Alex J. Cavanaugh17 October 2010 at 15:51

    I'd take the optimistic view.

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  12. Anonymous17 October 2010 at 20:07

    Wow, I've never had that conversation with myself, but now you've got me thinking.

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  13. Simon Kewin17 October 2010 at 20:34

    Alex,

    Please to hear it!

    Donna,

    Ah, probably just me then!

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  14. Karen Jones Gowen17 October 2010 at 21:09

    I've thought this before, usually while standing before stacks of library shelves. It's overwhelming really.

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  15. Kittie Howard18 October 2010 at 01:16

    I don't know, depends on your follow thru. However, I think you're an optimist. I am. Thinking negative makes the brain get wrinkles!!

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I'd love to know what you think.