This perception of personality originates in the 7th-8th centuries BC. A vivid representative of the worldview through the prism of pessimistic moods was the ancient Greek versifier and rhapsodic Hesiod. However, his views can be called global. Today it is necessary to talk about who such a pessimist is in the narrower meaning of the word.
To consider this type of personality, it is necessary to build on the works of leading philosophers and writers of the XIX-XX centuries, namely Vladimir Solovyov and Arthur Schopenhauer. Based on the classification standard for psychology, they were able to most accurately determine the typological features of the character of the pessimist.
Who is a pessimist according to V. Soloviev
To determine the formula of unconditional pessimism, the philosopher took as a basis the "Four Noble Truths" of Buddhist teachings. It should be said that these definitions concern not only the pessimistic perception of the world as a whole, but also the individual's perception of his being separately. According to Solovyov, a pessimist is a person who perceives his existence as suffering from birth to death. Everything in the world is done through suffering, even the joy that is destined to end will ultimately lead to it. A pessimist perceives himself to be a weak person, prone to hatred and attachment, which results in negative emotions that bring suffering. Moreover, according to the teachings of Buddhists, nirvana (i.e., the absence of pain and sadness) is possible by abstracting from the outside world and, therefore, cleansing the mind of human attachments, envy and anger towards people, impatience and irritation. A pessimist is often prone to moral growth and knowledge of wisdom, calmness.
Who is a pessimist - definitions of A. Schopenhauer
Schopenhauer's teachings say that suffering is an inevitable and constant process in the life of a pessimist. Death for him is a deliverance from the grief and sorrows of life. That is why people of this type often resort to suicide.
From the moment of birth, a person enters into suffering, having responsibilities to society, family. The pessimist prefers to remain in the shadow, not because he loves her, but because he is aware of the imperfection of the light. In other words, such a person does not like to accept advice and moralizing, because he believes that he carries peace, has all the knowledge that is necessary to his essence.
Who is a pessimist: signs of behavior
Having followed the definitions of the concept of “pessimist” from the works of two significant figures in the field of world philosophy, explaining the very essence of the worldview of pessimists, we should go to the typological signs of the behavior of such a person “in the crowd”:
- alienation, the desire to remain alone with oneself;
- aggressive perception of criticism or ignoring a critical assessment of their actions;
- a tendency to introspection, therefore, closeness;
- anxiety, a tendency to believe in the worst;
- the ability to give a "sober" assessment of what is happening.
By the way, it helps to find the answer to the question: "Who am I - an optimist or a pessimist?" a test that psychologists have developed. You can find it on the pages of many popular print publications.