An argument in favour of Optimism

By well-wisher

Fri, 19 Feb 2016
  • 940 reads
2 comments
 
Can you argue in favour of pessimism and win? 
If you believe you can then you are being optimistic
And if you then win the argument, that is an argument for optimism not pesimism  because you believed you could win and you did.
And if you can't argue in favour of something and win then that something must be wrong.
Thus pessimism is wrong and optimism is right.
 
Note: You could say, paradoxically, that if you believe you're going to lose the argument and you do lose then that is an argument for pesimism and so you've won the argument but if you've won the argument then you've also, paradoxically, lost it and so its debatable wether you have won or not.
 
Also if you're optimistic about winning and you lose thats another paradox because by losing you've won and by winning you've lost and if you're pessimistic about winning and you win then thats an argument for optimism so, again, you've lost/won.
Certificate U
Non-fiction
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Philosophy

Comments

Submitted by london_calling79 on

Could you be distraught by winning as it proves you have no equal in argument and therefore no challenge?

 

Submitted by well-wisher on

Good point. Like a pyrrhic victory.

​A pessimist wouldn't believe they had no equals in argument because a pessimist always believes they are going to be beaten. An optimist wouldn't believe there were no more challenges.

 

Oh look, a link. I wonder where it leads.

JoHn