This perception of personality dates back to the 7th-8th century BC. A prominent representative of the worldview through the prism of pessimistic attitudes was the ancient Greek versifier and rhapsodist Hesiod. However, his views can be called global. Today it is necessary to talk about who is a pessimist in the narrower sense of the word.
To consider this type of personality, it is necessary to start from the works of leading philosophers and writers of the 19th-20th centuries, namely Vladimir Solovyov and Arthur Schopenhauer. Taking as a basis the classification standard for psychology, they managed to most accurately determine the typological traits of the pessimist's character.
Who is a pessimist according to V. Solovyov
To determine the formula of unconditional pessimism, the philosopher took the "Four Noble Truths" of Buddhist teachings as a basis. 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 joy, which is destinedend, will eventually lead to it. A pessimist perceives himself as a weak person, prone to hatred and attachment, which results in negative emotions that bring suffering. At the same time, 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, clearing the mind of human attachments, envy and anger towards people, impatience and irritation. A pessimist is often inclined towards moral growth and knowledge of wisdom, calmness.
Who is a pessimist - A. Schopenhauer's definitionsSchopenhauer's teaching says that suffering is an inevitable and constant process in the life of a pessimist. Death for him is 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 duties to society, family. The pessimist prefers to remain in the shadows, not because he loves it, but because he is aware of all the imperfections of the world. In other words, such a person does not like to accept advice and moralizing, because he believes that he carries peace in himself, has all the knowledge that is necessary for his essence.
Who is a pessimist: signs of behavior
Having followed the definitions of the concept of "pessimist" in the works of two significant figures in the field of world philosophy, explaining the very essence of the worldview of pessimists, we should move on to the typological features of the behavior of such a person "in the crowd":
-aloofness, the desire to be alone with oneself;
- aggressive perception of criticism or ignoring the critical assessment of one's actions;
- a tendency to introspection, therefore, closeness;
- anxiety, a tendency to believe 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?" test developed by psychologists. You can find it on the pages of many popular publications.
