A Joke – The Pessimist.

An avid duck hunter was in the market for a new bird dog. His search ended when he found a dog that could actually walk on water to retrieve a duck. Shocked by his find, he was sure none of his friends would ever believe him.

He decided to try to break the news to a friend of his, a pessimist by nature, and invited him to hunt with him and his new dog. As they waited by the shore, a flock of ducks flew by. They fired, and a duck fell. The dog responded and jumped into the water. The dog, however, did not sink but instead walked across the water to retrieve the bird, never getting more than his paws wet.

The friend saw everything but did not say a single word.
On the drive home the hunter asked his friend, “Did you notice anything unusual about my new dog?”
I sure did,” responded his friend. “He can’t swim.

I had planned to start an Optimists Club in Limerick this year to counteract all the negativity. But I didn’t go through with it because I thought nobody would show up

I am an optimist. My pint is always half full, ……..but then it’s a half pint….. and the government take 50% of the cost in tax….. so it’s quarter a pint. Aaaagh This country is fecked, I hate Bertie ……and everybody!

Pessimism or realism? Does it matter? I mean everything will just end in tears anyway

That’s a rather pessimistic result.

“The Irish – fatalistic and pessimistic to the core – will shrug their shoulders and just get on with their lives” is the full quote from the lonely planet and really looking round me and listening to people I can’t see anything wrong with that statement and whats more I dont really see anything wrong with getting on with our lives.I dont see that the hysterics from Greece achieved anything except damaging their major industry (tourism) and a few deaths, the cuts still happened and will continue for a long time

I don’t think it’s pessimism in a bad sense. The Irish can see the negative in something but as a way of protecting themselves from it. We don’t lie to ourselves. We’ll say times are bad then just get on with our lives.

We are bombarded by misery and the media are incapable of focusing on the positives. Every headline, every news story is filled with doom and gloom. The latest 200 new jobs in Mayo hardly got any exposure. It is an addiction at this point. The media chew on the bones of this failing economy without ever daring to change it. Realism is one thing. Pessimism is another. And being positive is even another. Both fall very short compared to action because that always speaks louder. Change has to come from us. The bitching now and the back stabbing seems to be rampant. We do need to get a grip. Dont we. There was lots of exposure to the apparently ‘sad’ folks heading out of Ireland after Christmas at the airports. But to be honest they are escaping the misery here… Look at the comments on thejournal.. Increasingly they are negative, bitchy, smart assed and totally unhelpful. The change won’t come from Enda Kenny and co. It has to come from us.

the irish arent pessimistic, they give out about everything, but really think it’ll all be graaand in the end

I think the killer line was describing us as having low self-esteem, not the pessimism as such.

Pessimism comes around and goes around, especially in tough times, but low self esteem is
there from the root.

This poll should have said ‘do you think the Irish suffer from low self esteem’ and the answer is YES.

And it matters a lot because this is why we don’t demand accountability from our politicians or from our public service. Sure most Irish people are unable to complain in a restaurant, let alone demand accountability from those in authority.

Pessimists can never be disappointed…. Optimists will always be let down! :-)

Pessimistic; maybe. Begrudging, moaning, apathetic, riddled with schadenfeude; yeah probably.

Is the Pope a catholic?

“a pessimist says it’s gonna rain …. I,m already dripping wet ” – Leonard Cohen

Let the moaning begin!

I would not call the irish pessimistic, I would certainly say we are a cynical bunch though, not easily surprised by corruption and ineptitude in our ruling classes. We don’t expect or demand competency, we expect moronic self-serving idiocy and corruption. And we get it too.

The difference between pessimism and cynicism can be subtle though. Particularly to people who don’t realise that grumbling about these things in Ireland is small talk akin to grumbling about the weather.

The infuriating thing is that unlike the weather, we do have the power to change things, but anyone who tries to realise this attracts the attention of the tiny but vocal far left who jump on any platform they can find and the message is lost beneath a tidal wave of ‘shell are the root of all evil’ and ‘real democracy’ bollox. Case in point: Occupy Dame Street.

I don’t think so, most of my friends and family would be positive. Very few sour pusses.

I used to the so positive! but then I grew up

In “Modern” Ireland Pessimism is Realism!

Rubbish

Yes, Irish folk complain about situations but never do much about it, hence the difference between our few meagre austerity protests, and the Greeks penchant for mass riots. Aside from that, we never moan when we meet each other; it’s a given fact that in Ireland when asked how you are you must reply “Ah grand, you know yourself…” Polish friends of mine from Lodz in the past have said that in when they meet each other trhey’re obliged to complain about something.

As for Lonely Planet, I’ve always taken what they say with a grain of salt. In 1999, when I visited Croatia, their guid book told me post Croats were against the fascist Ustashe state of World War II, and resisted it. I don’t know what history book that writer had been reading.Looking around me in Zagreb that very moment while reading that very passage told me the opposite; it was NDH (Narodna Drazva Hrvatska/National State of Croatia, the moniker for the regime in WWII) nostalgia everywhere, with as big monument dedicated to them in one part of the city. Tony Wheeler aside, I’ve seen better writers on teenage internet threads discussing Channel 4′s Big Brother than I’ve seen from Lonely Planet…

Obviously we’re not even though the country is f*cked!!!!

In his speech on Ireland’s future Enda Kenny says, “But by nature I am an optimist. And optimism, confidence and enthusiasm are essential ingredients as we face the future.” Somewhere there is a disconnect!

They did not interview all the positive Irish People who love a laugh…do not have to drink to laugh….and are fun to be around……its time we stood up for our real attitudes and not be labelled incorrectly. !!! come back lonely planet…now thats a negative term !! and re-interview us…..Nancy

Who cares we’re all doomed…

We have to be cut some slack for thinking the light at the end of the tunnel is yet another high speed train hurtling towards us, we have been hit so often we have become “punch drunk” as opposed to our normal just everyday drunkedness! But do believe we are only temporarily pessimistic, as a nation we don’t stick with one emotion for long!

Yes, our gene pool of dreamers, fighters and revolutionaries was depleted or deported over centuries. All that’s left are plastic paddies stuck in front of English soaps, reading English tabloids and supporting English soccer teams. We reaped what we sowed.

At least pessimism allows us to exceed our low expectations, or perhaps that’s too positive a way to look at it.

Sure, why wouldn’t ya be!!
Though, seriously, the media ratchet up the hype. Of course some of us are pessimistic. People are no different anywhere else. It must be said that our economic situation is the cause of a lot of the (not necessarily unwarranted) pessimism at this present time..

In my opinion, the only group of people more cynical than the Irish are New Yorkers. Negativity breeds negativity though and i think its time the media in general start taking a bit of responsibility for this. With all the doom and gloom stories circulating on the web, telly news and newspapers one might think nothing good ever happens in the world.

Yes, most are pessimistic! Just read some of the comments beneath any article on this site! Its sickening!

Similar to “Do you like answering No to polls?”

I don’t hold out much hope for the Irish populace with all the negative comments I’ve read. Oops!

People really need to stop being so depressing and look at things differently, in a positive light!

Half an hour in and no Bertie comment. Strange for The Journal.

The light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off due to budget cuts.

What about June?? http://eamonreillydotcom.deviantart.com/art/Robbie-Keane-279130502

In fairness it depends on the context, It’s hard not to be pessimistic with regards to politics!

Hmmmm I wonder how that result came about.

The only group I reckon might be more cynical than the Irish are New Yorkers. Negativity breeds negativity though and I think it’s time the media in general start taking responsibility for a bit of it with all their depressing news – you would think nothing good every happened in this world sometimes.

Gloomy optimists…

Why do we have to read these stupid boring stories? They are so rubbish.