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> In fact, "some psychologists concede that an element of self-deception may be necessary for well-being," Feltham says. I think about this every day, I thought it was an established fact for some reason. Perhaps I thought it was established since I know the saying " ignorance is bliss "
Could it be that people who see the world Realistically, get depressed?
For the HN crowd, consider startup founders. The vast majority of startups fail, yet virtually all founders go into it overestimating their chances of success. After all, if they were realistic about their chances, they'd find the whole business too crazy to begin with.
Correlation is not necessarily causation. Unless they have scienced the causation it might be quite possible for people who see the world more realistically to be at greater risk for depression.
"When you are a pessimist and the bad thing happens, you live it twice,' Amos liked to say. 'Once when you worry about it, and the second time when it happens."
This is a rational explanation for why anyone ought not succumb to pessimism.
This statement is way too sweeping... Some forms of pessimism probably reflect that, I'm an optimistic, not-depressed person who sees things that way - but I know plenty of often-depressed people who fail to see their circumstances clearly, and spiral because as a result of it. Friend: "I'm such a failure and my future is definitely going to be horrible!" Me: "So, who's judging you as a failure, why does such judgmen…
But there's a lot more to depression than seeing the world realistically. There's a tendency to feel inadequate, hopeless and disempowered. And there's more to that than seeing oneself and ones capabilities realistically.
One aspect is failing to break out huge problems into manageable pieces.
This statement is way too sweeping... Some forms of pessimism probably reflect that, I'm an optimistic, not-depressed person who sees things that way - but I know plenty of often-depressed people who fail to see their circumstances clearly, and spiral because as a result of it. Friend: "I'm such a failure and my future is definitely going to be horrible!" Me: "So, who's judging you as a failure, why does such judgmen…
Take a moment and consider this quote by the late Amos Tversky about his view on pessimism: "When you are a pessimist and the bad thing happens, you live it twice,' Amos liked to say. 'Once when you worry about it, and the second time when it happens." This is a rational explanation for why anyone ought not succumb to pessimism.