Could be better... Could be worse... Which is it?

Why do so many people need to label themselves as optimists or pessimists? Can’t we just be realists that have fluctuating moods?
Fact: It’s half a glass of water.

The more correct answer is how the person is actually feeling. Right now he is feeling a bit down and we should acknowledge that. A statement such as “could be worse” will likely do little for the man. As a person with empathy I would say “i hope your day gets better” or something else that is cheerful and would hopefully brighten his day. It’s not about how you feel when he responds but rather about what is true to him.

It is a similar conundrum when someone asks how you are doing and you want to say ‘i feel like shit’ but don’t. We are concerned what the asker will think of us when we say that. But the truth is you shouldn’t be asking if you don’t want to hear the truth. “could be better” is just a polite way of saying “i feel like shit”. I know when we went through trauma all I said was “not so good” but everytime I felt just awful for telling the truth. I don’t think it is a matter of perspective, i think it is a matter of empathy. IMHO

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Technically it always could be better and always could be worse. However, I choose to just be thankful for what I have and try to not think much past that. Whenever I do feel myself getting out of line I remember what my grandfather used to always say- “I once cried because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet.”

If he was really feeling poorly, you are lucky he didn’t tell you to get stuffed. Since he didn’t, I would take that as a sign that things weren’t too bad but still could be better, which is what he said!

@trumi: Water? wtf? I ordered a cheeseburger!

A glass filled to 50% of its capacity can ONLY be half full or half empty.

In life everything can ALWAYS get worse or better. You never really can hit either extreme. Both hold equally true at every give time.

I think you need to define what you mean by “correct”. I dont think you can classify a point of view as correct or not correct. What you can do is evaluate if your point of view is working in your benefit, and try to change it if you realize that it’s not doing you any good.

In a logical sense, the answer to your question is no – the answers are equivalent.

I don’t know where this idea comes from that ‘things can always get worse’. I can think of many many circumstances that really are rock bottom. Or perhaps the truth is that they really feel like rock bottom and at the time you are going through it the only thing that can make it worse is death itself which, in fact, many people hope for and think of as a relief.

@RedPowerLady: Give an example or two of rock-bottom circumstances. I bet we can come up with ways to make them all worse.

@MacBean I think my second sentence summed up my feelings more than the first Or perhaps the truth is that they really feel like rock bottom and at the time you are going through it the only thing that can make it worse is death itself which, in fact, many people hope for and think of as a relief.

For example if you are being consistently sexually abused by a close relative. What could make that worse? I could think of some things that would seem worse but the truth is that once something that horrible has happened you numb up to whatever else happens on top of it.