Are depressed people more realistic?

[naimless]

The determination doesn't just depend on you. You are ignoring the rest of the universe unless you are the whole universe.

[thesummerqueen]

I must really be exhausted and sick, because I'm tired of going round and round with you fucks.

[Shell B]

because a realistic person would weigh both sides of the situation, not just the one.

So, an optimistic person like yourself is also unrealistic? I agree with your point, to an extent, though I am of the opinion that there is far more of what we consider unsavory in the world than there is good, which is why we must seek good. I'm just wondering if you see yourself as a realist.

[Mystic]

It maybe that they are overthinking things that's why. Not every wisdom is complicated. Intelligent people may be overthinking life. Just be good to yourself and others, have high hopes, and take the bad things with grace. When I tend to think a lot, I get depressed. When I go back to the basic rhythm of the heart, everything get's easy and bright.

[frz]

The total perspective vortex

In 1988, psychologists Shelley Taylor and Jonathon Brown published an article making the somewhat disturbing claim that positive self-deception is a normal and beneficial part of most people’s everyday outlook. They suggested that average people hold cognitive biases in three key areas: a) viewing themselves in unrealistically positive terms; b) believing they have more control over their environment than they actually do; and c) holding views about the future that are more positive than the evidence can justify. The typical person, it seems, depends on these happy delusions for the self-esteem needed to function through a normal day...

Studies into clinical depression have yielded similar findings, leading to the development of an intriguing, but still controversial, concept known as depressive realism. This theory puts forward the notion that depressed individuals actually have more realistic perceptions of their own image, importance, and abilities than the average person. While it’s still generally accepted that depressed people can be negatively biased in their interpretation of events and information, depressive realism suggests that they are often merely responding rationally to realities that the average person cheerfully denies.

...These problems put therapists in the curious position of teaching patients to develop irrational patterns of thinking—patterns that help them view the world as a rosier place than it really is. Counter-intuitive as it sounds, it's justified because what defines a mental disorder is not unreasonable or illogical thought, but abnormal behaviour that causes significant distress and impairs normal functioning in society. Treatment is about restoring a person to that level of normal functioning and satisfaction, even if it means building cognitions that aren’t precisely “rational” or “realistic.”

I agree with this study. This is sort of the point I was trying to make in my thread about how we define crazy.

[Tex]

The problem I see in those depressed isn't that they are pessimistic fools. Instead its about focus and drive. When a problem arises, the optimist will say its not that bad and move on, the pessimist will say its the worst thing ever and never move on. However, both aren't dealing with any sort of issue. One just maintains la la land while the other thinks only on problems. Not just person to person, but as a civilization, we need to focus more on solutions rather than ignoring or hyperfocusing on problems.

[Creed of Heresy]

I must really be exhausted and sick, because I'm tired of going round and round with you fucks.

Get on the merry-go-round and I'll spin ya some more. Maybe it'll stop me from being so realistic.

[Tonus]

The problem I see in those depressed isn't that they are pessimistic fools. Instead its about focus and drive. When a problem arises, the optimist will say its not that bad and move on, the pessimist will say its the worst thing ever and never move on. However, both aren't dealing with any sort of issue. One just maintains la la land while the other thinks only on problems. Not just person to person, but as a civilization, we need to focus more on solutions rather than ignoring or hyperfocusing on problems.

I think that when a problem arises, the optimist will tackle it with the confidence that he can resolve it, while the pessimist tackles it with the worry that he will fail. It's not that they don't try, it's how they approach the task. I think that how we approach life has a significant impact on how far we get. A person determined to succeed will take steps that a person lacking confidence will take. More often than not, those additional steps taken (or not taken) make all the difference.

The person who is optimistic but takes no steps to resolve a problem is delusional or has overcome his concerns via chemistry. The person so pessimistic that he takes no steps to resolve a problem may well be resigned to defeat, or has become depressed, which I see as different from pessimism.

[The Grand Nudger]

A person determined to succeed will also often take imprudent steps. History is full of such people, determined to storm the castle, for instance.

Give and take. A realistic person would be somewhere in the middle, wouldn't they? Determined to succeed, acutely aware of what may aid them in failure, weighing both before action? For example, it isn't pessimistic to conclude that you are likely to fail at a task due to your lack of skill, opportunity, and planning...lol is it? Wouldn't optimism or pessimism be the appropriate appraisal of a situation (and your relation to it) based upon the circumstances? If a person is being optimistic despite staring at the gaping maw, as it were, are they actually being optimistic, or are they simply being foolish? The same for the reverse.

[junkyardboy]

It will prove your view is not realistic.

If I went in with the determination that I was going to find god no matter what, you better believe that I'd build me some cognitive dissonance and "find god". Theists do it every day on this forum. If you're bound and determined to find something to be pessimistic or 'depressed' (not clinically, but colloquially) about, you're going to find it. Junkyard is determined to see only the bad parts of the world. Shit in, shit out. You're right, it has nothing to do with realism, because a realistic person would weigh both sides of the situation, not just the one.

and the world lurches forward toward war and destruction
the last world war killed 60+million people
the next one will be far more statistically impressive