I think there are at least two definitions of optimistic/pessimistic that are often conflated:
Epistemic: an optimist is someone who thinks doom is unlikely, a pessimist someone who thinks doom is likely
Dispositional: an optimist is someone who is hopeful and glass-half-full, a pessimist is someone who is despondent and fatalistic
Certainly these are correlated to some extent: if you believe there’s a high chance of everyone dying, probably this is not great for your mental health. Also probably people who are depressed are more likely to have negatively distorted epistemics. This would explain why it’s tempting to use the same term to refer to both.
However, I think using the same term to refer to both leads to some problems:
Being cheerful and hopeful is generally a good trait to have. However, this often bleeds into also believing it is desirable to have epistemic beliefs that doom is unlikely, rather than trying to figure out whether doom is actually likely.
Because “optimism” feels morally superior to “pessimism” (due to the dispositional definition), it’s inevitable that using the terms for tribal affiliation even for the epistemic definition causes tension.
I personally strive to be someone with an optimistic disposition and also to try my best to have my beliefs track the truth. I also try my best to notice and avoid the tribal pressures.
I think there are at least two definitions of optimistic/pessimistic that are often conflated:
Epistemic: an optimist is someone who thinks doom is unlikely, a pessimist someone who thinks doom is likely
Dispositional: an optimist is someone who is hopeful and glass-half-full, a pessimist is someone who is despondent and fatalistic
Certainly these are correlated to some extent: if you believe there’s a high chance of everyone dying, probably this is not great for your mental health. Also probably people who are depressed are more likely to have negatively distorted epistemics. This would explain why it’s tempting to use the same term to refer to both.
However, I think using the same term to refer to both leads to some problems:
Being cheerful and hopeful is generally a good trait to have. However, this often bleeds into also believing it is desirable to have epistemic beliefs that doom is unlikely, rather than trying to figure out whether doom is actually likely.
Because “optimism” feels morally superior to “pessimism” (due to the dispositional definition), it’s inevitable that using the terms for tribal affiliation even for the epistemic definition causes tension.
I personally strive to be someone with an optimistic disposition and also to try my best to have my beliefs track the truth. I also try my best to notice and avoid the tribal pressures.