PessimistNo

There's a pessimist outside my office. I hardly ever see him smiling, rather he has a down-in-the-mouth cynically-disgusted look permanently plastered on his face - so that even when he does smile, it looks like he's grimacing.

My son is friends with his son, and has noticed it too. I don't know how his wife copes.

Today he's pessimizing (new word!) about the raw deal he's getting at the hand of either the White Folk (all in his head), the Church (those who aren't conservative enough), or the Institution (more all in his head).

I'm honestly so tired of hearing that kind of stuff, I've just put on some (highly inappropriate, I hope) weird music, turned it up so I can't hear him, and tuned out.

How does one stop a pessimist from being pessimistic about everything? Spreading bad vibes to random passers-by? (he's pessimizing with someone who was waiting outside for a colleague)

There are some things I can ignore, but others seem to grate on me to no end. Intolerance of views outside the norm is one of them - which is why my music is turned up so I can't hear the moans about a group I think I fall into. The un-Conservative Christian types. The evil ones daring not to conform, willing to question and try something new.

I've heard it for so long, this bashing of alternate views. I just want to move forward in a positive direction, not get bogged down by the negativity of those who don't travel the same path, and won't let anyone else either.

Hard to do though when there's a vocal pessimist outside your door.