No room for pessimism

Even though we are up against the very worst attitudes, unbelievable levels of indifference, almost total lack of responsibility towards the weak, acceptance of a value system geared up to damage future prospects, all this shouldn’t make us pessimistic. It’s the ultimate challenge, to face each other and, despite such different viewpoints, resist the temptation to go to war against each other. It’s as if we are the victims of a divide-and-rule system, designed to keep us at each other’s throats; to keep us bickering; to keep us weak. Our non-acceptance of each other’s views easily turns into a non-acceptance of each other, as whole persons. Dislike and disapproval too easily becomes “dismiss and destroy”. We bully in order to win. But there is nothing to win. All we do is spoil the one chance we have of coming together. Pessimism keeps us weak and at war with one another. Example: vegans fighting meat eaters.
Take another example of a fight in the home, where the dominant adult goes ‘over the top’ with the rebellious child - the adult shows disapproval of a child (for behaving badly), ignoring the fact that this young person is trapped by their own inexperience of life. By showing how the child is lesser, because of their behaviour, separation starts. Then follows an attempt to exert pressure on them, to bring about better behaviour. This strays into non-acceptance of the whole person. It then becomes really destructive. Both parties recognise something is badly failing, that a faith is being broken, that things aren’t progressing positively. And the further we go with it the less chance there is to restore balance. Even violence creeps in. At this point there’s a feeling of being overwhelmed, like something is irrevocably failing, and pessimism is all we can hold onto. We abort on each other - the parent gives up on their kids, and vice versa.
If we can be optimists, through thick and thin, we can break the vicious circle. Break the ‘victim’ mould. We can insist on forging a positive reality. When we see violence, we can try to see past it. And then we can see it giving way to non-violence. It’s as if the quarrelling is purposely trying to set ‘itself’ up for a break through, where the optimist is actively avoiding the trap of separation, and never letting go of the possible positive outcome. Recognising there’s a valuable lesson to be learned the optimist finally succeeds in breaking through
Yet another example: If I predict that the value of my house will drop because Abdullah has moved in next door, I am a pessimist; the optimist would see things differently – their value system would be based on something more wholesome. So, instead of being resentful I make friends with Abdullah. And this good neighbour would become my greatest asset. The pessimist sees the gloom. To the optimist, Abdullah might be the one person who can lift the gloom. What better aim could there be than to focus on changing things for the better, moving towards the integration of different cultures, with the aim of building the global village. If we bring this about it will simply be because we are capable of it.
What could be better than living together like they do in the garden, where cats and cabbages and kids all rub along nicely together. In a future world there won’t have to be any need to be hurtful or getting personal in our arguments and certainly no reason to eat pigs or milk cows or kill chickens. If we are up to date with what’s happening in our world, we’d already know that being vegan and having a plant-based food and clothing regime is possible. Once we can reach this point, then it’s just a stroll along the garden path to where it all gets easier and easier. Where it becomes natural and fashionable, and then to think nothing of it.