Does being a pessimist cloud one's vision?

neverdespairgirl

Phirefly wrote: »

Do you think attitudes like this are instilled in ones upbringing? I can't help but suspect that a lot of what we're talking about here is profoundly affected by upbringing, and I don't mean whether you were wealthy or not, rather what values and behaviours were learned. Also, whether one adopts these values and behaviours or resists them...

I think that's right. My Dad used to say (and still does), "it's only money". He doesn't believe in stressing about it.

Could he have got richer with endless investment schemes? Very likely, but there would have been a lot more hassle, and my parents have enough money anyway.

brit1234

Its not about being a pessimist or a optimist. Its about making the best decisions on logic and knowledge as well as being able to read the through the spin what ever way it goes.

Phirefly

neverdespairgirl wrote: »

I think that's right. My Dad used to say (and still does), "it's only money". He doesn't believe in stressing about it.

Heheh. I'd have passed out if my Dad had said that - particularly when the phone bill arrived. Burst blood vessels and histrionics were more the order of the day....

Gangstabird

I want to put my tuppence worth in. I think that the housing market will recover quite soon. All of the FTB's are waiting for a bargain, until they get one, will simply not buy. Bang goes the chain as without the FTB's you don't get the rest. So prices are bound to come down quite a lot really if the FTB's stall the market.

The rest is history, labour government who overspend in public stuff, make it hard for the private sector to make anything these days (I am talking small businesses here, not HSBC), add to that the decision to give interest rates to the BofE (whose primary interest is making money for their investors) and you have a farkin nightmare.

I work in the public sector and have it easily enough. I do feel a bit guilty for those who don't as I see massive overspending each and every day. It's sickening.

m00m00

FTB's can want to buy, but until banks relax the lending criteria, it's just not going to happen.

chrisandanne

Gangstabird wrote: »

I. I think that the housing market will recover quite soon.

I think this makes you an 'optimist' :j A x

Gangstabird

chrisandanne wrote: »

Gangstabird wrote: »

I. I think that the housing market will recover quite soon.

I think this makes you an 'optimist' :j A x

I don't think I am. I have been predicting this for about 5 years and my friends tired of me quite quickly. I kept saying 'it's not sustainable', they kept telling me to shut up LoL.

But, the recession has not quite hit as hard as I am finding friends who used to go out a lot, cut it down for a month, and are now going out again.

Again, I could be way off course here, but this recession will not hit until after Christmas in my opinion.

mr.broderick

Conrad wrote: »

On balance I'm quite a pessimist when it comes to the economy (not in other ways).
Can't help noticing, that most people around me are more optimistic when it comes to matters economic.

As an example, some people I know are buying in Portugal, and despite my misgivings it now turns out the fairly large development is all sold, and much of that was new sales agreed this year
The pessimists may well give an auto response to this along the lines of - "Ah, but those aren't real sales I bet". They are real completed sales.

Optimists posses simple clarity of vision and a propensity to trust in the Human endeavour and not be buffeted by short term gloom.

WARNING****
Please can the uber pessimists refrain from thier usual defence, which is to claim they are REALISTS. All Pessimists in all times claim they are realists, but as history has shown, they nearly always have it wrong.

15 years from now, in terms of life outcomes will it be the case that the uber pessimists will have not achieved as much material wealth as those that just got on with the job of life and cast negativity to one side?

It is always a gamble, even in a rising market it takes balls to buy. I've done it in every market condition and can tell you it's not easy.

brit1234

m00m00 wrote: »

FTB's can want to buy, but until banks relax the lending criteria, it's just not going to happen.

Unless you gave been saving a large deposit for years.

However even with a large deposit it is stupid to buy now when prices are falling so much.:exclamati

neverdespairgirl

Phirefly wrote: »

Heheh. I'd have passed out if my Dad had said that - particularly when the phone bill arrived. Burst blood vessels and histrionics were more the order of the day....

I don't mean he didn't care about it, and spent money left right and centre, he just didn't want it to dominate our lives.