Skip to main content

The Poverty Pit - home of the misguided optimist

It is said the signature of a true optimist is one who hopes for a different outcome in watching the same movie twice.  We laugh and laugh.  How can anyone, yes anyone continue with such beliefs?  Yet we do, particularly when the promise seems so real, or when the circumstances are ever so slightly different, or when we really think this time is the charm.

Most of us are not such optimists as to movies.  But we are so, if the plot, characters, or situation are ever so slightly different.  This is the time... or so we hope.

Case in point:  local or national elections.  We see the one party offering salvation, jobs, prosperity, retribution, redistribution, reconciliation, and otherwise personal betterment, the other offering much the same.  If you liked the first movie and the promises, and have learned to hate the alternative, you are an easy sale. You vote predictably.  Your vote is counted in the bank months before even the candidate is announced.  If the incumbent promises a big change, it seems not to matter that nothing happened previously from the last cycle. This time, now it will work...  So goes the optimist.

An example.  In a recent interview Paul Ryan, speaker of the house, described a poverty trap that encapsulates many Americans who cannot break their voting habits.  In fact, it is more a poverty pit from which they cannot escape. They hope and hope and hope.  This group of Americans, now wider than ever, seems to believe a stroke of the pen can make them substantial. They vote for that stroke. They crave normalcy.  However, they embrace dependency.

The flip side of this is oppositional.  When the one promises the big change and you buy it, then it doesn't happen you become disillusioned.  You switch.  You are in a vast minority; you are an independent. Only you are courted by the contenders.

It seems these days, both sides offer the same thing: salvation, jobs, prosperity, retribution, redistribution, reconciliation, and otherwise personal betterment.  Neither side delivers. Yet, we seem to sign on to the same promises the next time.  This time it will surely work. It's suppose to!

Or so we think? Hope? Believe? Trust? Crave?

After a long while, we go for the longshot, not caring a bit. Just hoping for the Election Lotto game to come through.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Please Comment.

Popular posts from this blog

UNCERTAINTY IS CERTAIN

  Uncertainty is Certain G. Donald Allen 12/12/2024 1.       Introduction . This short essay is about uncertainty in people from both secular and nonsecular viewpoints. One point that will emerge is that randomly based uncertainty can be a driver for religious structure. Many groups facing uncertainty about their future are deeply religious or rely on faith as a source of comfort, resilience, and guidance. The intersection of uncertainty and religiosity often stems from the human need to find meaning, hope, and stability in the face of unpredictable or challenging circumstances. We first take up the connections of uncertainty to religion for the first real profession, farming, noting that hunting has many similar uncertainties. Below are groups that commonly lean on religious beliefs amidst uncertainty.   This short essay is a follow-up to a previous piece on certainty (https://used-ideas.blogspot.com/2024/12/certainty-is-also-emotion.html). U...
Post a Comment
Read more

Problem Solving? Then Find Those Gaps

  Problem Solving - Finding Gaps 12/28/2024 Introduction. Solving complex problems often arises from the presence of gaps in knowledge, resources, understanding, or perspectives. These gaps introduce uncertainty, ambiguity, or constraints, making solutions difficult to achieve. Below, we explore the primary types of gaps that complicate problem-solving and their implications. Many are of the technical, informational, theoretical, and social nature. You may discover some of these gaps are also sources of uncertainty in problem-solving, in that they supply us with another list of things that can go wrong based on something missing. Gaps also form a type of impossible problem, that will be discussed in a later chapter. Finally, this essay is about all problems and solutions, not just those of science. Contents Comprehension Gaps Consistency Gaps Solution-Type Gaps Invisible Gaps   Knowledge and Evidence Gaps   Methodological and Technological Gaps Ethical and Cult...
Post a Comment
Read more

CERTAINTY IS ALSO AN EMOTION

  Certainty is also a Feeling Certainty is often viewed as a mental state tied to knowledge and confidence, but it also functions as a feeling with distinct emotional and physiological components. While it arises from cognitive processes, certainty also has a subjective and emotional quality that makes it more than just a rational judgment. It provides a sense of assurance and security that shapes human experience in profound ways. Emotional Dimension . At its core, certainty evokes emotions that influence how we perceive and interact with the world. When someone feels certain, they often experience relief, comfort, or empowerment. These emotions are particularly strong when uncertainty or doubt is resolved, offering a sense of closure. For example, solving a complex problem or having a belief validated by evidence brings not just intellectual satisfaction but also emotional reassurance. Subjectivity. Certainty is inherently personal and subjective. It depends on individual...
Post a Comment
Read more