Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Optimism

OPTIMISM, n. The doctrine, or belief, that everything is beautiful, including what is ugly, everything good, especially the bad, and everything right that is wrong. It is held with greatest tenacity by those most accustomed to the mischance of falling into adversity, and is most acceptably expounded with the grin that apes a smile. Being a blind faith, it is inaccessible to the light of disproof — an intellectual disorder, yielding to no treatment but death. It is hereditary, but fortunately not contagious.

2007 Update:  Fatalism with lowered expectations.

Merry Christmas* to all, and may all your Christmas wishes be granted modestly.

*To those who may be uncomfortable with Christmas and Christmas blessings, I wish a day of holiness and rich blessing appropriate to your own faith or rationale, in the spirit of Christmas.

23 comments:

Minka said...

optimism,n. the seed of illusion, the fruit of forgiveness and harvest of folly

not much unlike Christmas, but isn't it sparkly?!

I hope you have wonderful Christmas, Doug!

Anonymous said...

Merry Christmas Doug!!

optimism: something which many can have, but only few can digest

TLP said...

Optimism: To opt out of isms.

Merry Merry Christmas blogson! Thank you so much for the CD! I absolutely love it. And the cover is a work of art. I'm still studying it to find folks on it.

G said...

Optimism: looking on the sunny side. Oh wait, what with greenhouse gasses and global warming - never mind.

Merry Christmas though! Watch out for mistletoe though - could prove troublesome for curmudgeons.

Anonymous said...

Merry Christmas Doug and I agree the cover is gorgeous for the cd! Thanks for my copy.

Once upon a time I labeled myself a pessimistic optimist. It works for me...most of the time.

Anonymous said...

OPTIMIST n. one who maintains a perpetually sunny disposition and a positive outlook in life even when standing shoulder dip in turmoil and strife.

And for a little earworm named Bobby:
Don't Worry, Be Happy.

Merry Christmas, Doug

Your favorite cynical optimist,
Pollyanna Quilldancer

Anonymous said...

OPTIMIST, n. A maker of rose-colored glasses.

"Dude?"

"Not this morning, dude!"

"But aren't you forgetting something, dude? Like, a syllable or two, maybe?"

"Your bull is something I'd like to forget, dude."

"Merry Christmas, dude."

"Bring those five gold rings, and maybe she'll give you the time of day, dude. She's safe from you today, 'cause all the JPs are closed. Some people have a little sense around here."

Wishing the best of holidays for you and yours, Doug, and all of us at this curmudgeonly hangout.

mireille said...

everything is beautiful, including what is ugly or the ability to see the beautiful, after you've seen the ugly.

This has been one of the most wonderful Christmases I've ever had ... and the Waking Ambrose family is part of it. All my best to each of you ... and to Doug, who makes it happen more than 300 days a year.

Merry Christmas; Happy Holidays! ♥ xoxo

Jim said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jim said...

Hi Doug(!!!!!),

........*
........♥
.......♥♥
.....~♥~♥~
.....♥~♥~♥
...~♥~♥♥~♥~
..♥~♥~♥♥~♥~♥
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
........[]

To you and your family, Merry Christmas!
..

Tom & Icy said...

Oh, I see.
Merry Christmas.

Jamie Dawn said...

Your definition is terrific!

Optimism: Having a leg fall off and being thankful for the other.

MERRY MERRY MERRY HAPPY JOYOUS NON-RAMSHACKLED NON-HITONIOUS Christmas!!!

Today will be merry and bright, but tomorrow's gonna be a no good, very bad day.
(The opposite of optimism.)

Anonymous said...

optimism: a day in which we can all believe that the right to differ in faith and opinions is inherent and good in humankind

I'm going for earnest as it's Christmas which might not be my holiday but I love it

Merry Christmas, again Doug

Anonymous said...

Optimism: means for allowing the colorful rays of hope to dance upon the walls of despair. Beautiful to ponder and/or (often) impossible to grasp.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a Good... Dinner! ; )

Anonymous said...

optimism - An optomotrist's rose colored wares.

Ariel the Thief said...

Optimism, the sixth beer. Wait, wasn't this word defined here before? :-)

Merry Christmas!

dejbuzbe: delete Beelzebub

Unknown said...

Merry Christmas, Douglas. May your glass always be full
xxx

what CD? why don't i have one?


rxqkd: quick prescription

Miz BoheMia said...

Merry Christmas hermanito!

And thank you, THANK YOU for the wondrous gift which arrived just yesterday, on the day in which we celebrate Christmas... good timing indeed and a dreamy offering FO SHO! The lil' bohemians thought it utterly cool to see "my picture" included in the cover! :-)

Que tengas unas muy felices fiestas y Feliz Navidad hermano de mi alma!

MWAH!

javajazz said...

i quite like that concept
of Christmas wishes
being granted modestly..

i hope your day
was merry and bright...
xo canada

I Dive At Night said...

Merry Christmas Doug!

Optimism: A principle part of the Christmas Spirit, and thus best left to a few days per year.

Anonymous said...

Doug? Oh my. It is strangely quiet here. Are you well?

Anonymous said...

quite frankly, the fact that it's, like, 9:39 AM (your time), and you've yet to do a post actually fills me with optimism.

Just sayin'... sometimes it's OK not to post. ; )

Doug The Una said...

Thank you, Monika. May folly and forgiveness fill in for figgy pudding.

Very good, Karishma.

TLP, Merry Christmas to you. And enjoy the CD, but credit where it's due. The cover art is Ariel's work alone.

G, my breath kills mistletoe long before I'm under it.

Jenn, a little sunshine is good for Canada, I think.

Merry Christmas Pollyanna, you might want to sing that note for note.

Amen, Amoeba. God bless us everyone!

Happy holidays, Mireille.

Jim and Jane, Merry Christmas to you both.

Icy, for Christmas I offer you the gifts of insight, self awareness and humiity.

JD, I hope yours was fine.

Pia, the only earthly holiness I believe in is celebrating someone else's holiday. Christmas mitzvahs.

So, Neva, to make an optimist, you could hammer a prism under the base of the spine? Great holiday recipe!

Poobah, the only reason we consider optometrists doctors is they can prescribe rose-colored lenses.

Haha, Ariel. Go for seven! Go for seven!

Thanks, Karma. The same wish to you. May your throat never be dry.

Feliz Navidad, Hermana de mi alma! Muchas felizidades.

Thanks, JJ. I hope your day was as well. I played one of my favorite Jazz Christmas CDs.

Amen and right back at you, Morgan!

Quilly, I'm on flextime this week.

Thanks, Neva.