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.
optimism,n. the seed of illusion, the fruit of forgiveness and harvest of folly
ReplyDeletenot much unlike Christmas, but isn't it sparkly?!
I hope you have wonderful Christmas, Doug!
Merry Christmas Doug!!
ReplyDeleteoptimism: something which many can have, but only few can digest
Optimism: To opt out of isms.
ReplyDeleteMerry 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.
Optimism: looking on the sunny side. Oh wait, what with greenhouse gasses and global warming - never mind.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas though! Watch out for mistletoe though - could prove troublesome for curmudgeons.
Merry Christmas Doug and I agree the cover is gorgeous for the cd! Thanks for my copy.
ReplyDeleteOnce upon a time I labeled myself a pessimistic optimist. It works for me...most of the time.
OPTIMIST n. one who maintains a perpetually sunny disposition and a positive outlook in life even when standing shoulder dip in turmoil and strife.
ReplyDeleteAnd for a little earworm named Bobby:
Don't Worry, Be Happy.
Merry Christmas, Doug
Your favorite cynical optimist,
Pollyanna Quilldancer
OPTIMIST, n. A maker of rose-colored glasses.
ReplyDelete"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.
everything is beautiful, including what is ugly or the ability to see the beautiful, after you've seen the ugly.
ReplyDeleteThis 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
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ReplyDeleteHi Doug(!!!!!),
ReplyDelete........*
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To you and your family, Merry Christmas!
..
Oh, I see.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas.
Your definition is terrific!
ReplyDeleteOptimism: 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.)
optimism: a day in which we can all believe that the right to differ in faith and opinions is inherent and good in humankind
ReplyDeleteI'm going for earnest as it's Christmas which might not be my holiday but I love it
Merry Christmas, again Doug
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.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to all, and to all, a Good... Dinner! ; )
optimism - An optomotrist's rose colored wares.
ReplyDeleteOptimism, the sixth beer. Wait, wasn't this word defined here before? :-)
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas!
dejbuzbe: delete Beelzebub
Merry Christmas, Douglas. May your glass always be full
ReplyDeletexxx
what CD? why don't i have one?
rxqkd: quick prescription
Merry Christmas hermanito!
ReplyDeleteAnd 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!
i quite like that concept
ReplyDeleteof Christmas wishes
being granted modestly..
i hope your day
was merry and bright...
xo canada
Merry Christmas Doug!
ReplyDeleteOptimism: A principle part of the Christmas Spirit, and thus best left to a few days per year.
Doug? Oh my. It is strangely quiet here. Are you well?
ReplyDeletequite 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.
ReplyDeleteJust sayin'... sometimes it's OK not to post. ; )
Thank you, Monika. May folly and forgiveness fill in for figgy pudding.
ReplyDeleteVery 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.