Time for Self-Scrutiny

Are you an optimist?  Do you see the bright side of life, always anticipating the best? Or are you incline to be a pessimist, taking a negative view of your prospects, hoping for the best but at the same time expecting the worst? 

Sixty years ago American novelist James Branch Cabell summed up the two conflicting philosophies this way:  "The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds: and the pessimist fears this is true." If you feel that this view is rather cynical, examine the pros and cons of just three aspects of today's world as presented below. Then analyze your reactions, and ask yourself, 'Am I an optimist or a pessimist.  

 (Well, we all know where his head is stuck, In my opinion, he is not a realistic person. It is good to be optimistic  to a certain degree. But don't be wearing rose colored glasses all the time, it stunts your view of reality; a pessimist is being closer to being a realist, but maybe going to far in the negative range. You have to see some of each side. It also all depends on; is your faith in Jehovah or your corrupt, deceitful, greedy and don't have a clue has to how to run a country, government. If it is in your government, you are not only wearing rose colored glasses, but you are a really sad, spiritually dead character. )

Lasting Peace: How many world trouble spots can you name? Ireland, the former Yugoslavia, the Middle East, Burundi, Rwanda-these readily come to mine. can these and other struggles ever be resolve to ensure permanent, global peace? Is the world headed for peace?

(No, it will never happen in this present wicked world-system of things, because Satan has a stronghold on all the governments,kings etc. there is too much hate. ) 

Economic Stability: Hoping for monetary union by 1999, European Union countries are seriously confronting problems with inflation and public borrowing. Elsewhere, corruption erodes  the economic structure of may Americans and African nations, where inflation imposes and almost impossible burden and ethnic  problems still divide.  Is world economic stability just ahead?  (No) 

Unemployment: In the 1997 national election, British churches united to serve all political parties to put full employment high on their agendas. But with nearly 30 percent  of the world's wok force out of work or underemployed, can there be lasing, full employment-especially for the young? 

  (No.  But in my opinion, it is the married couples with children who need these jobs the worse and should be hired first and foremost, then  the younger ones should be considered. I, for one, am not a pessimist, I am a downright realist. I see the world for what it really is. I wish everyone else could do the same. I have faith in Jehovah God and his promised new paradise earth. I am optimistic in that regard and in some others. But I am not stupid nor do I wear rose colored glasses nor do I have my head stuck up my butt like a large percentage of people who puts their faith in a government that insists on controlling people by scaring them with whatever they can come up with, with being deceitful, greedy, capable of anything, even murder, and not having a clue on how to run a country.)

Next time: Sound Basis for Optimism Today

From the Watchtower magazine, 2000