#632: Optimism and Pessimism

Why optimism prevails.

Optimism and pessimism are not simply moods we can find ourselves in, but two basic and fundamental stances or orientation toward the world. Mozart, for instance, was fundamentally incapable of writing a genuinely tragic theme on the level of Beethoven. As a creature of the 18th century, gladness and joy were his default mode. As Barth wrote about the p…