The Arrogant Pessimist
Posted on August 05, 2018 by Julia James, One of Thousands of Entrepreneurship Coaches on Noomii.
A different perspective from a business coach on why we sabotage success by refusing to even try. Is it fear --or arrogance?
“No one knows enough to be a pessimist.”
I was listening to a Wayne Dyer recording when this statement stopped me in my tracks. So often, we sabotage any chance of success by declaring we are underqualified, overqualified, too old, too young, too inexperienced or any of a myriad of beliefs.
Why are we so pessimistic? Even the optimists among us – and I count myself as an eternal optimist – have moments when we feel like nothing will turn out the way we want. And there is some truth to that – because we don’t actually know how things will turn out. However, that doesn’t mean that the outcome will be negative.
As a coach, I guide clients to look at issues from different perspectives. Here’s a perspective on being a pessimist: it’s arrogant. Whoa, really? Yes, because you believe you know the outcome of whatever is in front of you. Being an arrogant pessimist serves us in some ways, because it provides a rationale to not even try. Next time you’re faced with an exciting opportunity, look at yourself from a different perspective. Say no to being an arrogant pessimist and say yes to jumping in the deep end!
