The Politics Of Pessimism Reading Passage
The Politics Of Pessimism Reading Passage
Paragraph A
A new era, the Age of Cassandra, has supposedly arrived, according to newspaper and broadcast news headlines. Prophecies of future disasters are added to the constant barrage of present and historical predictions of doom. The start of the new millennium has come and gone, and the world is still here. The end-of-the-century Jeremiahs have moved on to setting a new date for the end of the world.
Paragraph B
I think it's safe to say that pessimists will always have an audience. Pessimism and worry are part of human nature, and every generation has its share of "demagogues" who herald the end of times or usher it in behind them. Modern calamities, however, are more "in your face," their assault on our senses constant and unrelenting. Political leaders are aware of this, whether consciously or not. They use people's natural tendency toward anxiety as a political weapon.
Paragraph C
The public is being given a phoney sense of safety.
When politicians attempt to make a change, they frequently play on people's apprehension about the future and their lack of clarity about the state of the world. Information regarding a new policy could, for instance, be leaked to the media. Naturally, the worst-case scenario is laid out in all its gloomy specifics. The public outcry often causes the government to back down. Finally, ministers compromise by taking some of the advice of their detractors. In this way, the government can achieve its goals while giving the impression of success to the general people. Not to mention the fact that they actually have a voice in the policymaking process.
Paragraph D
Several general rules are at work. The first is to make people uncomfortable and then capitalise on their anxiety; the second is to offer them a chance to feel like they made some sort of contribution, no matter how small; otherwise, they will grow dissatisfied and angry.
Paragraph E
An identical hoax carried out on a smaller scale would show how easily people's primal concerns can be exploited. In-home developments, for example, it's normal practice to provide residents with a range of design choices, from doing nothing to completely overhauling the neighbourhood. The goal is to get people to consent to major changes that could be inconvenient and expensive for them. People avoid the extremes out of fear of what could go wrong, so they choose an intermediate option. This is also the route that the government typically goes for. It's all done in the name of market research, but it's clearly an experiment in playing on people's worst fears.
Paragraph F
Anxiety and avoiding certain death
Until the end of time, we will be impacted by worry and apprehension. Humans suffer from crippling levels of self-doubt and low self-esteem. An endless series of stupid problems must be solved in order to survive and progress in life, making every success appear miraculous by comparison. The feeling of doubt follows people even when they achieve their goals.
Paragraph G
It's no surprise that people who have failed often experience negative emotions like uncertainty, dread, anxiety, and pessimism. However, when channelled effectively, they are the source of all innovation and creativity.
Paragraph H
When things go as planned for a while, it's natural to worry that something will eventually go wrong. When things don't go as planned, people often resort to rituals in an effort to appease the gods, such as avoiding certain colours or not walking in certain patterns on the sidewalk.
Paragraph I
And yet, surely the scariest thing of all is when success lasts so long without interruption that we forget what defeat is like.
Paragraph J
There has been a rise in the popularity of horror and disaster films, which play on our insatiable need for fear and our constant exposure to stories of tragedy and destruction. Occasionally, Nostradamus will rear his head, and other would-be prophets will briefly appear, all of whom foretell the end of humanity. Maybe it's all a relic from when life was tougher for early humans, an attempt to relive those days even as we enjoy more ease and convenience in the present.
Paragraph K
Contentment is not the only thing humans cannot survive without. As a result, awash, a word has become synonymous with anxiety and pessimism. It's difficult to keep a positive attitude. However, humanity remains optimistic in the face of survival.
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