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Old 31-05-2011, 04:32 AM posted to rec.gardens
David Hare-Scott[_2_] David Hare-Scott[_2_] is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Sep 2008
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Default Will you be gardening 10 years from now?

On Tue, 31 May 2011 02:09:20 +0000 (UTC), Nad R
wrote:

David Hare-Scott wrote:
On Mon, 30 May 2011 20:35:12 +0000 (UTC), Nad R
wrote:

wrote:

1. Adopt a positive attitude.
2. Life (and gardens) will find a way.

I disagree with your two points on life.

#1 Adopting a positive attitude is a risky game in my book.

Those that think with a positive attitude tend to cut corners where they
should not. "Just get it done... And hope for the best".


You are so gloomy, I bet your glass is always less than half empty and
you would be shocked if it got half full.


Not only is the glass ( Earth ) is half empty with good ideas it is
polluted and leaking also. I say stop humans from breeding like rats... But
others believe this is a negative view, I say it is positive view.


Many environmental problems will be solved or at least ameliorated if
we can limit population growth. Short of the Chinese solution that
isn't going to happen quickly.

A person with a
negative attitude knows things can fail and will try and foresee all
negative outcomes and makes the best of it for the money and outcome. Spend
some extra time and get it right.



This is where your sour view disables you. This is a non sequitur.
There is no incompatibility between a positive attitude and using
foresight, planning and risk assessment. There is incompatibility
between a negative attitude and harnessing your maximum energy to take
the necessary action that your planning tells you is required.


How does this disable one?


Because you cannot get people to do something they believe is
impossible and you cannot get them to work their hardest if they don't
see a positive outcome at some time now or in the future.

Positive feelings don't allow you to do things that are physically
impossible but they a degree of faith allows you to get towards doing
your best. This is the basis of sport psychology, any kind of
leadership and one of the better aspects of religion. It is a
question of motivating people, you cannot motivate people well if they
feel hopeless.

I disagree with your presuppositions on incompatibility and foresight. I
see a lot of people with positive attitudes taking the primrose path to
solving problems. Many just get plain lucky. If It fails, we will fix it
and fix it and fix it... As things keep getting worse and worse.


You need rationality to make good decisions and optimism to act.


#2 Life does not always find away.


Short of a planet-cracking bolide life will endure, even then some
microbes might make it to start all over again.

The challenge in front of us is to find a way to endure that will
minimise death and pain.


Now who is thinking negatively! Minimize death and pain? Not improving
life and longevity? Hmmmmm......


This is playing with words. I never said there are no unfortunate or
undesirable things happening in the world. My optimism is that we can
do something about them. This doesn't mean the future is rosy (it
isn't) it means a partial solution is better than none.


The earth is in sad shape because of reckless human behaviors. People are
always putting profit over health and environment.


That is true but it points to the solution: humans must fix what they
carelessly put at risk. Hiding away and saying "oh woe is us" will
not get it done.


Cool, you keep on fixing those nuclear power plants in Australia.
Me I say get rid of them. But those with positive attitudes say "We can fix
it".
Yea right.


We don't have any nuclear power plants. The attitude you refer to is
optimism without rationality, I never suggested that, please don't put
words in my mouth.

If the way you defend it says anything I don't think your dour world
view is of a very rational origin. Anyway I don't want to get too
personal so let's not go any further in that direction.

D