When Did You Change? Milestones of Lost Optimism

By Red the Philosopher

“Stop crying, get up, and do something!

It’s hard enough out here being Black,

how are we going to progress

if we’re always looking down or looking back?”

The study of human development is so interestingly tangled because humans globally are generally alike and particularly different. Growing up in Newark, NJ, it is common to personally feel and find peers of the same vein that exude a lack of optimism. Though the self-defeating cognitions associated with lack of optimism may be shared, their antecedent causes and following effects are idiosyncratic. This paper seeks to inform and educate readers on the phenomenon of lack of optimism using anecdotes, empirical literature, and references from urban, African American culture. Clinical applications and policy implications will also be discussed. Ultimately, this paper will encourage further research into unanswered questions raised throughout the course of this exposition.

Optimism

Optimism is conceptualized as an attitude of positive expectations, self-regard, or worldview. Optimistic people tend to see themselves in positive lights such as being healthy, happy, or a good person, and expect that circumstances will work in their favor. One cultural representation of optimism is the fabled, “peachy keen, sunshine and rainbows” image of one’s life. Within African American culture, people are discouraged from maintaining this positively skewed perception of self, others, and the world due to acknowledgement of hardships, struggles, and the “bad that accompanies the good.” Although youth may be innocent, hyper-positive and optimistic, life events catalyze their perspectives. One umbrella for such life events is trauma. Trauma is conceptualized as “challenging experiences that push individuals beyond their normal ability to cope” (APA, 2013; Ball & Stein, 2012, Acquaye, 2017). For the purpose of this current paper, trauma is generalized to include all experiences that induce negative ideation or expectations about self, others, or worldview. According to Birkeland, et. al., (2017), optimism serves as a protective factor against post- traumatic symptoms including avoidance behavior, numbness, and dysphoria. To the contrary, optimism is not foolproof and does not mitigate symptoms of intrusive thoughts and anxious arousal. Put simply, optimism can mitigate some, but not all, of the negative results of trauma. The value of optimism is widely known and accepted, as many motivational speakers such as Eric Thomas and Les Brown encourage positive expectations, self-regard, and worldviews, even during hardships. Across cultures and specifically in African American culture, optimism is revered as valuable. Still, there exists a struggle to achieve and maintain it due to individuals’ life experiences and traumas.

Lack of Optimism (Pessimism)

For many African Americans living in urban environments, optimism is lacking. Lack of optimism (pessimism) is conceptualized as an attitude of negative expectations, self-regard, or worldview. The opening stanza to this paper emphasizes the frustration and insensitivity shown between people within the community following the adage, “hurt people hurt people.” Due to economic, educational, mental, physical, political, social, and spiritual inequities, urban African American communities experience limited resources and pessimism. Reasonably, for families that are generationally impoverished, pessimistic attitudes may be related to inability to achieve socioeconomic and political mobility. Attempts to achieve, for example, economic independence or high social status, may have been met with traumas such as eviction from housing, loss of employment, or slander. Hence, a culture is created in which, for example, African Americans celebrate government assistance programs such as Section 8 and food stamps, potentially correlated with lack of optimism to achieve without such assistance due to previous failed attempts. Additionally, living in urban environments places individuals at heightened risks of witnessing crime, abusing substances, developing health complications without treatment, and failing in school throughout one’s development. After experiencing these traumas, it is reasonable that one may then develop a negative outlook or self-regard. On one hand, these events may reduce one’s optimism; on the other hand, the person’s optimism may reduce their numbness and dysphoria that resulted from the negative events. More research needs to delve into what determines which hand will manifest and why.

Why care?

The question is begged, “Why should anyone care?” If poor African American communities are left to compound pessimism and further the culture of self-hate and negative expectations, individuals may begin to attack one another or themselves. Thus, lack of optimism may correlate with low goal setting, increased crime, increased risk-taking, increased substance abuse, suicidal ideation, lack of motivation, languishing, and stagnation. Equally possible but arguably less likely, individuals might transcend this condition and become more prosocial, attempting to restore optimism in the community.

Within African American culture, there is a concept of the rose that pushed through concrete which reinforces character traits of resilience, perseverance and grit in the face of adversity. In neighborhoods high in lack of optimism (pessimism), there exists a challenge to achieve and maintain a positive outlook. If that is achieved, that person or group resembles the rose that pushed through concrete. African American culture celebrates hardy people who overcome their circumstances and transcend their trials and tribulations. This is evident in rags-to-riches stories and acclaims of “coming from nothing” by contemporary artists such as 50 Cent and PNB Rock.

One should care about lack of optimism because it breaks down people internally and socially. Also, because there can be an inverse effect in which youth are motivated by trauma to overcome and achieve optimism. Counselors specifically should care about these ideas when working with African American clients who might either lack optimism, have achieved optimism after lacking optimism, or are maintaining optimism while being vulnerable to losing it.

Anecdote

In my own personal experience, I developed pessimism as a result of many experiences, each reinforcing the negative mindset created by the original trauma which likely occurred during childhood. One notable scenario was the death of my close friend, Bukhari, during the summer before our sophomore year in high school. His untimely death catalyzed my outlook on life and my attitude toward myself and others. If he died so easily, could I be next? What was the purpose of someone innocent dying in their sleep? One could analyze the scenario from a spiritual perspective, as many other members in the community did, saying things like, “it’s a part of god’s plan.” From a social perspective, one could understand this to be a reminder that life is short and everyone will die, we just do not know when that day shall come. Considering the normality of crimes including murder, theft, and assault that occur in urban African American communities, it is understandable that others might also be triggered by these events to develop pessimism. Suppose one finds a way to transcend his or her pessimism and redevelop optimism, it is possible that subsequent negative events could then turn them back pessimistic.

Pessimism – Optimism Spectrum/ 2 Continua Model

In this way, one can consider optimism and pessimism to be like on and off switches, cautioned by the fact that one could be pessimistic in one’s educational life but optimistic in one’s social life. Although the two attitudes seem to oppose one another, one may not pervade all domains of an individual’s life. More research needs to be done on (1) whether pessimism and optimism can operate on one spectrum or if a two-continua model is more advantageous; (2) how many domains of one’s life does one need to experience optimism/pessimism in order for one to feel optimistic/pessimistic in general; (3) which domains of one’s life are most important and does optimism/pessimism in these significant domains overpower pessimism/optimism in less significant domains. To gamify the issue, is it possible that a sequence of pessimism-triggering events or milestones can compound and establish the person as a master pessimist? By “master pessimist”, one can imagine someone who is excellent at finding and expecting the worst outcome out of most or all situations. Thinking more in depth about this, consider a grumpy old person such as Scrooge (Dickens, 1843). A caveat for this paper is that instead of hoarding money, this Scrooge hoards negativity and is the supreme archetype of pessimism. Looking at the development of a Scrooge, one can ask what are the milestones that developed a baby into a Scrooge. Could it be a series of traumas or one significant trauma in a significant domain of the person’s life? Uncovering these answers would assist with clinical treatment of Scrooge-like clients because these clients may have some unfinished business related to past traumas. In healing these master pessimists, if that is even possible, one might consider addressing past traumas psychodynamically or using cognitive-behavioral therapy. From a Freudian lens, the client might benefit from free association and prying into his or her childhood to process

antiquated material connected with the id, ego, and superego. From a CBT lens, the client might benefit from replacing negative thoughts with positive thoughts and desensitizing the client to the settings in which the traumas occurred. For example, suppose a master pessimist lacks optimism because he was robbed four times during his life and most recently at gunpoint on the corner of 18th Avenue and 9th street. This trauma could make the person expect that people are evil and out to get him. He might have insufficient resources to cope with these occasions and decide to remain guarded and always watch his back. Clinicians might use this current paper to inform their approach to him, to ask questions about in which domains of his life does his lack of optimism predominate, and to help the client elucidate the series of events that led up to his becoming a Scrooge. This could provide fruitful self-reflection for the client followed by questions about if people are determined by their environment and what power an individual has to remain sane in insane environments. To be direct, the client could be asked if it is possible to remain optimistic after traumas such as robbery.

Empirical Literature

More work needs to be done clinically to respond to demotivated and pessimistic people like the unnamed character in the opening stanza and people like Scrooge. Let one consider the empirical research on the role of optimism in mental health, antecedent causes of lack of optimism, and the relationship between lack of optimism and culture. As stated above, Birkeland, et. al., (2017) unveiled the protective effects of optimism on post-traumatic symptoms. More research can qualify thresholds of optimism and answer questions regarding how much trauma can one endure before their optimism is depleted.

In 2014, Bennet and Kerig conducted a study on incarcerated adolescents to gain insight into lack of emotion and “acquired callousness.” The results of their study indicated that “acquired

callousness,” or desensitization, was related to lack of clarity, nonacceptance of emotions, and numbness. When researchers investigated the causes of acquired callousness, they found it developed in relation to traumatic experiences followed by emotional detachment.

Taken in relation to this current paper, one can summarize Bennet and Kerig’s (2014) findings to indicate that trauma leads to emotional detachment which can arguably lead to lack of optimism. When thinking about antecedent causes of lack of optimism, trauma is the prime suspect. Since poor African Americans live in a culture where traumas are normative, the culture includes “acquired callousness,” apathy, ambivalence, emotional detachment, and lack of optimism rooted in traumatic triggers. One might consider how lack of optimism affects development. From studies by Bennet and Kerig (2014) and Birkeland, et. al., (2017) it appears that lack of optimism is a byproduct created during one’s development. How does the byproduct affect the process during which it was formed? More research needs to be done. One hypothesis is that lack of optimism leads to further lack of optimism, and traumatic experiences lead to the development of negative self-regard and worldview. For example, one might begin with a traumatic experience in early childhood such as being abandoned and developing insecure attachment with a primary caregiver. This insecure attachment could create a negative expectation in the person that everyone will leave and lead to complications in the psychosocial stage of trust v. mistrust.

If the person chooses the latter, one might then approach the world with a mistrusting attitude and enact a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts. This could be mitigated by experiences in which others demonstrate trustworthiness which would then either grow the individual’s optimism level while not affecting his or her pessimism level (if a two-continua model is used) or decrease the person’s pessimism toward optimism. Either way, the person would have been exposed to experiences that contradict his or her previously developed attitude. The person could then rationalize and assign meaning to these life events. Consider the example of a student who struggles to perform academically and receives failing grades which could be another traumatic experience, especially if such grades yield punishment by the parents. The child would then move further along the road away from optimism.

Continuing with our gaming analogy, it seems that traumatic experience after traumatic experience, individuals could become less and less optimistic because they experience or notice a prevalence of negative events. This is not to say that their lives are monolithically negative, rather an appeal to the person’s perception is made because he or she may not appreciate or notice small positive experiences. Over time, the person can improve and potentially perfect his or her ability to notice negative experiences and become a level 100 pessimist, master pessimist, or Scrooge, increasing his or her level by each trauma or milestone. This becomes part of the culture as this phenomenon affects more and more people within the same community and is reinforced in music, art, fashion, and social protocols. For example, the mistrust can be reinforced by songs about betrayal and clothes that say, “trust nobody.” Social protocols would further reinforce this attitude by how people interact with one another, remaining guarded and tabooing vulnerability.

Research by Acquaye (2017) supports the idea of trauma inducing pessimism. As individuals are challenged to cope and make meaning of life-changing experiences, he or she may develop emotional detachment and lack of optimism. Individuals who maintain optimism may acknowledge adversity, however their caveat is that the adversity is manageable and he or she has control over his or her environment. In poor African American communities, individuals

may feel a lack of power limiting individuals’ abilities to feel that their stress is manageable. It is noteworthy to mention that this feeling of lack of power is connected to their sociopolitical and economic disempowerment and disenfranchisement. Some individuals demonstrate growth after trauma, while others exhibit deficits, and optimism plays a significant role in how individuals respond to traumatic events.

Clinical Applications

This paper has profound clinical applications because it can provide counselors with insight into the causes and effects of lack of optimism. Furthermore, it helps counselors understand how individuals, societies, and cultures develop, thus bringing new questions to light and encouraging further research. One clinical application is the consideration of the enslavement of African Americans on today’s African American culture and the world at large. Since slavery was legal during that era, traumas such as lynchings, rapes, and beatings were normalized. Counselors can consider how this legacy has impacted the approach of African Americans towards themselves, others, and life. One might reasonably connect the atrocities African Americans experienced during the slave era to the vast disparities African Americans face across domains today. When working with clients, psychoeducation about slavery, trauma and their effect on optimism can induce insight within the client. Furthermore, clients might find value in validating their experiences of trauma with knowledge of historical attempts to subjugate and oppress African Americans and the Black community at large.

Discussion

One trope in African American culture is that “it’s a White man’s world.” For members ascribing to this belief, one might consider how this leads to feelings of powerlessness, reinforced by the individual’s personal and/or vicarious experience of poverty. When project housing tenements were created, the plight and culture of African Americans resembled the hardships experienced by Jews in ghettos during the Holocaust. Fact is, having many people with few resources leads to crime and violence, as individuals fight over the few opportunities allotted to the group. The idea of Black Inferiority which was suggested throughout the slavery era, civil war, Reconstruction and Jim Crow era, civil rights era, and even today, serves to undermine the psychological wellbeing of African Americans and further develop pessimistic culture. For example, for rap artists who create songs about betrayal and individualism, such as Biggie Smalls and Lil Uzi Vert, one might ask, who signs their checks and broadcasts their music to large audiences? Enlightening clients to topics such as these might inspire clients to do their own independent research, reanalyze their own upbringings and experiences, and consider how they developed into the person they are now.

Policy Implications

This paper may also have implications for policy changes. One example could be the inclusion of trauma awareness initiatives in schools, comparable to bullying and sexual violence initiatives. Within the framework of trauma awareness, one might include education about the history of Black inferiority, enslavement and oppression. Many schools dedicate entire weeks and programming to bringing awareness to bullying, harassment, intimidation, sexual assault, rape, and dating violence, all of which can be traumatizing experiences. Trauma initiatives would align smoothly with current policy and simply broaden the horizon to include any experience individuals identify as being traumatic, or which he or she struggled to cope with. Bringing in the history of trauma that has affected African Americans would also align the trauma initiative with social studies, Black history, and world history. Students could be challenged to think critically about if and how the past impacts the present.

One drawback of the current bullying and sexual violence initiatives is that some students disconnect with the issues if they have not personally experienced those atrocities, do not know people who have, are not aware that their peers have, or are predisposed to ignore or avoid conversations around those topics for whatever reason. By bringing attention to traumas in general, one might bring these previously disengaged students into the conversation by allowing them to share their hardships that might not fall under the categories of bullying and sexual violence. The goal of these policy changes would be to enlighten students, encourage them to do independent research, and raise awareness of the connection between history and today.

Conclusion

The title of this paper asks a great question, “When did you change?” When thinking about how innocent babies are, it is interesting to investigate at what point did that baby lose its innocence. What happened during its childhood, adolescence, or adulthood that turned the baby into a Scrooge. The research presented in this paper highlight the protective function of optimism as well as the milestones that lead to lack of optimism – traumas. More research needs to be done in this area to answer questions presented throughout this paper. Clinicians and policy makers can benefit from this paper and the further research as both inform work with clients and policies in schools. This paper was intended to inform, educate, and encourage further research to answer the title question and raise awareness of the milestones along the road to lack of optimism.

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