Dale Goble sez, "dennis commented that kelly was too young to be so
cynical. i'm now worried: how old do you have to be to be cynical? i had
thought that anyone who wasn't cynical these days simply hadn't been
paying attention." I once told a group here that I think we have a
choice between two attitudes: cynicism and pessimism. I advocated
pessimism. Cynicism, I think, is self-defeating; it suggests opting out
and saying "the hell with it." Pessimism is realistic, but it allows
(encourages?) action, fighting the good fight even if we're outnumbered.
My office-neighbor here (Sierra Club board member and one-time president)
has a wonderful quote on his door: "The enthusiasm with which we pursue
our pessimism is itself a blatant expression of optimism." (Alexander
King, Club of Rome)

Burt Guttman guttmanb at elwha.evergreen.edu
The Evergreen State College Voice: 360-866-6000, x. 6755
Olympia, WA 98505 FAX: 360-866-6794