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the perpetual trap of pessimism
2026-05-06
I'm sure you have seen it before: Scrolling through social media, sitting down at a dinner table and just listening to people talk, you notice that there is "doom and gloom" aesthetic that has been taking over people's minds. Online, you will see this kind of thing referred to as "blackpilling".
"Blackpilling" is this idea that everything is meaningless, everything is too broken to be fixed, there is no point in trying to accomplish anything in life. Not only is this line of thinking completely wrong, but it is also a complete scam. Let's journey onwards into the human psyche and see the reason why this is.
People who aren't chronically online will probably tilt their head in confusion if you say something about "blackpilling" around them, but the word that most people know this kind of outlook on life by is simply pessimism. I had rewatched an older Luke Smith video on this very topic, and it got me to thinking about how I know a good number of people in my own life who are just like this.
When you meet someone like this, you will immediately recognize it. They will not find anything good to say about anything. Everything sucks, and there is no reason to do anything because everything you might do in life is completely fruitless to them. The reason why this is, is that for someone who is in this mindset, pessimism is simply an incredibly convenient philosophy.
Why could that be? Why would someone find convenience in pessimism and negativity? Well, the answer to that is quite simple as well. It is because this kind of thinking demands nothing of you. It doesn't ask anything out of life for you. It is a great excuse to not ever try to do anything or be better.
For example:
People in this mindset often delude themselves into thinking that it is a sort of intellectualism or some kind of brutally honest take on life, but really, it is just an ego shield. In other words, the ultimate comfort zone.
There is one major problem with the blackpilling way of looking at life. When you think this way, you end up creating a recursive loop of your own doing.
"The man who says he can and the man who says he cannot are both right. Which one are you?" - Henry Ford
When you adopt this kind of outlook on life, you give yourself permission to give up. You quit looking for opportunities in life. When you don't look for them, you miss them. When you miss them, your life doesn't improve, "proving" your point that the world sucks. It's a constant race to the bottom, and you're winning by default.
Everybody knows the world is messy and far from perfect. Nobody is ever going to argue that point with you. The "red pill" was supposed to be about seeing reality clearly, so that you can see it and take action. The "blackpill" on the other hand, simply takes the clarity and uses it as a reason to simply give up, lie down and die. Is that really the way you want to live?
You will often hear pessimists say that they are simply "realists". But realism is not about ignoring the bad in the world, it is about seeing that friction that exists, acknowledging it, and deciding to do something in life anyway. Whether you do something like start a garden, learn a new skill, pick up a new career, or just focus on being a great friend or spouse, your agency is the only thing changing the landscape of your outlook on life.
If you ever find yourself feeling like you're caught between a bunch of people who share this mindset, the best thing you can possibly do is tune them out. You don't owe this kind of thinking your precious time.
You don't want to spend all your time listening to these kinds of people. They will warp your outlook on reality and slowly replace it with their own. This is not a healthy way to live, and you deserve better!
All in all, blackpilling is bunk because it posits an assumption right off the bat, the assumption that the future is already written. In reality, the future is simply a series of "nows" that have not happened yet. A defeatist philosophy like that observed by the blackpillers will surely rob you of the thing you actually own: your ability to try and be more!
Don't be a spectator to your own decline. As Luke wisely noted in his video, if you're a perpetual pessimist, you have already lost. Why not at least try to be an optimist and see the world through a more positive light? At least the view will be better!