Dictionary of Bible Themes Dictionary of Bible Themes » 5000 Humanity » 5760 Human attitudes and behaviour » 5916 pessimism A negative and hopeless attitude, resulting either from viewing the world as being without God or from loss of faith in God. The world may appear to be meaningless Ecclesiastes 1:14 See also Ecclesiastes 1:1-11 Wisdom may be pointless Ecclesiastes 1:17-18 See also Ecclesiastes 2:12-16 Pleasures may be empty Work may be in vain Ecclesiastes 2:17 See also Ecclesiastes 2:18-23; Ecclesiastes 4:4 The world may seem corrupt and oppressive Ecclesiastes 4:1 See also Ecclesiastes 4:2-3; Ecclesiastes 5:8-9 Loneliness can be depressing Wealth is no answer Ecclesiastes 5:10 See also Ecclesiastes 5:11-15; Ecclesiastes 6:1-6; Luke 12:18-20 Life is short and often miserable Ecclesiastes 6:12 In the OT, before the resurrection hope was fully developed, this life seemed to be all that there was. See also 1 Chronicles 29:15; Job 7:6; Job 14:7-12,18-22; Job 17:13-16 Suffering may lead to pessimism Job 6:11 See also Job 30:26; Lamentations 3:16-18; Ezekiel 37:11 Suffering may cause a sense of God's rejection Job 14:18-19 See also Job 19:5-13 The godless have no grounds for optimism Ephesians 2:12 See also Job 8:13-15; Proverbs 10:24; Proverbs 11:7; Proverbs 24:19-20; Isaiah 19:3; Jeremiah 4:9; Matthew 7:26-27; 1 Thessalonians 4:13 Examples of pessimism The Israelites on hearing about the strength of the Canaanites Numbers 13:31-33; Deuteronomy 1:28 Israel's enemies Naomi on her return to Israel The Israelites threatened by the Philistines Elijah at Mount Horeb The men with leprosy at the gate of Samaria Judah facing the threat from Aram and Israel The Philistine cities on seeing Tyre's destruction Thomas after the resurrection Paul's shipboard companions during the storm The antidote to pessimism is faith in God Psalm 42:5; 2 Corinthians 4:13-16 See also Isaiah 41:10; Lamentations 3:21-24; 2 Corinthians 4:7-9 See also
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