Depressive Realism

Field Maloney of The New Yorker posted a dueling books piece on Slate, "The Depression Wars," about whether depression should be regarded as simply a disease to be treated or as a state of mind sometimes producing valuable results. A tidbit pulled from one of the books:

"One cognitive symptom of depression might be the loss of optimistic, self-enhancing biases that normally protect healthy people against assaults to their self-esteem. In many instances, depressives may simply be judging themselves and the world much more accurately than non-depressed people, and finding it not a pretty place."

A few other quotations on point:

"The power of accurate observation is frequently called cynicism by those who don't have it." -- George Bernard Shaw

Cynicism is an unpleasant way of saying the truth. -- Lillian Hellman

Egotism is the anesthetic given by a kindly nature to relieve the pain of being a damned fool. -- Bellamy Brooks

Every age is fed on illusions, lest men should renounce life early and the human race come to an end. -- Joseph Conrad

The cynics are right nine times out of ten. -- Henry Louis Mencken

Thanks to Aphorisms Galore!