Does Depression Make You More Realistic?

[@BloomingFireHeart]

I used to be so optimistic about my future when I was a child. Now, I fight with myself just to stay alive.

[@desiree8290]

THIS.

[@braahqwekutv3142]

Never heard more truer words

[@anhbayar11]

Right in the heart. True words.

[@dennisporter-avis7576]

I have nearly given in to depression so many times last time i was nearly sectioned

[@CynicalScientist261]

@@maktheweirdodo it. I believe in you.

[@IceMetalPunk]

As someone who suffers from depression and anxiety, speaking only for myself, I can say that one of the worst aspects is not being able to tell whether your thoughts are realistic or distorted. Like, when I have a bad day and I start thinking that I'm the worst piece of human garbage and anyone who says they're my friend is just being nice, but they actually wish they could never see me again... yeah, on a good day, I know that's not true, but on a bad day, the struggle of trying to figure out what's real and what's not can be almost physically painful. I've had days where I'm curled up in bed trying not to cry (and failing) because I *just don't know whether I'm worth anything.* For someone like me, for whom evidence is always a key factor in my decisions and beliefs, those days I'll manage to find all the evidence in the world for how awful I am, but somehow miss the evidence that would tell me I'm not. I want to take this opportunity to thank my best friend (who will probably never read this) for being absolutely, beyond-belief amazing to me when I'm like that. An acquaintance might try to comfort me with platitudes, like, "It's alright. No, you're wrong, you're great. Yes, we definitely love you." That wouldn't help me, because in those moments, I'd never believe it. But my best friend knows me better. You know how I said evidence is important to me (I am, after all, a scientist at heart)? So when I get like that, and drag her into it (which she doesn't deserve!), she will find evidence for me. She'll find real, actual, concrete examples of things I've done for her, things that she appreciates, things that meant something. Things that prove, objectively, that I am not a piece of garbage, and that I am loved. I... usually end up crying more from that XD But they're tears of relief, because *that* is the only way I can manage to convince myself of it all, and bring myself back to reality. Things like reciting a poem I wrote for her 5 years earlier, which I didn't even know she'd kept, because it meant so much to her. Or reminding me of the times the roles were reversed, and she was calling me in depression, and I was there to help her through. Or pointing out that, when we'd had a falling out and didn't speak for nearly 9 months, I still dropped everything to comfort her during a bad breakup, even though I knew she'd go back to not speaking to me the next day. Just... evidence. Reality. TL;DR: When you live with mental illness, you definitely have days where you don't see reality, but it's always hard to know whether that's the case until you view it in hindsight. And having wonderful friends who know how you think and know how to help you through it... that's beyond priceless.

[@safir2241]

I wish people IRL would be more open on talking about depresso expresso Mang I could help them so much

[@kellybeck4579]

I just had a depressive state like that. It is honestly the worst feeling in the world, and it always feels like there is no end in sight. Mine ended a few days ago, and seeing the world without that feeling is like night and day. Good to know you're feeling better. Your buddy sounds great. Best of luck!

[@stuffstuff137]

I also have depression and it’s really hard...

[@heraclitu-s]

I have clinical depression and panic disorder and i can relate to you. I dont even talk about depression because i feel like people are only my friends because i have noone else. I know how stupid this must sound but the struggle is real.

[@INAVACL]

@@safir2241 they arent cause most people dont have time or dont wanna put in the effort. Often times people with depression dont know how to get to the core of it. Even if they do, its hard to do something about it. Most people just say"oh youre sad again?"

[@angeldude101]

The opposite of rose coloured glasses isn't no glasses. The opposite of rose coloured glasses is jade coloured glasses.

[@adampickard9880]

+

[@JEAthePrince]

What he said!

[@jacquiz.6837]

+

[@frankwagner3659]

'jaded' coloured glasses, Lol.

[@FroehligGirlz]

Diversity makes better teams. I fear when folk try to wear both of those colors at the same time.... Best to compare notes, methinks.

[@DepressionTalks1]

Depression sucks. Period. Whether we're more realistic or not.... it still sucks

[@lauragadille3384]

Agree

[@Aconitum_napellus]

@SatanKaputMachen Maybe we all suck?

[@averybentleysollmann8516]

I definitely agree because my depression is strong right now, but this video made me believe just a little bit more that my brain lies to me.

[@Krokoklemmee]

@@sniperammow4865 depression isn't (necessarily) just sadness, it can have a whole array of symptoms and feelings.

[@filipemartins1850]

Jesus can heal your depression, thanks.

[@thstroyur]

"Depressive realism" sounds like an art style where you chop off your ear and use it to do the painting

[@gazelle1467]

*Van Gogh turns his head*

[@natanbagley8949]

Gazelle Samyueru Though, he didn’t actually use the ear after he had cut it off.

[@gazelle1467]

@@natanbagley8949 I know my joke was that the comment would have given him the idea

[@kathleenkathleen5740]

😅😂

[@crystalnewman5063]

Agreed xD

[@Toastmaster_5000]

I'm surprised nobody asked the simple question: Are you more realistic because you're depressed, or are you depressed because you see things more realistically? Some people have depression because of a chemical imbalance in the brain, or side effects from other disorders. Others are depressed because they're actually miserable and have a consciously-formed opinion/reason as to what got them to such a state. The latter group I think would be more realistic, since they have the potential to be happy if life just didn't keep taking away their lemons.

[@angelcarrillo980]

Agreed.

[@etiennecote-lapierre617]

I should have read your comment. I just wrote something similar although less eloquently.

[@fugithegreat]

Right, there is definitely a difference between situational depression and chemical imbalances. When you're in a situation that is nearly impossible to get out of, it's pretty dang hard to be optimistic. On the flip side, a lot of people with chemical imbalance depression know that, that there is no real reason for them to be thinking and feeling this way, that their life is objectively good.

[@crowofrevelry]

Psychology has a nasty habit of looking at things from only one end and never ever backing up to examine from another angle, so psychologists ask the wrong questions and then are completely mystified when there aren't any answers to be found.

[@Toastmaster_5000]

@@crowofrevelry I couldn't agree more

[@autumnmentink4581]

As someone who is diagnosed major depressive disorder that was....depressing. I mean, as I'm stuck with depression, I was hoping to get some kind of superpower out of it.

[@thstroyur]

I think the power of hating Mondays and eating lasagna is one to be reckoned

[@windshield11]

Xd

[@josephd.4615]

Try being stoic

[@omri9325]

Well, if you are better than what you think you are, that is kinda special.

[@RoundPi]

I heard we end up being more creative and more understanding of other people, sometimes to a fault.

[@raidaruca6968]

Well for me, it's the real world that makes me depressed.

[@JM-co6rf]

then you're not depressed. depressed people are fighting inwardly

[@taeyonghasmejungshook3424]

@@JM-co6rf You obviously don’t know what can cause depression. Stop gate keeping depression.

[@JM-co6rf]

Quit telling other people they don’t know what can cause depression. Stop gate keeping depression.

[@stefanklass6763]

So you take even that away from me, no I‘m not even realistic anymore.

[@YoungTheFish]

He didn't take it away from you. You never have them to begin with... Sorry...

[@stefanklass6763]

YoungTheFish guess you just proved his point, well done.

[@LetsPlayCrazy]

@@stefanklass6763 I thought the same thing :D Although you can still be a very realistic person ;) Remember: while generally more intelligent ppl get depressed, there are still a lot of idiots beeing depressed... so you could still be very realistic, it would just not be tied to depression anymore and be a skill that you yourself aquired. *happy thoughts* ;)

[@Aconitum_napellus]

Even worse, you missed the W off of now.

[@averybentleysollmann8516]

I actually find it comforting to know that science backs up the idea that my brain lies to me when it says I'm the most useless person in the whole world.

[@amyc.513]

When ive been depressed I have felt like I had the rose colored glasses removed and I was seeing reality for what it was, and it was worse than I thought. I think that feeling is commonly experienced. And I think a symptom of depression is having a strong feeling that your perception of reality is the correct one.

[@deepfocus91]

Absolutely!

[@mRw0oK]

when i was a child i was very optimistic... dreamed about self driving electric cars, an overall more environmental friendly society and most of all a better society with less anger and less envy... then i grew up and learned the real nature of humans... now im struggling everyday if i can keep going... inbetween wanting to see that i was wrong and being exhausted from being different and society constantly reminding me that i have no place in it...when i read the comments i wonder how many souls we have to lose. Be loud and stay strong brothers and sisters

[@Elzilcho87]

Being overly happy can distort your world view, but also being overly sad can equally distort your world view. It's when there's a painful thought or an unbearable truth that's just too incredibly sad to confront, you'll accept it much more easily if you're already depressed. So, in that case, depression can actually sometimes help you understand certain difficult things in life better, but It's *very* important to make sure you never go off the deep end and start drowning in your own misery. There's almost no coming back from getting trapped in your own mental pit of neverending despair.

[@sashabrown1796]

Artax!!

[@UN1VERS3S]

It's tranquility you need to understand certain life difficulties and not depression coz it's a disorder bro.

[@Brandon-ju5pg]

Through God life is amazing

[@Ho-mb2wb]

@@Brandon-ju5pg prove god

[@kittybeans8192]

Maybe the real question is, does reality make you more depressed?

[@kittybeans8192]

@the Hero Perpetual motion machines. Oh, something a little more realistic though? Make society way more enthusiastic about understanding mental illness, and how to successfully treat it. I guess barring that... indoor plants I'm not allergic to.

[@armitron1825]

Exactly

[@PistonAvatarGuy]

@@kittybeans8192 If reality makes you depressed, wouldn't you just change the things that are making you depressed? For example: The economy in the US is heavily based on making war, change things so that the US economy is based on exploring space and getting energy from low carbon energy sources... etc.

[@gxldxonwii7369]

It does😞

[@charlescole1766]

Accept reality and all its flaws. The solution lies in acceptance.

[@TreyH2253]

I constantly try to tell people, that even though I know I'm just as good as the next person, my brain tells me otherwise. That little voice in my head is always telling me you can't get your degree or there is no way you have the skills to do that task or nothing good will come out of this situation. My brain wins 99% of the time and it's really really exhausting.

[@weneedmoreconsideratepeopl4006]

This comment helped put things into perspective for me. Thanks. And when that happens again to you too, try being a rebel ;) "You can't tell me what to do brain!"

[@lukewilliams7061]

Inferiority complex?

[@emilyw2442]

I mean reality is pretty depressing so maybe it's like a chicken and the egg dilemma.

[@eclipse5393]

Except when it isn't which is the point of the video

[@ConceptNull]

Reality cant be subjective perception.

[@etiennecote-lapierre617]

But, maybe there are realists and non realists among depressed people. Two different subpopulations. Depending on the sample in the studies, it could skew the results one way or another.

[@emmettdonkeydoodle6230]

Emily W I don’t think reality is particularly depressing, but rather it’s your outlook that’s depressing. At the same time, reality isn’t amazing either. It’s a mixture of positive and negative.

[@iriyabran]

Yep I think this is more true than anything, reality is depressing, it's just that most normal people don't think about the world much and even if they do they just shrug it off like "whatever". They're happy in their own home with their own ups and downs. But someone who constantly thinks about the homeless guy on the street and what life is to him, about children starving to death in war and famine, about humanity destroying the planet and destroying themselves. Someone who cares about those things and REALLY thinks about them can't be a happy go lucky ignorant fool living in their small bubble.

[@Silkendrum]

Commenters here seem to be confusing depression with poor self-image. A poor self-image can lead to depression, but you can be depressed without a poor self-image.

[@Chevelin_X]

That which you just described about it not always being about poor self-image is exactly the case for myself for the depression I have. I possess the worldview that “I know that I am fairly interesting and have many levels to me, and that also doesn’t deter around others” almost always, but I do however feel dragged down just by the depressive state of others that may not effect me entirely.

[@Silkendrum]

@@strange6571 - The mindset? You just don't care. Nothing matters. Time passes, and you don't notice. Things that might have been fun aren't fun anymore - things that should upset you are just ho-hum - the whole world just all seems so silly. Your self-image is fine. It's just that everything else and everyone else is so inconsequential.

[@RedRogue]

@@Silkendrum But also like... less nonchalant than it sounds the way you described it. Basically you can't find joy in anything, things that should excite you just make you tired and want to stay in bed, you may or may not be suicidal, but likely think that you wouldn't care if you just up and died one day. I'm not sure if "things that should upset you are just ho-hum" is entirely accurate, but that might depend on the person. In my case it's more like "things that should upset you seem less upsetting in relative terms, because everything's upsetting to you so it just feels like adding another bag of sand to the proverbial backpack of problems you feel weighing you down making you want to just rest all day"

[@Silkendrum]

@@RedRogue - That sounds more like "overwhelmed by life", although I can see where that would lead to depression. Like, "what's the use?"

[@jordanred3273]

Give me one instance of depression in any form that grants a finer understanding of reality.

[@ezra55595]

I’ve lived with depression for most of my life, my negative perception of reality has only harmed me and made me underestimate my own abilities and self worth, and made me question the genuineness of people close to me. Pessimism isn’t a super power. It’s only hurt me.

[@wijione8083]

Was the button depressed when they pressed it?!

[@TheTruthSentMe]

impressed?

[@Avatarmariz]

I always said i'm not pessimistic, i'm realistic

[@squidly6179]

I do to and I honestly believe it, or that I’m pragmatic not pessimistic

[@UN1VERS3S]

Example?

[@BurbaiteViktorija]

psychology is like "let's see how objectively people see subjective things". great science you got there lol

[@mjnoon3609]

can you please do a video about depersonalization?

[@Kevin-cy2dr]

I'm not depressed , I'm just more aquainted with reality.

[@tinycnyc]

Depression makes you so realistic that you can cease to exist if you know what I mean, I'm talking about your consciousness self

[@goldenalbatross9462]

I have negative bias too I try to be realistic and to me that just means everything will go wrong....at some point

[@flynnflanfck]

Ah but you see even when everything goes bad, eventually a better moment will come? Hence it does get better? So whenever something bad happens, it will eventually be followed by something good

[@goldenalbatross9462]

Which will the.n be followed by something bad... A never ending cycle of good and bad fortune

[@SaraNerys]

Golden Albatross life is just laughs and cries. I cry a lot. I laugh a lot. Sometimes I laugh while I’m crying.

[@liammargetts]

But that also implies things go right

[@grannykiminalaska]

I'm an optimist, all rainbows and roses. My husband is a pessimist, all cants & wont works. I do the dreaming & he keeps my feet on the ground. My sister was perpetually depressed, she wasn't realistic, just miserable

[@waffleyoshi5254]

Um sorry this is a little random but why do you have a pic of a cat with what looks like a brick slammed onto it's nose?? o3o

[@grannykiminalaska]

@@waffleyoshi5254 that is the amazingly beautiful and sweet 16 yr old cupcake and that is her distinctive nosy color of beauty Marks. Lol That's ma kitty snookums

[@waffleyoshi5254]

@@grannykiminalaska oh well thank gosh xD

[@mRw0oK]

your comment is wrong in so many ways, shes not miserable... shes ill and you could help her instead you position yourself verbaly over her by judging her miserable. she has no choice, but you do

[@grannykiminalaska]

@@mRw0oK was. She's dead. But she was miserable from the time we were children. You should see a therapist if you read all that into my comment.

[@Cozyarthur]

As someone who’s been through depression too many times, depressive realism always made me feel worse; if all the dark and negative thoughts and viewpoints are realistic, then life perhaps was too heavy to bear. And the perspective that I was the only person seeing things as they were made it all more isolating. But everytime I get out of it, i see how absurd it all is, But not in a way that everything suddenly becomes positive, it’s just that depressive thoughts can be really absurd, manipulative and easy to spot lies once you’re outside. That being said, the cognitive distortion model makes way more sense, at least to my life experience!

[@mind-of-neo]

for my entire life, ive seen everyone around me seem to have this great perception of themselves and generally operate with this self-confidence that makes them feel justified in their actions and feel good about what theyre doing, and ive never had that. ive never understood why everyone else seemed so 'sure' of themselves in everything while i berated myself with distrust and negative thinking to the point i dont even trust my perception of reality.. ive always been anxious and lacked confidence by default rather than because something told me i should. its like ive spent my whole life trying to find the justification for me to be on my own side while everyone else just automatically takes their own side. i know my brain fundamentally operates incorrectly and i need help i just dont know what to do about it

[@deepfocus91]

Woah so relatable! We should be friends lol

[@shaggyalonso]

It's not operating fundamentally incorrectly, but you probably are a high serotonin personality, which I can definitely relate to. Taking dopaminergic drugs, particularly amphetamine, will give you a taste of the self-assuredness that you envy in others.

[@ThinkHuman]

I can say from experience that being too "realistic" was what made me depressed.

[@SOUNDWAVEMAN]

I’m fed up with people stating that I am negative or pessimistic. When in reality I see reality for what it is which is absolute CHAOS in my opinion because No one not even this video has the arrogance or evidence to explain away reality. In a nutshell the end of this video is a yes and no answer putting everything back at square one which is that really no one knows sweet FA!!!

[@susanrobinson910]

I am currently 42 and have been depressed since my teens; therapy and the right cocktail of meds helps. I tend to think of myself as a "Realist", and hearing this information gives me more hope for the future. Or at least, how to deal with long-suffering depressed people.

[@thstroyur]

You're currently the answer to life, the Universe and everything - I don't think anyone should downplay what you have to say

[@susanrobinson910]

@@thstroyur HAH! I see what you did there! Love that movie, btw.

[@zethany9485]

As someone with dysthymia, I actually found this comforting. I become defeated and suicidal to think that the world is actually just a bleak, terrible, unforgiving place. My "depression voice" likes to tell me that I'm just a hopeless, naive little kid who lives in Lala Land. This video actually made me feel better, as if to say, "the evil little voice inside your head is stupid. Don't listen to it. It doesn't know anything."

[@Snaily]

I genuinely just have no applicable skills and no future prospects.

[@probiscuit1486]

How old are you?

[@Snaily]

17

[@BidoMaggot]

Same

[@christelheadington1136]

Try politics,it seems to work for a lot of people,with those qualifications.

[@Snaily]

I actually used to want to be a politician before Brexit put me off politics in general.

[@satyasyasatyasya5746]

When can we get around to discussing that some people are just super unlucky and kinda doomed in life? Sometimes it is isn't depression, or your brain, your life just sucks and if you're poor, ugly and lonely, with no friends or family, well I'm sorry, but it isn't a chemical thing in your brain, its life. I'm depressed because my life is hard and it kills me a little more every day - and there is nothing I can do about it. *I'm not depressed, I'm despairing.*

[@hochibamabinladenhusainefe8191]

Imagination is the only weapon in the War again reality.

[@thstroyur]

Don't forget psychedelics and hormones

[@averybentleysollmann8516]

I really, really needed this video right now. I found out I maxed out on my student loans and still have 4 more years of schooling left (I've dropped out a lot), which made me really distraught and then depressed, so maybe I can tell my brain that it's not paying attention to all of the relevant information. That's actually quite heartening.

[@creature_skin]

This video didn't cure my depression, but it definitely helped me today. So yeah, my mental health is still as painful as an open nerve and shall remain so until I learn some good coping skills, but seeing well-thought out, logical proof that my perception of the world is wrong is comforting because it means I'M the one with the power to recover, and I don't have to wait for the world to be a less miserable place :)

[@drefloresca95]

Omg i feel the same way

[@Fawriel]

Thank you. This idea always annoyed the crap out of me.

[@Prizzlesticks]

When you're depressed, the last thing you want to feel is dashed hopefulness. It's better to keep expectations low or absent, because you can never be disappointed that way (even though you are). When you're depressed, you rate yourself lower because you know what other people think will hurt less if you already think the worst of yourself, and if they think highly of you then hey! Isn't that a nice surprise (but then comes the anxiety of waiting to fail and ruin everything~). When you're depressed, you don't see the odds more objectively, you just err so far on the side of caution that there's no way to fail. Unfortunately, that means there is little opportunity to exceed expectations or succeed in a major way. Reality seems more real because with self-sabotage and self-fulfilling prophesy, you subconsciously rig the outcome to reflect how meager and grim you feel the world is.

[@daisylazy5326]

I always feel depressed thinking about how I’m not really good at anything

[@leojayakody6624]

I bet lots of you guys have to go through many hardships in your life. I just want to share my story, and how it still has not finished. I’m 13, and I have many friends and an amazing mum. But my dad makes me suffer. Helicopter parenting is when your parent/s are always behind your back, making sure you have the most secure and risk free life and future. They unknowingly hide you from all the obstacles you have to experience when you grow up, unaware that people who have not met them will be more vulnerable when they do. This is exactly what my dad does. I recently got my exams options sheet, and I picked the subjects I had most interest in, but my dad told me “do this, not that” and “I know what’s best”. (I am commenting this during this problem). He is preventing me from choosing my own path, my own life. He thinks that one mistake can cost everything. Now I don’t know what to do. I’ve told my mum and we both stood up to him, but it’s gotten worse. I’ve told my friend as well, but what can he do to stop my dad from giving me hell? Sometimes being all emotional and saying “everything’s fine” or “just push through it” just doesn’t work for someone. Maybe sometimes it’s too late.

[@stuartp2006]

I mostly use the concept to reject the sort of person that tells me to just be better and think positive thoughts.

[@mind-of-neo]

its also really depressing when you tell yourself all the things youre supposed to and you know all the "coping skills" youre supposed to and you really, honestly try after doing real research and it doesnt really help. it makes you feel like even more of a failure and like you lack some fundamental thing even most unintelligent people have.

[@fastandeasywaytobeatdepres3315]

Depression is like living in a body that struggles to survive in a mind that tries to die.

[@danielcuevas5899]

I’m not realistic because I’m depressed , I’m depressed because realistic.

[@vumanhtung]

Same...

[@absolutezeroist11]

depression can help change a person for the better

[@DeathbyPixels]

As I understood this video: depression (probably) does not cause you to be more realistic. It (probably) causes you to be more pessimistic. And only sometimes do those two intersect.

[@safir2241]

This channel is so much better than Psych2Go. Here, you guys use sources!

[@l3vin256]

It's doesn't feel good to be depressed. Every single I try to do something, I just don't because negative thoughts flood your mind.

[@CalebJMartin]

1:48 This is a thing people do? O.o I was of the understanding that everyone is their own worst critic. From personal experience, I have always been more likely to downplay my own capabilities while sensationalizing others'.

[@NimanWielder01]

As someone with depression, thanks for covering this.

[@CricketStyleJ]

Depression can make a person more cynical, and this can sometimes lead them to discard unwarranted beliefs.

[@realzachfluke1]

Very interesting video. And I like that shirt, Hank!

[@StygianEmperor]

i’ve been depressed for the last few- most of my life (thanks bob ducca) but recently believe i’ve started on the fun new track of outright paranoid delusions. i’ve caught myself recently thinking “the universe must hate me/is playing a joke on me” which is just fascinating when i simultaneously don’t believe in an anthropomorphic universe. it’s like each half of my brain is actively arguing with each other about reality sometimes. hopefully the non-anthropomorphizing side keeps fighting.

[@hauntedlolita666]

When I think of myself as worthless and talentless, that's just the realism kicking in.

[@zedwms]

As a lifelong suffer, I can confidently say that my depression doesn't include thoughts that others are better at things than they actually are (per Hank's e.g.), but in fact, just the opposite. It's more like realizing that being a self-promoting cheerleader is at best insincere, and speaks volumes to ones desire to hide from themselves. As long as we shake our pom-poms, and squeal ra-ra-ra, no substantive change is going to be possible in ourselves, or the our crippled human species, as we march our species down the path of self-destruction. Beside Hank, in May you published a video talking about how trying to get a depressed person to be a self-cheerleader actually does more damage, than good (The Not-So-Silver Lining: When Positive Thinking Backfires). The payoff of my depression is that I see the world more realistically than I would otherwise. I wouldn't be able to function in this world without that clarity of sight. The exchange, of course, is the challenge of learning how to address the the self-condemnation that is also part of the condition. It's an expensive exchange, but the payoff is a clearer insight. It is not a challenge for everyone. Plus, it is entirely likely that depression is an effect of depressive realism, not a cause. Why do you imagine that people strive so, to feed themselves positive affirmations? They're trying to avoid a realistic view of the world, because they're afraid it will depress them, which it probably will.

[@AuthorReborn]

Saving this video to watch when I feel another round of depression coming on so I can remind myself how wrong it is about reality and myself. Thanks for the great video as always, Hank.

[@crystalnewman5063]

Vibes with this vid. Thanks my dude

[@mooselove]

I expected something else from this. I’ve heard a lot: “how can you be aware of how bad things are in the world and not be depressed?”. But this video seems to be about something entirely different from that statement.

[@Henchman_Holding_Wrench]

I've always just thought that depressed people probably have lower self esteem. You're not going to overestimate your abilities when you think you suck.

[@some_random_loser]

I usually think of it as a kind of impairment. You know, like being drunk. Or, you know, living with chronic pain. That's a better metaphor, because it's not your fault you're in chronic pain, unlike, say, when you're drunk.

[@metametodo]

I agree with the video. I have depression, and I know it helps on some things of judgment, because people are a bit too optimistic by standard, because it's essential for moving forward, and that makes some of their judgments too optimistic. But depression also has some very bad judgments, worse than non depressives, especially when it comes to yourself and relates to topics depression affects more. People usually have a kind of hope that we lack. And that levels the game differently when it comes to realism.

[@ryanvalk7841]

the ability to find happiness through sorrow allows one to see the world more realistically

[@vileguile4]

I spent 10 years in depression. Things changed when i got a dog and a job where i could bring him. That said, the things i do at work (exactly what needs longer explanation) proves that i can digest a lot of complex information and accurately understand it, put it in perspective of our work and then spread it in a simplified form. Im also able to predict scenarios and people. To me people are taking huge risks and they sugarcoat their reality to a frustrating degree. I can see people walk into traps yet i cant tell them because "no one can predict that". Im not a told-you-so person but sometimes i snap when people don't listen and go on a "i said this would happen, everyone said no - it happened. i said THIS would happen, everyone said no and it happened" and so on. New situation, my gut feeling says this will happen, i analyze why my gut says so. I come up with a conclusion and can even write a report on it. People listen to me, read it but almost always shrug as in not thinking it will happen. Yet it does. Always. Im a detailed person who takes notes and constantly in a almost self-harming way question myself. I can't help it. I want to be right. For sure i have suffocating high self standards but also they pressure me to excel in what i do. I can't "feel" authority but i can see the structure of it and how people react and change to it. People's reality changes because of authority. They follow authority. I follow the ultimate truth and humanism. As mentioned in the video, the longer i think of something the more negative it becomes. It's like a loop where each pass removes the sugarcoating which in turn makes it more depressing. Sometimes if i lack information (which im usually always aware of) it can go below reality and become too negative. Without all information the thought can't resolve and the loop goes around and around. When that happens it's good to have a boss who can come and sugarcoat my reality. Reality contains much more details than the sugarcoated one and thus requires much more energy because every detail has a consequence which must be accounted for. If you want to solve a problem in reality you have to be in reality. If you're in a sugarcoated reality you lack the details and either you get stuck or it won't work. Solving complex problems is what i do at work and the more complex and harder problem i get on my desk, the happier i am. With ALL (sorry) that said - when i was in a depressive state as in when i was sick and unable to work and even function (hygien, going outside, cleaning, constant suicidal thoughts): During this time i did not have an objective reality at all. I am a depressive person who only happens to function thanks to my dog and my employer who removes all my obstacles. That includes things like working from home whenever i want to, choosing my working hours, being allowed to deep dive into topics and research when my gut says it's needed. I have an office next to the forest where things are very calm and i can see birds and squirrels outside my window. Im encouraged and lately ordered to take long walks with my dog (up to an hour!). She comes once a week to notify me of things happening in the organisation as she's aware of this negative loop. It was actually Elaine's work on HSP that gave us an explanation why this was needed. Look up Hyper Sensitive Personality and an article about how to manage HSP at work. I cant tell you how lucky and appreciative i am of having her as my boss. There are many reasons why people enter depression. I can only speak for how it is and was for me. In this video i get the impression that all kinds of depression and the causes for depression are squeezed into one group when in reality, it's much more .... complex :)

[@ems7623]

I needed to hear this today

[@LivingDead53]

I pop up as depressed, but I'm cynical from my experiences. I've gone through so many bizarre mental health issues.

[@1234kalmar]

It's kinda mixed up. I'm not always right about bad things because I'm depressed. I'm depressed *because* I'm always 100% right about bad things.

[@TheRedArrowExpress]

Or can the question be altered to be "Does depression make your negative outlooks SEEM more true".

[@gre3ns801]

Whenever I get depressed I got really philosophical

[@alien3200]

Tbh I have suffered from depression many times. Earlier I used to think I'm trash but now I have started to realise that everyone tries to discriminate each other. I'm very much discriminated by others. By others I mean others. I have many friends and I am glad to say that they are my friends. But the people with whom I don't talk much or people who are my strangers. I hate them from the bottom of my heart

[@joaowiciuk]

I'm worse at what I do best And for this gift I feel blessed

[@gundism]

Being depressed that makes you realistic or being realistic that makes you depressed

[@INAVACL]

Some times the reality is that you will find true love and other things like that. People with depression often dont feel that way

[@bigdog7632]

Roses are half full Violets are half empty What are we doing

[@iPhoneeditor]

Saw the title and was like "huh does my depression actually assist me with something?" And now that I know it doesn't I'm slightly more depressed feeling 😧

[@escott1981]

Expect the worst and you will never be disappointed.

[@Chevelin_X]

I often hear the quote thrown around that “Expectations will kill your reality” which to me sparks the topic of wishful thinking and how this might play a part in a lot of depressive realism cases, in how people usually think far more objective than the non-depressed, but also have a tendency to think less of themselves and others, only because a little bit of wishful thinking might reside within them to get them to think just below the objective line. That’s my thoughts, anyways.

[@worm9407]

This was a great video to make

[@EdwardScissorsHands1]

I think that in order to discover if some condition reveal objective reality, we need to know what is this kind of reality in first place.

[@Mars30999]

Great now you just took away the one thing they thought they could do well. Thanks John.

[@Yamikaiba123]

This validated my worldview.

[@anidurac]

A Romanian writer used to say "I know I'm stupid, but when I look around I get encouraged." 🙂

[@thstroyur]

When I look around, I wish the waiter would fetch the damn bill faster

[@bobloblaw7667]

Having someone else rate a conversation that i’ve had and tell me about it, is a nightmare.

[@Nerobyrne]

A lot of people get depressed because they see reality for what it is. Not clinically, of course, just the "normal" depressed. It's why many religious people are religious. I've often heard the phrase: "What would you rather believe?" Like that matters somehow. Well, to many people, believing reality isn't reality is very important, because otherwise they'd be depressed.

[@yesterdaysrose5446]

As a depressed person, I know the problem is that there's a chasm, a tiny little chasm, I'm somehow unable to bridge. The talk about "depressive realism" just makes me say "dude, if I told you that you should always just expect to be disappointed, well, you would hardly call me the greatest thinker ever, now would you? I mean, you never should expect you to always be number one? Makes sense, no?" Now there's a dose of coldly depressed philosophy for you! (dodges rotten tomatoes) what did I tell you. Nobody listens. If anything, the only superpower depression gives you is that it's easier to adopt a stoic worldview, because frankly it's one of the known ways to stay sane in this world.

[@auari6967]

It’s true. Optimism to much of it leads to a happy time but a false sense of reality. Depression and anxiety lead to looking at things more realistically and limit risk factors keeping your life boring but keeping yourself from getting extra hurt.

[@salmon9950]

It bothers me that the stripey thingys on hank's shirt are vertical on the left side and horizontal on the right

[@kylebluch]

Personally in my own perspective, I have fluctuating levels of realism and that seemingly determines how depressed I feel.

[@qwaqwa1960]

More spot on, and more unique too.

[@butter_nut1817]

I've had depressed friends and the things they said were super illogical; especially when it came to their life choices.

[@charleswoodruff9013]

Nice shirt!

[@GoobertizedTCG]

What about if individuals were being treated for depression or not? Does the depressive realism tend to go away if someones being treated?

[@espional7598]

As someone with bipolar-depression, I don't need to think about this as 'great now I'm not even as realistic as a thought'. I mean, there's also confirmation bias; if you expected bad things or assess stuff poorly, you'll remember the times you were right and not the times you were pleasantly surprised. You can also experience self-fulfilling prophecy; how much does thinking 'I suck at this, I'm going to fail, I can't do anything right' affect your performance negatively? Being accurate about the way the world works is very rarely objective; even something bad that's going on can be interpreted in a more neutral or positive way. I'd argue this is good news for someone on the depressive scale; it means that you can be wrong about things being bad or your own self-assessment, and that when you feel like something horrible is happening, going 'I was right, this sucks!' and wallowing in it doesn't actually have to be the right answer. One of the most important tenants of science is that being wrong isn't necessarily a bad thing; it just means there's another answer to your question. If you can be wrong about bad things in your life, that just means you can find the real answer, and things really can be better than you expected.

[@espional7598]

Oh, and as for people commenting on 'reality is just depressing'. I think that's also easy to feel, but if reality is just depressing, why isn't everyone depressed? It's another confirmation bias. The world doesn't suck; countless things in the world can suck, but countless things are also good! Depression makes it very easy to miss out on the good things; in the social skills paper, the people with depression were more negative in the follow-up than originally, which could likely come from ruminating on the negatives and thus forgetting about the rest. Being aware that X, Y, and Z horrible things are happening is not a matter of depression or not. Depression just tells you that those horrible things are all-consuming and will never get better and that's both false on its own and encourages you to not try to fix them because it's hopeless. As someone who's had this view for a long time, that the world is shitty and that's why I'm unhappy, I think by now I've learned that believing that and ending it there is where I was unhealthy. Believing it but even just acknowledging the non-shitty parts as relevant can make a big difference.

[@aaronyandell2929]

The problem here is that depressed people may think they are realistic when thinking on the polar opposite end of the scale from naive optimism, but have failed to understand what the philosophy of realism actually is. The world is not all rainbows and sunshine, but it isn't a gothic nightmare, either. Of course, I can reverse that statement when talking to giddy optimists. The overall point here is that each situation has to be observed on a case-by-case basis.

[@youtubename1778]

Quick question how does one know if youre depressed?

[@emmettdonkeydoodle6230]

People saying reality is depressing... that’s your perspective and your perspective is subjective, not objective. Reality is neither negative or positive, but it has aspects of both. You are the one seeing only or more negative aspects than positive. CBT and REBT and therapies you can try to help ease these biases and make your life less miserable, even if it doesn’t take away the emotional pain it won’t escalate it

[@xarin42]

yeah, as someone with depression this sounds about right. I'm not better at being objective but at being negative '^-^

[@derrick9605]

I think depression is a normal state of being nowadays. You've opened your eyes and you now realize we're living in the soulless dystopia future that sci-fi movies (accurately) portrayed decades ago.

[@acidparanoia]

Everyone suffers from depression and anxiety at some point or another. Its not lonely. I got better literally overnight 7 months ago and cant believe how much better life without depression is. :)

[@acidparanoia]

@@gloomy5823 True, but I think a massive % of people will suffer from it at one point or another. I had it for 4 years, with no real reason or cause. Nearly everyone I've spoke to has experienced this at some point.

[@pollyphemeus]

It's not that being depressed makes you more realistic, You can be totally depressed and still have a distorted world view. It's that if you ARE intelligent AND view the world objectively, you will also end up depressed.

[@IS-su2jf]

That's what depressed people tell themselves to get by. You shouldn't justify unhappiness like that. There's plenty of happy smart people in the world anyway

[@katelynnehansen8115]

I'm So Meta Even This Acronym there are happy intelligent people, but I find that they are usually apathetic at best, cruel at worst. How can you be truly happy without ignoring, being ignorant of, or simply enjoying the suffering of the masses? The truly abysmal prospects of the sustainability of our society?

[@laurenelizabeth2592]

Yesss agreed

[@laurenelizabeth2592]

Saying 'that's what people do to get by' only reveals how little you relate to.... People.

[@IS-su2jf]

@@laurenelizabeth2592 I wasn't trying to say that as if it were degrading. I'm only saying that about people, because that's something I found out about myself first. When you're depressed you are in a vicious cicle that entertains your depression, and I strongly believe that this kind of sayings are doing exactly that

[@Katelyn3666]

Low self esteem could be a factor in addition to the depression.