Before encounter, the neurotic is suffused with defeat. The pessimist sees no way out and surrenders to his fate. There is no trust for the pessimist.
Distrust is absolute for the critic who perpetually stands on the sideline. For him, encounter is simply exposure to manipulation, to suffer the plight of naivete. He loves to see-through, to rationalize his pessimism, and to shrivel away confidently from the situation with his own sense of self-righteousness intact.
Pessimism assures defeat. The courageous plunge into unknown and unforeseen encounters provides no assurance, no concrete ends, and no transcendent nectar for foetal suckling. But it is the space where defeat is not the only option.
