The Finger-Wagging Naysayer (pessimistus perpetua) is a gentle creature, except in the presence of ideas that are seen to be new or different. In the presence of these perceived threats, the Naysayer transforms, moving in quickly to attack these ideas motivated merely by self-preservation.

The Naysayer depends on camouflage and deception, being easily confused with the Thoughtful Participant. Over time, it’s not hard to tell the two apart, but at first glance, they are strikingly similar in appearance. Once spotted, the Naysayer can be rendered harmless, with their attacks being avoided with ease.

Individual Naysayers vary in their style of attack. Some attack viciously, using intimidation and fear to increase the effectiveness of their actions. Others use a hynoptic, almost imperceptible motion to disarm their opponent without even seeming to be roused from their slumber.

The principal weapon of the Naysayer is its acute sense of history. It uses to its advantage one simple fact: every idea has either been tried before or it hasn’t. If the idea has been tried before, the Naysayer quickly jabs with, “We tried that before. Didn’t work.” If the idea hasn’t been done before, the response is even more vigourous: “We’ve never done things like that.” The follow-up knockout blow is often: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

The Naysayer can be tamed with large amounts of love and optimism.

{photo by Nehrams2020}